Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-09
Mr.. J. G.. Bancroft Davis Makes a
Public Statement.
TEE IMPRISONED IRISH SUSPECTS Case
Mr.. Davis Version of Incidents De-
scfibed by the Ex-Minister.
COMPLAINT MAY BE MADE

The extracts from the pamphlet printed
by Lord Sackville-West, reviewing his dip
Il matte career in this country, which ended
in his being summarily given his passports
in the fall Of 1888, after the publication of
the Murchison letter, have attracted great
attention here, and 1t is thought that per-
haps Minister Bayard, who was severely
scored in the publication, may ask the State
Department to make complaint against
Lord Sackville-West. The latter although
retired, is on the pension list of the British
government. Mr.. j. c.. Bancroft Davis,
who was first assistant secretary of state
under Frelinghuysen. and whose converse
tions Lord Sackville repeats, made the fol-
lowing statement today:
Il appear in the account twice, once in
connection with an alleged request made
by Secretary Frelinghuysen for the release
of imprisoned Irish suspects, and once as
receiving information from Lord Granville
of an alleged Irish conspiracy to take Lord
Sackville's life.
|, I'm regard to the first, what took place
Mr.. Frelinghuysen, by direction of the
President instructed Mr.. Lowell to ask
Lord Granville to have the lord lieutenant
of Ireland Instructed to exercise the discre-
tion, reposed in him by law, to order an
immediate trial of the prisoners, who had
tken been imprisoned, without trial, many
months. This request, when pressed, brought
about the release of all the prisoners. I
cannot recall that lad any conversation
with the British minister on that subject;
but, as his account appears to have been a
contemporaneous one, it is probably sub
Stantially correct.
I'm regard to the conspiracy against Sir
Lionel's life, this is the first that I have
heard of 1t. The telegram, which the ac-
count says was sent to the assistant sec
retary' (perhaps an error for the secre-
taryO, never reached me-
Mr.. Davis added that he never knew that
any representation had been made that
Lord LioneFs life was endangered, and had
never heard before that he had been taken
on ten days cruise by Gen. Sherman to
avoid possible violence to his person.
The Imprisoned Irish Suspects.
From semi-ofiicial sources the following
the time of the passage of the crimes act
in 1882: .---i 49, b,
The Irish suspects mad been imprisoned
under the orders of Mr.. Foster. then secre-
tary for Ireland, but no disposition was
made to bring them to trial, Mr.. Fosters
policy being to hold them In prison as sus-
poets. The British parliament indorsed that
policy by the passage OF the crimes act,
which empowered he lord lieutenant of
Ireland to hold suspects prisoners until he
chose to place them on trial There was a
great outcry in this country against the
crimes act. AS month after month passed
without a trial, it was believed that under
1t the prisoners could be held for life without
trial President Arthur, in response to this
sentiment, did not demand the release of the
prisoners, but he requested Lord Granvill. i.
to have the lord lieutenant of Ireland exer-
else the discretion reposed in him by the
crimes act and either release or bring the
prisoners to trial. Within two weeks after
that request was preferred the suspects were
all released. and Mr.. Foster whose policy
had been overruled, mad resigned from the
British cabinet.