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GREAT PRIZE-FIGHT. 01>

THE MURDER OF AN ACROBAT.

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HOUSE OF LORDS.—MONDAY.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY.

JBALFOURISM IN IRELAND.

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JBALFOURISM IN IRELAND. THE ATTACK ON THE PEOPLE AT CHARLEVILLE. STATEMENT BY MR W. O'BRIEN. OFFICIAL SLANDERS INDIGNANTLY REPUDIATED. Dr FITZGKKALD asked some questions with re- ference to the condition of Mr Patrick O'Brien, who was injured at Charlevillo railway station during the affray there on Sunday week. Mr BALFOUR said be had no means of obtaining any special information on the matter. He had already stated the facts of the matter, and that the injury was received while the police were preventing an attempted rescue of Mr O'Brien, (Loud laughter.) Mr BALFOUR, in answer to a question from Mr John Morley, said he had no reason to believe that Mr P. O'Brien was not injured, but he had no means of ascertaining what was his condition. Mr MORLKY, amid cheers, pointed out that this matter referred to a member of the House— (Opposition cheers)—and he suggested that the Chief Secretary might make himself cognizant of the hon. gentleman's state. Mr BALFOUR rejoined that the right hon. gentleman must be perfectly well aware that he had no means of obtaining information about the injuries of private individuals. (Oil.) Mr SEXTON Is it alleged that my hon. friend was guilty of violence or incitement to violence ? Mr BALFOUR That question has no relation to j the question on the paper, which related to the I specific condition of the hon. member mentioned but I may remind the right hon. gentleman that I I bavo already said in this House that the police requested the hon. member to move away from the place where he was, and that be refused to do so. (Laughter.) Mr W. O'BBIKN, amid loud cheers from the Irish benches, askod leave to move the adjourn- ment of the House to discuss the conduct of the Irish constabulary in firipg upon the people at Irish benches, askod leave to move the adjourn- ment of the House to discuss the conduct of the Irish constabulary in firipg upon the people at Charlevdle Station on Sunday week. Tlie SFKAKicR said he muse decline to put the motion of the hon. gentleman to the House -toll)-tile Lord Mayor of Dublin having already raised the question: in discussing the arrest of Mr W. O'Brien last, week. In the course of the debate this particular matter was repeatedly alluded to by hon, gentlemen, and although it was said the informa- tion before the House at the time was insufficient (Opposition clieer.-)-yet it by no means followed th.i L the subject could be again debated. Mr SEXTON Do I understand you, sir, to rule that because the proceedings at Charleville were incidentally referred to in the debate last Monday, therefore my hon. friend is now shut out from referring to incideuls which were not included in the motion ? The SPICAKKR I say the proceedings at Charle- ville were ;-pecitically over aud over again alluded to. The questions as to who fired the shots, wherever the shots came from, .the responsibility of the constabulary, and tbe responsibility of the Crown were specifically gone into, and it was admitted that full debate oould not take place, because full information was not before the House. I say that that having been discussed, it would be contrary to the meaning and spirit of the standing order that, because more informa- tion has come before the House or to the know- ledge of boo. gentlemen. they should raise the matter in this particular form. I am not at all saying that the matter may not be properly raised. Of course it can be raised on the proper occasions, namely, on the vote in supply. Mr WILLIAM O'BRIEN Of course, Mr Speaker, I bow to your ruling, but as there appears no opportunity for me to discuss the question in isupply. I shall ask the leave of the House to make now a personal statement, inasmuch as I was an eye-witness of the occurrences at Charleville, and nasmuch as my own veracity and honour are very deeply concerned. I shall try to do it as briefly as I can, and I shall confine myself entirely to what occurred at Charleville. Seven armed police- men were in the first-class compartment in which I travelled from Cork, and there were eight more in a neighbouring compartment. When I came to the Charleville platform there was no cheering and no commotion. There was a band at the far end of the train, where some persons belonging to Charleville, who had been in Cork during the day, were getting out. It was to meet these men, and not to meet me, that the band came and if I could go into it I have most overwhelming testimony. It was impossible for the crowd at Charleville that night to have known either that I was arrested or that I was in the train.