§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the truth of the statement alleged to have been made by Colonel Baden-Powell to the effect that he had forty Fenian prisoners, including the late station-master of Mafeking, in custody; can he state what was their offence, and why they were described as Fenians; and whether the late station-master of Mafeking, Mr. Quinlan (alleged to have been shot), is still a prisoner.
§ * MR. WYNDHAMNO, Sir. As I have already told the hon. Member, there is no information whatever in the War Office on this subject, and I cannot undertake to trouble Lord Roberts at such a time with questions based on hearsay. It would be more unwarranted in this than 1359 in other cases, because, as the hon. Members knows, Lord Roberts cannot communicate with Colonel Baden-Powell.
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI understand that there are means of communicating. May I ask how it is that letters can come direct from there, and yet none reach the War Office?
§ [No answer was given.]