§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to the fact that in the course of the recent trial of William Waddle, on an indictment for wilful murder, upon which he was found guilty, a police constable admitted that he "closeted himself in the prisoner's cell for over an hour and asked him questions;" and, whether he will take any, and, if so, what steps to stop the questioning of prisoners by the police?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I have been in communication with the learned Judge with regard to the conduct of the constable in this case. The Judge informs me that, in his opinion, the constable was properly in the cell, in accordance with the Police Rule where a man is charged with murder; but he is 92 of opinion that it was wrong that the constable should hold a conversation with the prisoner without warning him of the use that might be made of his statement. As the constable belongs to a Scotch force, I have written to the Secretary for Scotland, calling his attention to the matter.