§ MR. BLANEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if John M'Gee, who died at Dunfanaghy, County Donegal, on his way home from Londonderry Prison, was suffering from typhus fever a considerable time before his discharge, and if his case had been reported to the Lord Lieutenant as being in danger of death before his discharge; if any Report were made that his health was impaired by the imprisonment, and what was the nature of the Reports sent, and the date of each; what was the date of his transfer to the prison hospital; how long was he there, and under what circumstances was he sent back to his cell; how long was he in his cell suffering from fever; and, will the Government lay the Medical Reports of the case upon the Table of the House?
MR. M'ARTHUR (Cornwall, Mid, St. Austell)put a question on the same subject, and added that he had received a telegram from Derry informing him that the prison doctor had stated that Mr. Conybeare was suffering from skin disease.
DR. KENNYWith reference to the cases of M'Gee and Seyes, two of the Falcarragh prisoners recently confined in Derry Gaol, and who have died since their liberation, I wish to ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he can state the dates on which they first complained to the prison doctor, and the entries, if any, made in his report book by the doctor as to their respective cases; whether they were removed from their cells to prison hospital; and, if so, the dates on which they were removed, and whether the cells they had occupied were flagged or boarded, the diseases from which they were respectively suffering when 1459 they were removed to hospital, if they were so removed, and the dates of their liberation; whether he can give similar particulars concerning the case of Diver, an untried prisoner from Gweedore recntly liberated in ill-health; and, whether inquests have yet been held on John M'Gee and Michael Seyes, and, if so, he can state the findings of the juries in each case?
§ MR. SEXTON (Belfast, W.)I have also to ask the Chief Secretary what account he can now give of the sanitary state of Derry Prison, and of the circumstances of the illness and death of John M'Gee and Michael Seyes, and the illness of Patrick Driver, all tenants imprisoned under the Criminal Law and Procedure (Ireland) Act, and lately released from Derry Prison; whether M'Gee was twice in the gaol hospital during his imprisonment, and on each occasion was sent back to ordinary treatment against his protest, and on the second occasion was too weak to dress himself; whether the prison records of his illness will be laid upon the Table; whether, at the time of his release, M'Gee was in a delirious condition, and fell down on being deprived, by the intervention of a warder, of assistance in walking out of prison; whether M'Gee died within 48 hours after his release; and, whether emergency men in charge of an evicted farm at Falcarragh, his native place, hoisted the Union Jack on hearing of his death?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe results now received of the special investigation made by the medical member of the General Prisons Board show that Londonderry Prison has, for at least a period of 20 years, enjoyed a remarkable immunity from the principal zymotic diseases. There has been no case of fever among the prisoners during that period, nor is there any now. A thorough examination of the sanitary arrangements has satisfied Dr. O'Farrell that there is nothing in the present condition of the prison which could be in any way injurious to health. From references contained in the questions, some hon. Members appear to be under the impression that the prisoners specially named in the question were under sentences imposed under the Criminal Law and Procedure Act. That is not the case. M'Gee 1460 and Seyes were convicted before a jury at the last Spring Assizes. Diver was an untried prisoner. Two prisoners convicted under that Act were recently discharged—namely, the Rev. Mr. Stephens, on the ground of ill-health (though he himself is understood to have protested that he was well), and F. Kelly, on the conclusion of his sentence. The prisoner M'Gee was in the prison hospital from the 1st of June till the 3rd of July, when he was transferred to his cell, as his further detention in hospital was not considered necessary. He was, however, still carefully looked after by the doctor in his cell, and, getting worse, he was again placed in hospital on the 24th of July, and detained there until the expiration of his sentence on the 8th of August, when he was discharged on his own demand. The doctor was most unwilling that he should go out. He specially warned him that he was not fit to travel, and he offered to get him into the County Infirmary if he was unwilling to remain in the prison hospital. M'Gee, however, insisted on going away, and refused to use the van provided for him, and, on his way home, travelled 20 miles on an outside car in inclement weather. An inquest in his case is proceeding. Seyes was discharged on the 13th of last month. He was then recovering from an attack of pneumonia of one lung, and through the recommendation of the medical officer, the remission of the remainder of his sentence had been granted, as it was believed that his recovery would be more rapid in his native air. At the time when the order for discharge was received, however, the medical officer thought that the prisoner was not fit to travel, and he urged him not to go. The prisoner, however, insisted on taking his discharge, and there was no power to detain him. He is said to have since died; but whether of fever or some independent cause is not known to the authorities. Diver, an untried prisoner, awaiting his trial on a charge of murder, was committed to prison on the 28th of February, 1889, and between that date and the 29th of July he was treated in hospital on three different occasions for spitting and passing blood. On the 29th of July he was discharged on bail on this ground, and 1461 he is believed to be making a good recovery. There does not appear to be any reason to apprehend any risk of contagion in the case of the hon. Member for the Camborne Division, or any other prisoner.
