§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been drawn to the following paragraph in yesterday's Daily News:— 1624
A respectably-dressed man applied to Mr. Saunders for a summons against Constable 293 K for assaulting him by striking him on the nose.—Applicant on Sunday night wanted to give a man into custody. The officer would not take the man; and then Constable 293 came up and struck him on the bridge of the nose. —Mr. Saunders: Why did he do it?— Applicant:—I don't know, sir.—Mr. Saunders; Oh, nonsense. I don't believe a constable would do such a thing without provocation, Go away;and, whether he will communicate with Mr. Saunders, with a view to ascertain whether the facts are correctly stated?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I have communicated with Mr. Saunders, who informs me that, in the exercise of his discretion, he refused to grant a summons to this applicant, because, in his opinion, the answers which the applicant gave to the questions put to him were so unsatisfactory that he did not consider the application a genuine one.