§ MR. DEVLINI beg to ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland whether his attention has been called to the attack made on the special train conveying the Belfast Hibernians from Newry, at Donegall Road, Belfast, on Sunday night last; whether he is aware that the Hibernians were subjected to a fierce fusillade of stones and many of them had narrow escapes from injury, and that the line for some distance was under police protection, but the bridge at Donegall Road was left unprotected; whether any arrests have been made; and what steps, if any, have been taken to bring the guilty persons to justice.
§ MR. BIRRELLI am informed by the police authorities that no attack whatever was made upon the excursion train from Newry on last Sunday, but that in the neighbourhood of the bridge at Donegall Road on that day a stone was thrown at another excursion train which was returning from Buncrana. A window of a carriage was broken by the stone. The person who threw the stone was not seen. The police were on duty upon the bridge and at other points along the line, in the neighbourhood of Belfast, but saw no attack made upon the train.
§ MR. BIRRELLTheir duty, I hope.
§ MR. DEVLINIf the police were not on duty on the spot how do they know a stone was thrown?
§ MR. BIRRELLThey saw the broken window.