Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-10-23
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
MT. Parnell Faces The Times
 Accusations.
WHISPERS OPENING SPEECH
Parnell Early on Hand, Looking Cheerful but PHle-His Adherents Smiling-Sir Webster Outlines The Times Case-It Will He Long and Tedious.

put I'Nlc-His Adherents Smiling-Sir
 Webster Outlines The Times Case-It
 Will He Long and Tedious.
 LONDON, Oct 23.-The probate court room Ill the law courts was completely filled with spectators long before Justices Hannah, Day and Smith, who constitute the Parnell in qulry commission, were ready to begin the work of ascertaining whether the Parnelltes are bad men or whether The Times has told stories about them which it cannot prove Nearly all the spectators were1epresentatives of the press, and among them were many Americans
 Mir. Parnell was early in the court room, and he appeared as cheerful as if he hadn't any personal interest in the proceedings Save that he was slightly pale, he was appar ently ill good health. He was dressed in a plain business suit His entrance caused a stir, and everybody got on his feet to get a glimpse of him. He was surrounded by his adherents, none of whom appeared to be nervous, and many of whom were inclined to smile, as the proceedings went on, at what they considered the weakness of Attorney General Webster's speech
 At II o'clock the three justices composing the commission marched slowly into the court room from their private offices They were arrayed in wigs and gowns, according to the custom governing the attire of high Judicial officers throughout England. The usual formalities of opening court were ob- served, and then the justices took their seats, and the session was opened.
 At the outset, Sir Charles Russell the leading counsel for MT. Parnell, applied for the release from Wexford prison of Mr. Will lam Redmond, whose evidence, he said was necessary to his clients side of the case.
 Justice Hannah, president of the commis- slon, said the same course would be adopted with MT. Redmond as in the case of Mr John Dillon. His release must not be con- strued to mean that he had been granted Immunity from imprisonment. He would be set free only under strict conditions These would not allow of his taking any part in public life and would compel him to hold himself strictly prisoner on parole
 Sir Charles Russell intimated that for the present he would not insist upon his applica- tion for MT. Redmond's release.
 Freliminaries having been attended to Attorney General Webster began the open ing address in behalf of The Times. He promised to give the fullest information re- gardlng the source of the evidence against the Irish party which The Times had pub llshed. He would not treat the case as hay Ing anything to do with the merits or de merits of home rule or of any supposed burning Irish question. The inquiry, as he understood 1t, was strictly into the specific charges made i'll the O'Donnell action against The Times, and he would be careful not to introduce questions beyond the charges.
 The attorney general then proceeded to review The Times articles on "Parnellism and Crime, going over the old ground. It would be shown, he said, that many of the persons named in The Times bill of particu- lars had personally taken part in crimes of the worst kind, and that money had been paid to persons appointed to the actual com mission of violence and crimes From the time of the formation of the Land league, he declared, MT. Parnell and his colleagues had been intimate with the Irish American advo- cates of dynamite.
 MT. Webster promised to produce all the letters mentioned in The Times O'Donnell case. He recounted the history of the leagues agraralan agitations and attempted to show their relation to FenianiSm
 When the commission adjourned Mr. Web ster had apparently gone only little way into his case, and his speech promises to oc- cupy several days