HC Deb 29 March 1887 vol 312 cc1778-9
MR. J. E. REDMOND (Wexford, N.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he can state if John Malone and Richard Magee were inmates of the workhouse at Now Ross when arrested on the night of the 21st ultimo; what charge was made against them; by whom, and where, was the charge first made to the constabulary; whether they were arrested in the workhouse; at what hour of the day, and under what authority, the arrests were made; whether he will give a copy of the charges which were entered against them in the charge book on admission to the police barrack, and also a copy of the convictions; whether any of the workhouse officials, or any other persons, were examined as witnesses for the complainant, and the nature of the evidence given in support of the charge; and, whether he will state the name of the complainant, and give the date on which Malone and Magee became inmates of this workhouse?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. HOLMES) (Dublin University)

(who replied) said, that Malone and Magee were both inmates of the New Ross Workhouse, the former since the 10th of December, 1886, and the latter since the 18th of December, 1885. The charge against them, which was made by the muster of the workhouse, was that they were found, between the hours of 12 and half-past 12 o'clock at night, in the female section of the workhouse for the purpose of committing a felony. They were arrested by constables, who found them secreted there. A largo hole had been broken by them in the wall of the nursery, and a ladder was discovered against the wall. The master of the workhouse and the two constables were examined, and proved the facts already mentioned. The complainant was the master of the workhouse. As regards the charges and convictions, these were public documents, and could be obtained by the persons interested in the usual way.

MR. J. E. REDMOND

asked, was he to understand that these men, for an offence committed while inmates of the workhouse, had been convicted under the Vagrancy Act?

MR. HOLMES

said, there was nothing in the Vagrancy Act to prevent them from being so convicted.