§ Viscount CURZONasked the Chief Secretary how many farmers and other civilians have lost their lives through acts of violence in Ireland since 1st January; how many of these men were ex-service men; whether the religious denominations to which they belonged are known; and in how many of these cases is it known whether these murders were due to Sinn Fein, and how many to the forces of the Crown?
§ Mr. HENRYSeventy-three civilians have been deliberately murdered in cold blood by Sinn Fein assassins since the 1st January last. Of this number, four were women and 21 ex-service men. The religion in every case is not known, but at least 23 of the victims were Protestants. In addition to this total, 26 innocent civilians have met their deaths as the result of attacks made with bombs or firearms upon police or military lorries in crowded thoroughfares in Cork and Dublin, or as the result of attacks on trains carrying civilian passengers.