HC Deb 21 July 1887 vol 317 cc1600-1
MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether his attention has been directed to the following paragraph in The Pall Mall Gazette of 14th July— Pat Grenell swore that he was concealed in his own house, when he heard a voice say three times 'put a match to it,' and, being then in fear of being burned alive, he cried 'Police,' and that police came in and dragged him out. Robert Hart swore that while concealed in the orchard, 12 yards from the house, he saw Captain Hamilton go through the motion of rubbing matches on his log, then step upon some old timber, life the thatch, and insert something, then press the thatch down again, and that a few minutes afterwards fire burst out from the place. Matthew Cunan swore the same, and so did B. Kavanagh, and several witnesses heard a constable exclaim with an oath, 'Hamilton has set fire to the house!' whether, in spite of this evidence, Captain Slacke, R.M., refused to issue a warrant against Captain Hamilton; and, whether the Government will insti- tute an independent inquiry into the conduct of the magistrate in this case?

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER SECRETARY (Colonel KING-HARMAN) (Kent, Isle of Thanet)

(who replied) said, Patrick Grenell did swear that he was concealed in his house when he heard a voice say "Put a match to it," and he was then removed; but he did not cry out for the police, as alleged. Hart and Kavanagh swore that they saw Captain Hamilton "striking a match, or something similar;" that he put it to the eave of the house and set fire to the thatch; and that a policeman exclaimed—" By the Eternal, he is setting fire to the house!"Cunan did not swear the same. He swore only that he saw no smoke until he saw Captain Hamilton move away from the house. These informations were so directly opposed to the real facts of the case, and so contrary to the statements of other spectators who are prepared to give evidence in the case, that the two Resident Magistrates who were present, and the Divisional Magistrate, Captain Slacke, unhesitatingly refused to issue a warrant for Captain Hamilton's arrest. They, however, informed Grenell's solicitor that he could proceed by summons, which would cause a full investigation of the charge. This step has not up to the present been taken. The Government see no ground for instituting an inquiry.