§ MR. SMITH-BARRY (Hunts, S.)I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the burning, on the night of 26th June, of the house of a man named John Callaghan at Drumaness, near Kanturk, County Cork, in which the inmate was asleep, and narrowly escaped being burned to death; whether anyone has been arrested for the offence; whether a horse was maliciously stabbed last autumn on another farm in the occupation of the same John Callaghan, and the same man was himself recently seriously assaulted; and whether the Government will take steps for his protection?
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.E.)Will the right hon. Gentleman say from what quarter he has obtained information on this matter? Is there any evidence to show that the injury was malicious?
MR. J. MORLEYI obtained my information from the usual sources. I am not aware that Callaghan was recently assaulted as alleged, but have called for a Report on the matter. Other- 975 wise, the facts are correctly stated in the first and second paragraphs of the question. The police are taking all necessary precautions for Callaghan's safety, and are doing their best to detect the person or persons who maliciously set fire to his house on the 26th June.
MR. J. MORLEYThe police cannot say it is malicious, but there are certain circumstances in the case which point to a malicious intention.
§ MR. FLYNNIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that I brought under his notice recently a case in which, in my own constituency, a place was fired by the man who claimed to be the injured party?
§ MR. CARSONBut can a horse be stabbed unless with malicious intent?
MR. J. MORLEYIt is quite true that in many cases the malicious injury has, in the opinion of the authorities, been done by persons who hoped to make a pecuniary gain thereby, but it would be a mistake to assume that that was so in every case.