The Portland daily press., 1888-11-01
CAPTAIN 0SHEES ANIMUS APPEARS,
He Reveals His MalIgnIty as He Tes-
titles Against ParneIl.
An Alleged Warning From Gladstone
Causes a Sensation.
ParnelIltes Out In Force at the Re-
sumption of the Hearing.

ParnelIites out In Force at the Re-
sumption Of the Hearing.
LONDON, Oct. 3i.-The Parnell commission
resumed its investigation to-day. Attorney
General Webster, for the Times. asked leave
to interpose Capt. O'Shea as a witness, as
that gentleman wanted to go Immediately to
Spain.
Sir Charles Russell, counsel for the Parnel-
lites declined to cross-examine Capt. OShea
at the present point. He said the witness
must return for the cr0ss-examination. Pre-
siding Justice Hannen said that Sir Charles
Russell had the right to reserve the cross
examination until such time as he deemed
proper.
Capt. O'Shea testified that he had been ON
good terms with Mr.. Parnell until June,
1886. At Mr.. Parnelps request in June.
1881, he had communicated with Mr.. Glad
The communications were made without the
knowledge of Mr.. ParnelPs colleagues. Wit
ness did not know Patrick Egan, nor did he
In 1881.
Mr.. Parnell told him that Egan dId not
know about the negotiations with the gov
|
in the House Of Commons, May 16, 1882 Mr..
| Parnell then spoke to him OF the awkward
position he was placed in by Mr.. Gladstone's
| speech aud told how the speech had annoyed
| Egan and others. The negotiations then
ceased until 1882, when Mr.. Parnell and Mr..
Dillon were in Kilmainbam Jail. Mr.. Egan
was then in Paris The first proposals that
witness made to the government, in 1882,
were offered without the authority Of Mr..
| Parnell. he received communications from
| certain members of the government replying
| to the proposals.
When Mr.. Parnell was released from Kill
mainham, witness told him Of the position
Of the negotiations He had written TO Mr..
Gladstone, and II was arranged that any
| answer that he might make should be sent to
Mr.. Parnell at Paris. Mr.. Gladstone's reply
was sent to Mr.. Parnell, who responded in
April, 1882. Mr. Parnell, on returning from
Paris, saw Mr.. Gladstone, and afterwards
conferred with witness number Of times at
| the latter's house. They were always alone.
Mr.. Parnell was anxious for the release from
prison Of Michael Davitt, but he objected to
Brennan's release. Mr.. Parnell authorized
witness to communicate with the govern
| ment.
Mr.. Parnell undertook to do his utmost for
the suppression of b0ycotting and outrages.
| de promised that II the government would
4 settle the arrears Of rent question satisfacto-
/ rily, he would advise tenants to pay their
rents and would denounce outrages, resist
ance to the law and all kinds of intimidation.
4
was able to carry out his guarantee to sup
press outrages. and Mr.. Parnell gave him as
surance that he had the power
Mr.. Parnell said Sheridan would be the
most useful man In the work ofputting down
boycotting, il he could only see and converse
with him. Boyton and Egan would also be
useful, he said, II they could be convinced OF
the wisdom OF the proposed new policy.
| when Mr.. Parnell was in Kilmainham Jail,
letter was written and signed by him
| which the witness took the next morning to
Mr.: Forster, chief secretary for Ireland.
This letter was afterwards presented to the
| cabinet.
| Attorney General Webster here read the
| letter. 1t expressed ParnelPs opinion that,
| III the arrears In question were settled, he
and his colleagues would be able to suppress
| ontrages. 1t urged the Importance of agra
rlan legislation and concluded by saying
.'If the programme sketched was carried out.
IL would enable us to cooperate cordially in
the future with the Liberal party in the for
warding of liberal principles"
After the letter had been written, Mr.. Par
nell said he would tell Dillon and O'Kelly,
letting them know as much as was good for
them. The day after the Phoenix Park mur-
ders, MT. Parnell showed the witness an an
ti.murder manifesto which it had been decid-
ed TO issue. 1t was mistake, said the wit
ness, to say Mr.. Parnell was not in favor of
the manifesto. He only disliked the amount
| OF bombast in the document, but said that it
was necessary to satisfy Davitt's vanity.
