§ MR. HEALYasked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether he is aware that a young man named James McCanley met his death under peculiar circumstances in a hotel in Donegal town; whether, at the inquest, all the witnesses except the proprietor gave evidence that no signs of intoxication could be seen on the deceased at a late hour on the night of his death; whether the father of deceased 274 expressed his dissatisfaction at the inquiry made at the coroner's inquest, and made a sworn declaration before the resident magistrate that, to the best of his judgment, his son died from some ill-treatment received; whether the body bore marks of violence; whether the father of deceased, in a letter to The Derry Journal, asked for a public investigation into the cause of his son's death, and made formal application to the resident magistrate for an inquiry; whether the police have taken any stops since to seek further evidence; and, whether the Government is prepared to institute the inquiry asked for?
§ MR. TREVELYANSir, there is no ground for suspecting foul play in this case. The deceased was found dead in the hotel in which he was employed. Several witnesses proved that when last seen he was the worse for drink. A whiskey bottle, containing eight glasses, had been accidentally left out, and was found empty near the deceased. Neither the doctor nor the police found any marks of violence on the body, and the medical evidence at the inquest was that the deceased died from alcoholic coma, and a verdict was returned accordingly. Some days afterwards a letter appeared in The Derry Journal from the father asking for an inquiry; but the only ground for suspicion alleged in that letter was the appearance of the body, which had been fully explained by the doctor as arising from natural causes.