§ 8. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether he has any official information with regard to the attack made on the 13th April, near Bally gawley, upon two Unionist farmers, Andrew Agnew and Joseph M'Cartney, aged sixty; whether these men were attacked and beaten by a party of Nationalists, two of whom held M'Cartney down while two more beat him till he became unconscious; and whether any arrests have ben made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLI am informed by the police that the two men mentioned were assaulted by some persons returning from a football match on the 13th instant, some of whom were apparently under the influence of drink, but neither of the men was seriously hurt or rendered unconscious as stated. The men assaulted have so far failed to identify any of the assailants.
§ 10. Mr. MITCHELL-THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary whether he has any official information with regard to the attack made, on the evening of 13th April, at Killybearn, upon eight working girls who were proceeding in a conveyance from Cookstown to Coagh for the purpose of attending a ball given by the Orange Order; whether the girls and driver were attacked by a gang of rowdies with volleys of stones and iron nuts; whether one girl sustained a fracture of the skull; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Mr. BIRRELLThe police inform me that on the night of the 13th instant while eight girls were driving from Cookstown to Coagh to a dance, stones were thrown at them by some persons from the top of a deep cutting through which the car was 1079 passing. One girl was struck on the head and her skull fractured, but none of the others received any serious injury. Six persons have been arrested and remanded until the 24th instant. I am happy to be able to state that so far the injured girl is progressing favourably.