- I was arrested only at a quarter to 10 at night, and the telegraph office at Charleville bad been closed from 10 o'clock in the day. The best proof that the people could not have known that I was there was that even the Charleville police did not know it, and there were no Charle- ville police on the platform. The notion that the bandsmen there that evening knew I was there, or made any organise.) attempt at a rescue, was demonstratively false and absurd and impossible. And really it makes one almost despair of proving the plainest truths when a story of that kind can be put forward by the! police and seriously defended in this House. (Opposition cheers.) The first the bandsmen learned of my being in the train was what they learned from their friends who travelled down by the same train. They had played two tunes on the platform without any cheering at all before they learned I was in the train. Then, when they did learn it, they did hurry along the plat- form to give me a cheer and to shake hands with me and I cannot imagine how any man in his senses could think for a minute they meant any- tniug more desperate. Arrests of this kind are of every day occurrence in Irelnnd. Men so arrested are considered as objects of congratulation, and certainly I not objects of desperate attempts at rescue, and the crowd knew thoroughly weil that I would bo released ou bail in a couple of hours afterwards, as in point of fact I was. It is really hard to meet, with common patience the theory that these few band boys would make a desperate attempt to rescue me from a body of policemen armed to the teeth, with a perfect knowledge that the police would be bound to shoot mo rather than give me up. The story the House is now asked to believe, contrary to any distinct public statement, is that these bandsmen played two tunes and then com- menced this desperate rescue by firing shots into a narrow railway compartment in which I my- self must have been the first to receive the bullets if any had been fired. It is a woeful sign of the demoralisation of the Irish police that they should attempt to put forward a story of this kind, and obtain credence for it in this House, not only against my statement but the statement of every civilian present, and against common sense. Let me explain what actually happened. The people tried to get a look at me. The blinds had been fasteued down, and they could only identify the compartment by a window having been broken at Mallow, where we were within an ace of wanton blood- shed owing to tho excitement of the police- officer, Mr Concannon. When they could not see me, the blinds being down, they came to the door of tha carriage in the ordinary way to have a look at me. That was their one whole and sole offence during the night, and that was the offence for which the police-officer, in an extra- ordinary state of excitement, pulled out his revolver and said, Load," and one of the policemen said, "We are loaded already." I should like to know whether the police will deny it, and if they don't, what a picture of the discipline amongst these Irish constabulary it exhibits Two of the policemen fired their revolvers, one without the inspector's orders or knowledge. The very instant the people opened the door the policemen thrust the muzzles of their rifles in tbo people's faces, and the people fell back. The door was slammed to by Mr Concannon. The people cheered and groaned, but did nothing under heaven in the way of violence. A minute or two elapsed and a ticket collector came and asked for tickets. Mr Concannon instantly seized him and said, "We have no tickets." The ticket collector was trying to understand what Mr Concannon, in bis excitement, was saying, when Mr Concannon throttled him, and flung him out with all his force, and the door was slammed to again. It was at that moment, and only then, that the slightest bit of disorder on the part of the people of Charleville occurred. At that moment a paue of glass iu tbe door was broken; It was by means of a stick, or one of the musical instruments, because no missile of any sort or kind came into the carriage. On the instant, without one word of warning, iNIr Concannon discharged his revolver through the window right in the face of the people. I had barely time to say, "My God, you are going to murder the people when two other revolver shots were fired just beside me—at my eli--by two sergeants of police, whom I can identify. No other shot W;\s fired, and no shot could possibly have been fired from the outside. The train was actually moving when the second and third shots were fired, so that if there bad been any danger of rescue, or any danger to human life there was no excuse for the second and third shots. But as I hope for mercy from Almighty, there was not forone instant that night a bit of danger to the life of anyone. It is a shameful and wicked fabrication, and it is most- The SPEAKER Order! Order I have given the hon. gentleman