HC Deb 20 June 1881 vol 262 cc857-8
MR. DALY

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether it is true that, on the evening of Thursday the 9th of June, Mr. Thomas Travers (at present and for many years past engineer to the Cork Gas Consumers' Company, at Cork), was wantonly assaulted by five policemen near the site of the old Cork and Passage Railway Station at Cork; whether it is true that, on the occasion referred to, Mr. Travers was standing on a small bridge, the only other occupants being a few little children, and that, seeing the policemen about to cross the bridge, Mr. Travers stood aside to allow them to pass, when the police attacked him, knocked him down, and beat him most cruelly with their batons; whether it is true that, whilst down and being beaten, one of the policemen stabbed him in the groin with his bayonet, inflicting a severe and dangerous wound; and, whether, if the above recited facts be correct, he will take steps for the prosecution of the perpetrators of this assault?

MR. W. E. FORSTER,

in reply, said, that the sub-inspector of police reported that the bridge in question was occupied by a stone-throwing mob; that he thought it necessary to clear this bridge, that when he was doing so he was himself struck by a heavy stick; that after the bridge had been cleared the police were assailed by such a heavy fire of stones, and the place was found to be so exposed, that the men had to be withdrawn. The sub-inspector added that he saw no one knocked down, and that no complaint was made to him at the time. The assault on the police was unwarranted, unprovoked, and premeditated, and some of the mob had been placed in gaol.

MR. DALY

said, that the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the Question, Whether at the time Mr. Travers was assaulted he and a few little children were not the only occupants of the bridge?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that, according to the information he had received, that statement could not be correct.

MR. DALY

(who was received with cries of "Order!") said, he had no wish to detain the House; but he must ascertain from the right hon. Gentleman whether the police were at liberty to assault unprotected men? There were two occasions when the police were on the bridge. He believed it to be the desire of the Chief Secretary to get information, and it was for this reason that he brought this case under his notice.

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, he thought there seemed to be some misapprehension connected with the hon. Gentleman's Question.

MR. DALY

said, that what he stated was, that the police assaulted Mr. Travers. [Cries of "Order !"]

MR. SPEAKER

The hon. Member is now making allegations, and is not speaking to any Question.

MR. DALY

said, he proposed, if necessary, to conclude with a Motion. He wished the Chief Secretary to obtain information as to whether it was not true that while Mr. Travers was down he was stabbed in the groin while the policemen were beating him?

MR. W. E. FORSTER

said, that if the hon. Member would place his Question on the Paper again, he would take care that further inquiries were made about it. There was evidently some mistake as to the occasion.