§ MR. CAINE (Barrow-in-Furness)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If a man named John Mara, a printer, was arrested on June 2, in Hyde Park, by two detectives, on suspicion of being a pickpocket; if at the time of his arrest he was dressed in his working clothes, his hands being covered with printer's ink, with other marks of his trade to show that he was what he represented himself to be; if he stated at the Police Court that he has been employed by Mr. T. Sharp, 17, Great Titchfield Street, W., for the last 10 years, whose foreman has been to Marlborough Street Police Court to testify to his good character and respectability and to offer bail; if this bail was refused by Mr. Newton; and, if so, for what reason; if John Mara is under further remand till Saturday next, to enable the police to bring forward witnesses who "saw him walking about in a suspicious manner;" if, as the matter stands at present, John Mara remains in prison on suspicion only, the only charge against him being the unsupported evidence of two detectives; and, if he will at once order John Mara release on bail?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)I am informed by the magistrate that the facts as stated in the Question are substantially correct, and that the prisoner is under remand on the evidence of two reliable witnesses, while other witnesses are to be produced on Saturday. I have no authority to order his release on bail.
§ MR. CAINEDoes it require a fortnight for two detectives to produce corroborative evidence of picking pockets in Hyde Park; and is there anything beyond the suspicion of those detectives that this man was engaged in picking pockets?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have given the hon. Gentleman all the information that I possess.