§ 16. Mr. BRIANTasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether Thomas Fitzgerald, a railway man at Mallow, County Cork, was shot dead and his brother seriously wounded on the night of 28th May by armed men who took them out of their house and shot them half a mile away; and whether an inquiry has been held and any arrests made?
§ The CHIEF SECRETARY for IRELAND (Colonel Sir Hamar Greenwood)I am informed by the Commander-in-Chief that Thomas Fitzgerald, who was gatekeeper at Sissanisky level crossing, was brutally murdered in the manner described, and I am sorry to say his brother Henry, an ex-soldier, who was wounded at the same time, died some hours later. Before his death, Henry Fitzgerald stated that he and his brother were called out at 1 a.m. by eight or nine men armed with revolvers and told they were to do their share in cutting some trenches. When some distance away from their home, they were told that they were spies, and were ordered to halt and face the ditch. Their hands were tied behind them, and the murderers then fired into their backs. The Court of Inquiry found wilful murder by some person or persons unknown. Up to the present no arrests, have been made, but the police are pursuing their inquiries.
20. Mr. T. THOMSONasked the Chief Secretary what is the result of the inquiry into the death of Arthur Burdon, who was shot dead near Dundrum on the morning of the 19th May; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe Court of Inquiry, in lieu of inquest, found that Arthur Burdon was killed on 19th May by gunshot wounds inflicted by a person or persons unknown, who are thereby guilty of wilful murder. The police report that no one appears to have wit- 572 nessed the act and they have been unable at present to make any arrest. Burdon was a clerk at Guinness's brewery, and was shot while cycling to his work. There were seven wounds inflicted at close range. He was friendly with the police, to whom he was well known.
§ 55. Sir J. BUTCHERasked the Chief Secretary whether he can give the House any information as to the murder of the Very Reverend John Finlay, late Dean of Leighlin, on Saturday night last; what motive can be suggested for this crime; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODAccording to the police report on this diabolical outrage, at two o'clock last Sunday morning about 50 armed and disguised men called at Dean Finlay's house at Bawnboy, County Cavan. The Dean himself went to the door and shortly afterwards aroused his wife, his sister-in-law and three servants, and told them that they had to leave in ten minutes. The raiders took the inmates of the house, with the exception of the Dean himself, to the house of a neighbour, and in response to the anxious inquiries of Mrs. Finlay, they told her that her husband would shortly be allowed to join her. At 5 a.m., when Mrs. Finlay and the others returned, they found the house completely demolished by fire, and lying on the lawn the Dean's dead body with a frightful wound in the back of the skull. It is difficult to suggest a motive for the brutal murder of this aged Protestant clergyman. Dean Finlay was 80 years old. He retired some years ago from the Deanery of Leighlin, and was extremely popular in the district as a generous friend to the poor.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERHave any arrests been made in connection with this infamous crime?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI regret I have myself no personal knowledge of arrests. All I can say is that special police arrangements have been made in the district, in the endeavour to seek out the crowd of men responsible for this outrage.
§ Colonel ASHLEYCan the right hon. Gentleman explain why the hon. Member for the Falls Division (Mr. Devlin) did not raise this murder when he moved the Adjournment of the House?
§ Mr. MacVEAGH rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERHon. Members had better keep their own consciences.
§ 56. Mr. GALBRAITHasked the Chief Secretary whether an inquiry has been held into the death of a man named Macarthy, at Ovens, Bellincollig, on the 28th May; and whether any arrests have been made?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI am informed by the Commander-in-Chief that the Court of Inquiry in lieu of inquest in the case of Daniel Macarthy, of Knockamore, County Cork, found that the deceased was murdered by a person or persons unknown. He was found dead with a label inscribed, "Spies and Informers Beware, I.R.A." The unfortunate man was apparently half-witted. On 27th May he presented himself at Ballincollig Military Barracks, and asked for work and was detained for investigation. He was then released. On these meagre grounds he was presumably suspected by the Irish Republican Army of being a spy, and was therefore brutally murdered. As far as is known at present, no arrests have been made.
§ 57. Captain FOXCROFTasked the Chief Secretary, approximately, what number of murders have been committed by rebels in Ireland since July, 1920; and what number of the military, Royal Irish Constabulary, and auxiliary cadets, respectively, have been found guilty of murder or are at present being tried on charges of murder in Ireland, during the same period?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODThe murders committed by rebels since July, 1920, are 568 in number. This total comprises 310 police, 124 military, and 134 civilians. Members of the Crown forces found guilty of murder during the same period are:
The former was executed on the 7th instant, while the latter was found by the Court to be insane at the time he committed the murder. One member of the military forces and four of the Royal Irish Constabulary are at present undergoing trial for murder.
Military None Royal Irish Constabulary 1 Auxiliary Cadets 1
§ Lieut.-Colonel CROFTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that there has been an enormous increase in the last 574 five months of civilian murders of innocent persons who are loyalists, and who have no connection whatever with any of the forces of the Crown; and, in view of that fact, cannot the right hon. Gentleman suggest any new policy which is going to stamp out this crime?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe question on the Paper asks for certain figures. We cannot have an argument on the figures.