HC Deb 04 March 1889 vol 333 cc843-5
MR. WILLIAM J. CORBET (Wicklow, E.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if it is true that the police under District Inspector Somerville broke into the house of Mrs. Dargan, of Mill Mount, county Wicklow, about two a.m. on Thursday, the 28th ultimo, for the purpose of arresting the Rev. Mr. Clarke, and, having forced an entrance, insisted on entering and searching rooms in which women were sleeping; if so, under what authority this forcible entrance was made; if the warrant had been in the hands of the police for at least a month, and that during that time Father Clarke made no attempt to conceal himself or to evade arrest; and why such a time was chosen to arrest him?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I am informed that it is the case that the police were obliged to force an entrance into the house of Mrs. Dargan, of Mill Mount, at about 3.40 a.m., not 2 a.m., the owner having refused to admit the officer in charge, who demanded admittance on the ground that he had a warrant for the arrest of the Rev. Mr. Clarke, who, he had reason to believe, was in the house. Having entered the house, the owner refused to point out the room occupied by Mr. Clarke. The officer asked at one room whether Mr. Clarke was inside, and receiving no answer he opened the door, but on recognizing a woman's voice he retired, expressing regret. Seeing Mrs. Dargan then making for another room he followed her, and on finding it to be Mr. Clarke's he entered and effected the arrest. The warrant had not been for at least a month in the hands of the police; on the contrary, it had been so for five days only, and during that time Mr. Clarke had absented himself, so far as the police could ascertain, from his residence. The hour selected was with a view to remove the defendant by the early train, so as to obviate any public disturbance.

MR. SEXTON

I wish to ask if this arrest could not have been carried out before bedtime, or early in the morning? Also whether, as this is the second arrest of a priest in Ireland by means of burglary and breaking into a house at night, and the fourth arrest of priests under exasperating circumstances, the right hon. Gentleman will give instructions to have the arrests carried out in some more convenient and decent manner?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

There is every desire to carry out these arrests in a decent manner, but the prisoners have done everything in their power to make the arrests difficult.

MR. SEXTON

Will the right hon. Gentleman say why the arrest was not made either before or at bedtime?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I will make inquiries. I may say, in addition to what I have already told the House, that even at the early hour in the morning at which the arrest WAS effected the church bells were rung in order to collect a crowd.

MR. CLANCY (Dublin Co., N.)

Under what Statute are the police entitled to improvise a battering ram to break in the door of a private house?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I have no information that they used a battering ram; on the contrary, I understand that the back door of the premises was pushed open; a policeman got through a window which was unbolted, and opened the front door.

MR. J. P. GILL (Louth, S.)

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that Father Clarke twice on Sunday said Mass at the usual place of worship in the parish?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

No, Sir; I was not aware of it.