§ MR. W. M'ARTHURHas the right hon. Gentleman received any information similar to that conveyed in the telegram to me—namely, that the doctor of the prison has reported that Mr. Conybeare is suffering from skin disease, and, if not, will he cause inquiries to be made?
§ MR. SEXTONThere is one part of my question which the right hon. Gentleman has not answered, whether on each of the two occasions that Mr. M'Gee was sent back from the hospital to his cell against his protest; whether, on the second occasion, he was too weak to dress himself; whether the prison records about his illness will be laid on the Table; whether at the time of his release he was in a delirious condition, and whether he fell to the ground when deprived of the support of the warders on leaving the gaol? I would further ask how it happens that Seyes and Magee were so ill as not to be fit to travel; whether Magee died in 48 hours after his release; and if an Emergency man did not raise the Union Jack at one of the houses at Falcaragh upon hearing of Magee's death?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThere is no truth in regard to the Union Jack being raised. I believe that Magee died owing to an illness contracted through travelling on an outside car during inclement weather against the doctor's orders. I do not believe Magee was in a delirious condition when released, and there is no truth in the statement that when he was sent from the hospital to his cell he protested against that course being taken. The confidential Report of Dr. O'Farrell has been received, and I will consider the desirability of placing it on the Table.
§ MR. SEXTONAlso the prison records.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think they will be required in addition to Dr. O'Farrell's Report.
§ MR. M'ARTHURWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has received a telegram about the health of the hon. Member for Camborne?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have received no telegram. All these things are carefully watched, and I have no doubt that I shall receive full information.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYIs not the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that the Government have been obliged to discharge four prisoners from Derry Gaol in the last three weeks owing to the condition of the building, and have not two of them died, the others being so seriously ill that they have been admitted to bail, although bail was previously refused? Under such circumstances, I request that an independent medical man may be sent to the gaol to investigate the condition of the prison.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have not yet read Dr. O'Farrell's Report. I see no reason for ordering an inquiry, although no doubt there are circumstances which are still deserving of examination. But it has been found that the illness in each of the cases spoken of was not due either to the medical treatment or to the unsanitary condition of the prison itself.
§ MR. T. M. HEALYOne of the prisoners who is now dead was, prior to his imprisonment, as fine a young man as could be found in the whole country. It is precisely a similar case as that of the man Larkin, whose father was unable to recognise him after he had been in prison.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think there are any grounds for an independent inquiry. No doubt there have been these unfortunate cases. Occasionally things of this kind must occur, but the death rate in Derry Gaol is much lower than the death rate in Derry town.
DR. KENNYThe fact that the death rate in the gaol is lower than that in the town does not amount to much. The right hon. Gentleman has not answered a portion of my question— namely, whether the cells are boarded or flagged. Will he give us the Reports to the Prison Board upon these cases, from beginning to end?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIf I can see my way to lay the Reports upon the Table I will do so. They contain all the information the hon. Gentleman requires.