§ SIR EDWARD GREY (Northumberland, Berwick)I beg to ask the 539 Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the fact that at the trial of Green and King for dealing in stolen goods at the Old Bailey in May, Sergeant Enright, in the presence of Inspector Helston, stated that these men when arrested were driving about in a cart with no name and address on it, which was provided by Inspector Helston intentionally without name and address, and whether Enright's depositions were read over and signed by him; whether he is aware that the principal witness against Green and King was one Panther, who has served 18 months and two periods of seven years' imprisonment; that Inspector Helston employed Panther and swore that he always paid him when so employed; that Panther swore that Helston had never paid him a farthing; that Helston swore that he knew Panther had been convicted when he employed him, but did not inquire for what offence, or what Panther's sentence had been; and, whether he intends that Enright and Helston should retain their positions in the Force?
§ MR. MATTHEWSThe facts are substantially as stated in the first four paragraphs of the question. Helston swore that he knew as a matter of fact that Panther had been convicted, but had no personal knowledge concerning this conviction. The answer to the last paragraph is in the affirmative. The two officers in question did not exceed their duty, and have been commended by the Commissioner for the skill with which they tracked and detected the two burglars.