§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)): I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that Private Mahon, of the 1st Derby Regiment, was shot dead in Legation Street, Pekin, in June last, by a non-commissioned officer of his own regiment, and that his death under these circumstances was the subject, not of a trial by Court-martial, but of investigation by a Court of inquiry conducted with secrecy, an order having been given by the Commanding Officer that any man speaking about the shooting of Private Mahon would be brought up for trial by a district Court-martial; whether the War Office authorities can give any explanation of the method of investigation thus adopted; and whether, having regard to the suspicion entertained by his Irish comrades that this man"s death was not the result of misadventure, and the method of investigation adopted, steps will be taken to obtain an explanation from the Commanding Officer of his conduct in this matter, and a publie and impartial investigation of the manner in which Private Mahon lost his life.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThis man was shot at Pekin by a non-commissioned officer of his own regiment, forming part of a mixed patrol, on 26th August last. The man had armed himself with a rifle and bayonet, had wounded two Chinamen, and had threatened violence to a British officer. He refused to surrender to the patrol and threatened them. The patrol then fired in self defence. A court of inquiry was, by orders of the officer commanding the troops at Pekin, held in conformity with the rules of procedure under the Army Act. The holding of this Court was in accordance with the law and the custom of the service. The proceedings of the Court were submitted to the General Officer Commanding the troops in North China, who considered that the action of the patrol was justified. In these circumstances no Court-martial is necessary. Nothing is known of any suspicions entertained by the Irish comrades of the deceased as suggested in the Question, and I can assure the hon. Member that there are no grounds 595 whatever for entertaining the belief that the death occurred otherwise than as stated above.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLWhy has the Commanding Officer given orders to Court-martial any man in the regiment who presumes to speak about this Irish soldier"s death?
§ ME. ARNOLD-FORSTERI have no information of that.