HC Deb 07 March 1893 vol 9 cc1235-6
MR. T. W. RUSSELL

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been drawn to the case of the Rev. Father Casey, of County Meath, who was returned for trial, in August last, to the next Assizes for occasioning grievous bodily harm to an old man of 70, and who has been tried at the recent Assizes in the county where the offence was committed, and acquitted; why he was not tried at the next Assizes after the commission of the offence, to wit, the Whiter Assizes; and whether, if he had been so tried, the trial would have taken place in another county?

MR. J. JORDAN (Meath, S.)

Has the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been directed to the Charge of Mr. Justice Johnson to the Grand Jury, in which he said he condemned the conduct of this man said to be 70 years of age, and did he not justify the conduct of Father Casey, and virtually charge the Jury in favour of his acquittal?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

I believe the man assaulted was not 70 years old.

MR. J. MORLEY

The story is this. Two clergymen, the Rev. Mr. Clarke and the Rev. Mr. Casey, were tried at the recent Assizes for assaults alleged to have been committed at the Meath elections. Mr. Clarke was convicted and Mr. Casey was acquitted. The Judge laid stress upon the evidence in favour of Mr. Casey, which led to the conclusion that he had acted in self-defence. The Judge was not only satisfied with the verdict of acquittal, but also expressed his entire and absolute approval of all the verdicts, both of conviction and acquittal, that had been found by the Meath jurors during the Assizes in question.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

The right hon. Gentleman has not told the House why Father Casey was not tried at the Winter Assizes.

MR. J. MORLEY

The answer to that question is perfectly simple. He was not tried because he was a bailed prisoner, and it is not usual to try bailed prisoners at the Winter Assizes unless there are special reasons to the contrary.