§ MR. SEXTON (for Mr. MAYNE)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been called to a report in the The Clonmel Chronicle of April 5th, of a charge preferred against a man named Devine, an Emergency man in charge of an evicted farm, of presenting a revolver at a man named Maher; whether it appeared in evidence that Devine pulled out a revolver—
Covered Maher with it, measured him, stopped back three paces, and said, 'I will shoot you quick;'and, when arrested, was found in possession of a loaded revolver; whether Colonel Carew, R.M., although this evidence was unrebutted, discharged Devine, and ordered the revolver to be returned to him, observing to him—You have already admitted that you presented the revolver, and, undoubtedly, if you shot anyone in that place you would be on your trial for murder. … I will look upon this as a public-house brawl, and you may go away; you have got a very good character, and something may have been said that provoked you;and, whether he has observed that, at the Cashel Petty Sessions Colonel Carew, R.M., only fined fifteen shillings an Emergency man named Noble, who admitted that he was drunk and discharging firearms on the public road?
§ MR. TREVELYANThe view of Devine's case taken by the magistrate appears to have been that he was recognized as an Emergency man, and had received some provocation, and eventually drew the revolver as a deterrent, but not with an intention of discharging it. In the case of Noble, a full Bench of Magistrates considered the penalties imposed sufficient. Since his conviction the Emergency Committee have ceased to employ him.