The Indianapolis journal., 1888-01-16
The Irish Secretary DenOunces the Re-
port as q Ridiculous Fabrication.
Lord Salisbury Severely Criticised by Sew
eral Tory Newspapers Because of Recent
Utterances on the Tariff Question.
ALMOST INCREDIBLE.
The Astounding Statement Attributed to
MIR. Baifour by Dir Blunt.

The Astounding Statement Attributed to
MIR. Bafour by Dir. Blunt.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LONDON, Jan. 15.-Mr. Wilfrid Blunts as
founding statement con corning Mr.. Balfour's
intention to arrest and imprson Homsrulers
physically unable to endure prison life has
aroused widespread indignation and is the sub
ject OF general comment. 1t is probable that
Mr.. Balfour will deny that he ever said or
thought of such thing. and, perhaps, thsre may
be brief suspension of the wholesale arrests
that are being made in Ireland to give a color of
truth to the denal butt is asserted tonight that
the government intends to make large mum
Der of arrests under the crimes act during the
next fortnight, and the fact that eleven persons
were arrested Galway last evening would
seem to confirm the assertion. The charge
made against the Galway prisoners is that OF
intimidation" which is sort of blanket charge
of sufficient breadth 20 insure conviction under
at least of the numerous Dublin Castle def
ntions of the term. 1t is now pretty well un-
derstood that Mr.. O'Brien will be rearrested at
the expiration of his present sentence for par
ticipation in the famous midnight meeting at
Woodforc.
Mr.. Wifrid Blunt has been removed to
warmer cell in prison and his overcoat has been
returped to HIM. To-day band tried to
made him. but was prevented by the police. The
people are excited and row is feared.
The Dublin Freeman's Journal says: ''Mr.
Wilfrid Blunt, being personally prosecuted and
fearing that he will be removed to a worse prison,
feels bound to state the grounds upon which he
fears the Parnellite leaders to be imprisoned
While staying at country house in the south
of England, in September, he met Mr. Balfour,
who made the statement that ne intended to
mprisou six OF the physically weakest of the
Parnellites, adding I shall be sorry for Mr..
Dillon, as he has some good about him; he will
have six months, and as he has bad health he
will die in prison.
s'After the Mitchelstown affair Mr. Blunt
went to Ireland and warned Messrs. OBrien and
Dillon. Mr. Balfour.' says Mr. Blunt became
aware of this. to which / attribute his virulence
in the Portumna trial / feel unsafe in Mr..
Bafour's hands. Unless, protected by those
responsible for prison discipline. I should
incur the risk of ll-treatment or perhaps fare
worse"
In response to inquiry Mr.. Balfour said:
"The story is ridiculous lie I do not believe
that Mr.. Blunt ever made the assertion attrib b.
uted TO him."
At Skibbereen, to-day, Bishop Ross preached
a sermon in which he vehemently denounced the
coercion ACT he SAID Lndt Ino tlm9 WOulO
come when no half measures would suffice, and
that If strong and good men taken
from them he did not hesitate to say that the
dawn of liberty and independence was at hand.
A conflict occurred at Gweedare, yesterday,
between peasants and party of police collect
ing rates. A woman was stabbed with a bayo-
net girl was wounded with truncheon, and
other persons were more or less seriously in
iured.