Captain CRAIGasked the Chief Secretary whether he is aware that recently two cases of threatening notices or letters were reported to the police in Galway, Mrs. Ryan, of Mace, whose house was fired into several times on last New Year's night, receiving a letter ordering her to give up the farm of land which is her principal means of support; whether letters were also received by each of her workmen cautioning them against working for her; whether during the last three years Mrs. Ryan has been rigorously boycotted and is under police protection; whether the envelopes of the threatening letters, which were delivered by mistake to another Mrs. Ryan, of Craughwell, bore the Craughwell post-mark and the letters were signed Craughwell Camp; whether any arrests were made; and what steps the police have taken to trace the writers of the intimidating notices?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe attention of the police has been called to these cases. The threatening letters to Mrs. Ryan's workmen were not delivered to them. They were delivered at Mace in Mrs. Ryan's postbag, and when she saw that they were posted in Craughwell she handed them over to the police. Mrs. Ryan has been partially boycotted during the last three years. No arrests have been made. The police have used every effort to trace the writers of the letters, but so far without success. A protection post has recently been formed at Mace.