§ 40. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chief Secretary whether he is now aware that John O'Connor, of Gloundaeagh, Tarranfore, County Kerry, was arrested on 15th December last whilst on his way to church and driven away in a motor lorry; that he was beaten while in the lorry, thrown from the lorry into the road, fired on, and wounded; that civilians then carried him into the house of Thomas Brosnan, Threegneves, Currow, Tarranfore, where he was tended by the Rev. J. J. O'Sullivan, of Killentierna, Tarranfore; that four officers returned from Tarranfore, to which place the lorry had proceeded, in a motor-car, and on ascertaining from the Rev. J. J. O'Sullivan where O'Connor lay wounded, entered Brosnan's house and murdered O'Connor by firing three revolver bullets into his head; whether he is aware tha the Rev. J. J. O'Sullivan, Mr. Brosnan, and other eye witnesses are prepared to 254 testify to the foregoing facts on oath; whether an inquiry has been held; whether these witnesses were called; what was the finding; what action, if any, has been taken; and whether any compensation is to be paid to the widow and seven children of the murdered man?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Denis Henry)My right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary regrets that he is not yet in a position to reply to this question. The Court of Inquiry is still sitting.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. and learned Gentleman aware that the committee which has so far sat has declined to call some very important witnesses, including a Protestant gentleman who witnessed the first part of the occurrence, that it has not yet taken the evidence of Mr. O'Sullivan, and that when the widow asked "Why not?" she got no answer? Is the right hon. and learned Gentleman also aware that his right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary has full details, and will he make further inquiries?
§ Mr. HENRYCertainly. I will communicate my hon. and gallant Friend's statement to my right hon. Friend.
§ 41. Mr. A. WILLIAMSasked the Chief Secretary whether he can now say if the stores of the Kiltoghert Co-operative Agricultural and Dairy Society were, with its stock, burned out on the night of the 8th March; if he can give any information as to the perpetrators of this outrage; and what steps he proposes to take to have a full inquiry and to bring them to justice?
§ Mr. HENRYAccording to the police reports these stores and their contents were completely destroyed by fire on the night of the 8th ultimo. The matter has been specially investigated by a senior police officer, who has interviewed the manager of the stores and the owners of several other properties in the neighbourhood which were destroyed or damaged on the same night, but no evidence has yet been forthcoming as to the persons by whom the outrages were committed.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWill the inquiry be continued?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHY(by Private Notice) asked the Attorney-General for Ireland if the Press were excluded from the inquiry into the alleged murder of Christopher Reynolds by forces of the Crown yesterday in Dublin, and if means will be taken to prevent the recurrence of any such action?
I put this question on behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for the Scotland Division of Liverpool (Mr. O'Connor), who requested me to apologise to the Attorney-General for the somewhat short notice given.
§ Mr. HENRYOn the re-opening yesterday morning of the court of inquiry into the death of Reynolds, the President stated that Counsel for the relatives of the deceased person would be admitted, but that no other members of the public except those who were called to give evidence could be present. This statement was made under a misapprehension, and as soon as the attention of the Government was called to the matter it was corrected, and the court, which had not meanwhile sat, was adjourned until to-morrow.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDoes that mean that the Press will be admitted?
§ Captain W. BENNWill their reports be published, without any supervision of any kind by the President of the inquiry?