great latitude in making his statement. That statement might fairly be made on the motion for adjournment, but I think the hon. gentleman ought to content himself with a plain narrative of his own impression, and not to make charges which cannot be answered now. It is unfair that he should make anything more than a personal statement just now. Mr W. O'BaiKN: I at once fail in with that suggestion, and perhaps I have travelled outside a mere narrative of the facts. I should like to complete that narrative. As soon as shots were fired—and I shall only toll the House what took place between the policemen and myself—I said, If human life has been lost. if those shots have taken effect, the most cold-blooded murders ever committed have been committed." District-Inspector Concannon then said, They are after firing at us I thought at first they were stones. We must search the carriage for the bullet marks." I said, In God's name, are you serious ? You know that the three shots were fired by yourselves." "No," ha said, "the police only fired two shots." "ARk your men," said I, whereupon he and the four riflemen said they had not tired. The two sergeants to whom I have referred, and whom I can identify, admitted that they had discharged their revolvers.- The district inspector then said to the latter, What becomes ot your statement that you only fired two shots ? 1 said to the men, If you are honest men you will bear witness that three shots were fired by you, and that that is admitted." Not a policeman ventured to contradict me all the way along, and the district inspector did not attempt to deny it. Again and again I challenged them to point to any injury of any sort that any one of them bad received. One of them pointed to a dont in his helmet. I said, You don't mean to say that is an excuse for taking lives." One of the sergeants said, Oh, there is no harm done." I replied, If there is no harm done it is not your fault; the moment my voice is free you wili hear of this." We bad to defend our lives," said the district inspector, "and we bad to defend your life." (Laughter.) Well, this was almost more than human nature could bear. I said, "You know thoroughly well that my life: no more than your lives was in danger, and you know very well that I would rather you put a bullet through me than that you should fire on the people-" The SPEAKER The hon. member is certainly now prejudicing the case. I don't think be ought to continue that liae of argument. (Cries of "Oh, oh," and Shame.") The SPKAKKK (indignantly): Order! order That is a shameful expression. (Hear, hear, and interruptions.) I have allowed the hon. member great latitude for a persistent statement ("Oh, ob," and cries of Order and Chair.") He is I now making charges that cannot now be answered charges which it will be quite compe- tent for him to make when the proper time comes and when they may be answered, of course I cannot say with what result. But seeing that the hon. gentleman is debarred from making a speech on the motion for adjournment, he should not make the speech as a personal ex- planation. (Hear, bear.) Mr OBRIEN I respectfully submit I have made no charges whatever. (Order, order.) The SPEAKER: If the hon. gentleman wishes to make any further personal explanation, certainly it is not my intention to prevent him. Mr O'BRIEN continued: I confine myself to the narrative of what occurred between myself and the police. In this, my public statement, I must repeat exactly what I said to the police officers, and wish to give a complete narrative of what occurred between myself and the police and with the permission of the House I submit I have a right to do so. If not I must sit down, for unfortunately I shall be debarred from talcing another opportunity. The SPBAKKR: The bon. gentleman has, I think, bad full latitude-perhaps much fuller latitude than I ought to have allowed. As he has had full opportunity for a personal explana- tion, I think the matter ought to rest there. Mr O'BRIEN Very weil, sir; I will not press the matter. Mr PARNKLL, who on rising was received with loud cheers by the Irish members, eaid I beg to ask the First Lord. in view of your ruling, sir, that supply should offer an opportunity for dis- cussing this matter, whether the right bon. gentleman will agreo to take the constabulary vote at an early date in order that my hou. friend can go into this matter fully? (Hear, hear.) Mr W. H. SMITH I don't like to depart from the arrangement for proceeding with the Scotch bill day by day until committee is concluded, but I have every hope that I can arrange for the constabulary vote at a time that might serve the hon. gentleman's purpose. (Hear, hear.) The House then resumed the committee stage on the Local Government (Scotland) Bill, I [LEFT SITTING.J

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----_...----POLITICS IN STOCKHOLM.

----------THE THAMES MYSTERY.