§ VISCOUNT FOLKESTONEasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, If he has received any information about an outrage reported to have been perpetrated on Saturday night at Ballyrue, county Kerry, when an ex-bailiff, named Patrick O'Sullivan, was dragged from his bed by two men, disguised, who fired several revolver shots at him, of which three took effect, one breaking his arm, and the others lodging in his leg and side; whether, since then a similar outrage has been committed in the same locality, a bailiff named Brown, having been shot in the legs; and, whether it was true, as stated in the "Times" of the 29th, that some time ago a change was made in the regulations of the Government in consequence of which police protection was withdrawn from caretakers, and they were told that they must take care of themselves?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, I have received the official report of this outrage. Several shots were fired at the unfortunate man, three of which took effect. One bullet struck his right arm, glancing off the bone downwards and lodging at the elbow. Another struck him in the hip, passing outwards, while a third passed through his leg below the calf. The bullet has been successfully extracted from his arm, and the doctor does not consider any of the wounds dangerous. The local Constabulary inform me that no similar outrage has since occurred in the locality.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERbegged to repeat his Question which he put on Wednesday—namely, Whether the man who was reported to be murdered on Tuesday night, near Tralee, was a caretaker in occupation of a so-called "Boycotted" farm, and whether an attempt had been previously made on his life?
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, he had been unable to give further details at the time the Question was asked, as a magistrate was absent on leave at the time. The man was a caretaker, and had been fired at before, and if the right hon. Member gave him Notice he would give him the details.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERsaid, he only referred to the matter in connection with the concluding observations of the right hon. Gentleman, that the authorities reported that no outrages of a similar character had occurred in that neighbourhood.
§ MR. TREVELYANThe local Constabulary informed me that no similar outrages had occurred in the locality.
§ VISCOUNT FOLKESTONEsaid, the right hon. Gentleman the Chief Secretary had not answered the last part of his Question.
§ MR. TREVELYAN, in reply, said, the last paragraph had not been added at the time the Question was referred to him.
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, he thought he could answer the Question. It referred to a matter which occurred some time since, when he had the honour of being Chief Secretary. If the noble Viscount would refer to the answer he (Mr. W. E. Forster) gave at the time, he would see that it was totally inconsistent with the statement that the caretakers were told that they must take care of themselves.
§ VISCOUNT FOLKESTONEI was referring to the statement which appeared in The Times of yesterday.
§ MR. TREVELYANsaid, he was unable to say positively, but he had every reason to believe the statement to be incorrect.
§ MR. J. LOWTHERsaid, he would again give Notice that he would ask the Chief Secretary for Ireland, Whether the person murdered on Tuesday night was a caretaker on a so-called "Boycotted" farm, whether his life had been previously attempted, and what special precautions the Government had taken after that attempt for his protection?
§ VISCOUNT FOLKESTONEalso gave Notice that he would repeat his Question.