§ MR. VESEY KNOX (Londonderry)I beg to ask the Attorney General for Ireland (1) whether he is aware that two young men named Maguire were tried at last Summer Assizes on a charge of murder when the jury disagreed, and again at the Winter Assizes in Belfast 922 when the jury acquitted them; that they were again tried at Omagh Spring Assizes on a charge of larceny of money from the dead body on practically the same evidence when the jury disagreed; (2) whether they are still in prison awaiting a fourth trial, and for how long have they already been imprisoned; and (2) whether, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, the Crown will proceed further against them?
§ *THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR IRELAND (Mr. J. ATKINSON,) Londonderry, N.The facts stated in the first part of the question are substantially accurate, save that the accused were last tried on two charges, one for the robbery of Triston when alive, and the other for robbery from his dead body. It is quite true that all the facts relied upon to establish the case of robbery were given in evidence on the trial for murder, but the main defence of the prisoners on that occasion was that the deceased was not murdered, but died from natural causes. Though the only available evidence therefore might have been insufficient to prove a case of murder, this portion of it may be conclusive on the charge of robbery. The prisoners have been in custody since the 6th of March, 1896, and are now awaiting a second trial for the offence of robbery, with which, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, including the charge of the learned judge who presided at the at the last trial, it is intended to proceed.