HC Deb 12 June 1894 vol 25 cc915-7
MR. SEXTON (Kerry, N.)

I beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can state the circumstances under which a force of police attacked with batons a crowd accompanying a Nationalist band in Belfast last Sunday evening, and inflicted serious injuries; and whether the attack and a number of arrests were immediately after a direction by the police to the band to cease playing had been obeyed?

MR. J. MORLEY

The following Report has been received from the Commissioner of Belfast, dated yesterday:— A large number of police were in readiness from 7.30 p.m. to see the bands home. At 7.45 p.m. they returned and played down as far as the Linen Hall Hotel with Mr. Dillon, M.P. After he went into the hotel one of the bands went home peaceably, via North Queen Street. The other two bands, 'St. Mathew's' and the 'Hearts of Down,' went down May Street on their way to Ballymacarrett. When approaching the May Street Presbyterian Church, where service was going on, they were asked not to play. The 'Hearts of Down' complied, but the 'St. Mathews' and their crowd refused. They played on, and became more and more disorderly. One man armed with a heavy brass-tipped Deacon pole assaulted several people, and although all possible was done, he had to be arrested, as he was mad from drink, and the pole was a regular spear. He was sentenced to one month's imprisonment to-day, and ordered to find bail or stay in gaol for another month. District-Inspector Seddall, who was in charge, having heard that a crowd had assembled in Ballymacarrett to attack the bands, drew some police across the Albert Bridge to get the bands to cease playing and go home over the bridge quietly. Head-constable Hussey went forward to the head of the crowd to ask them to cease playing. Head-constable Charlton was quite close to him. Both men were at once attacked by both band and crowd; Head-constable Charlton was struck in the face and also with two stones; Head-constable Hussey received a blow in the mouth from a stone. His hand was struck and injured by a Deacon pole, and he received very bad treatment. Head-constable Charlton's men, seeing this, drew their batons and rushed on the crowd, dispersing them in all directions and using their batons freely. I cannot find out that anyone was injured, but if anyone was injured he would keep away for fear of identification. Stones, bottles, and other missiles were freely thrown for a few minutes, and then order was restored. Some of the crowd got over the bridge and others ran away and hid in the street around Cromac Square, where their sympathisers live. The people around in the side streets assembled in Cromac Square, and materially aided the bands and their followers by throwing stones and bottles at the police from the corners and over the houses. Only two arrests were made at this place, but I hope to be able to make others amenable for their misconduct. One matter I wish to make perfectly plain, and that is that, although the crowd was very disorderly all along the route, and used very bad language towards the police, not a single man was struck or molested by the police (save the man mentioned as above, armed with a heavy brass tipped Deacon pole, and another for an assault, discharged to-day) until Head constables Charlton and Hussey were attacked and assaulted. I have seen the accounts in The Irish News and Freeman's Journal as to innocent people being injured by the police. I cannot find any such, and I was on the spot immediately afterwards. The entire affair lasted only about three minutes, but the stone-throwing from houses, yards, &c, lasted for about ten minutes. The distance, however, saved our men from serious injury. The boy described in The Freeman's Journal, of 12 or 13 years, was only 14 years old, but he deliberately struck Head-constable Hussey with a stone in the mouth. He also kicked the head-constable in the abdomen, and even when in the police-office he kicked and struck the sergeant who was removing him to a cell. His case was heard today in Petty Sessions, and he got a month's imprisonment, which would have been six months were it not for his youth. All was quiet by 9 p.m., and there has not been any renewal of the disorder.