GLENAHIRY INCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 7

GLENAHIRY INCIDENT.

y — A STRANGE CASE. BX TEtEOBAPH—rRESS ASSOCIATION —COPTBIGIIT. ,--. London, October 15. The Right Hon. A. Birrell, Chief Secretary for Ireland, lias : refused the Irish demand for a special inquiry regarding tho lato outrage at Glehahiry Lodgo, Lord Ashtown's shooting seat in County, Watorford, but said that an inquiry might possibly prove useful later. The history of this incident is very, peculiar. After. the explosion, when describing it in tho House of. Commons, Mr. Birrell (Chief Secretary for Ireland), in answer to Mr. Craig (Unionist member for' Antrim, South), said ke had received a telegraphic report of the Outrage at Lord Ashtown s shooting lodge. The explosive used was apparently blasting powder; contained in a metal pot, which was placed on the sill of a window on the ground floor, immediately under the room in which Lord,'Aslitown' was sleeping.' Lord Ashtown and his servants escaped injury. Some broken bottles containing paraffin wero found on the ground outside the' window. The police, were vigorously,(pursuing ~ their inquiries into the matter.Lord Ashtown.'.decllued to receivo personal protection, but the police had been affording ■ Buch.' protection, as was .possible by means of patrols.::' . Mr.-Macveagh (Nationalist member for South Down) :' Is this the same Lord Ashtown who appealed to'the members of the House for funds for the purposo of securing and circulating reports of bogus outrages in Ireland? ' ; Mr. Birrell, in answer "to Mr. Belloc (Liberal member for Salford), said the evidence as to the outrage was derived from an inspection of tho spot by the police. .Mr. ,T. O'Connor' (Nationalist member for Kildare North) asked whether , tho inquiries would, be continued, bearing ia< mind the revelations made, to the 'House concerning a cortain constable named Sheridan. ; Mr. Macveagh: Did not Lord Ashtown say in an interview that he knew this was an outrage' before'he even' left his bedroom?— (Nationalist laughter.) \ ' . Mr.' Birrell: This is too serious a matter to be treated lightly. ' . On September 23 it was cabled that Lord, Ashtown had claimed compensation against the County of Waterford. Tho defence implied that Lord Ashtown or a servant or servants, with Lord Ashtown's connivance, committed the outrage, ■in order to sustain statements contained in Lord Ashtown's publication "Grievances from Ireland." Judge Fitzgerald found that the explosion. was a malicious outrage, and that there was no foundation for the allegation made against Lord Ashtown. i The Judge awarded him Mil) damages. Thereupon tho "Daily News" remarked .that tho terms of the'judgment made a full and complete onquiry into the mystery surrounding the explosion absolutely essential. \