1
| witt joined About this time Mr. Parnell
| told him he had been obliged to ask for DO
| lice protection, as his life was in danger.
| The witness warned Mr.. Parnell that Sheri-
| dan was murderer and cOncoctor of mur-
ders, and the police could not allow him to
remain In the country. Mr.. Parnell replied
that he did not communicate with Sheridan
personally, but knew some one who did. He
asked that month be given him to commu-
nicate with Sheridan.
Seven letters were here shown TO the wit
ness, who declared with certainty that the
signature attached was Mr.. Parnell's.
Sir Charles Russell here asked the court to
permit him to postpone the cross examina- |
tion OF the witness. He said the latter part |
OF OShea's evidence came upon him as a |
surprise and it was impossible to do justice |
to his clients in the cross examination with |
out preparation.
Justice Hannen said he could not perceive |
any good reason for postponing the cross |
examination and Sir Charles thereupOn de- |
cided to proceed.
Capt. 0'Shea, in reply to questions, said |
that Mr.. Buckle, editor of the Times, asked |
Joseph Chamberlain to get him to give evil |
dence. Mr.. Chamberlain showed the witness |
Mr.. Buckles letter in July last. The wit |
ness did not agree to give evidence, how /
ever, until, be had been subpenaed |
by Mr.. Parnell. Houston, secretary Of the |
Irish Loyal Union. saw him take down in |
short hand his statement for the Times. |
Houston told him was state secret how |
u.
Chamberlain told him that Mr.. Parnell ac-
cnsed him of procuring fac-simile letters and |
of dining with Mr. Buckle. The witness /
had heard Piggott and Callan mentioned as |
men who had given letters to the Times He |
bad heard through Nationalist named Null |
queeny that the police had found letter in /
the Leagues rooms in London in which |
Frank Byrne acknowledged the receipt OF a
check from Mr.. Parnell, which had been
sent him to enable him to escape from the |
country. The authorities had assured him
that no such letter had been seized. Mul-
queeny had been threatened with death by |
civil engineer. who was supposed
to have conceived the London bridge
outrage. Mulqueeny had given Of
Tense by joining other advanced
witnesses exclusion from Parliament by Par
nell. The witness had been angry with Mr. |
Parnell once and turned him out of his rooms |
In Dublin. He did not remember ever threat
enlng him and denied having said he had a |
shell charged witty dynamits to blow Parnell
up. He had seen the original of the fac smile
of one of the Times letters and believed the
writing was Mr.. Parnells; There we've in
ments. Mulqueeny told him that Mr.. Parnell
paid for the escape Of Byrne. The chief |
conditions of the Kilmainham Jail negotia-
tions were that the League should be broken
up If the Irish landlords would reduce their
rents and receive compensation from the Ex-
chequer. The memoranda he made were |
destroyed in 1888, when there was danger
OF a select committee of Parliament being
appointed to inquire into the Kilmainham |
treaty and Sir William Vernon Harcourt in
timated to him that the utmost reticence |
ought to be observed on the subject. He |
said that 1t Was the opinion Of Mr.. Glad
stone.
This statement caused sensation in the
court. A fac simie Of the Times letter was
handed the witness and he said he was de-
cidedly of the opinion it was MIR. ParnelPs
writing The witness said he never had any
doubt about the signature. He had numer-
GUS letters from Mr.. Parnell OF about the
same date as the letter referred to and could
not mistake the writing When he contested
Galway for Parliament the Parnellites
attacked and denounced him in every way in
their power.
The court then adjourned until tomorrow.
The proceedings were enlivened by O'Shea's |
examination and tine court was crowded the |
Parnelites being present in full force
Messrs. ParneiI, T. Harrington, Day-
lit, Arthur OConnor, T. NJ. Healy
and Biggar kept close watch over
the proceedings. 0'Shea proved good wit
ness, giving his evidence in a calm matter
of act way. The most striking point elicit
ed by the cross examination was his eharg-
ing Sir William Harcourt with coming as an |
emissary from Mr. Gladstone to warn him 10 |
preserve the utmost retcence In regard To |
"Kilmainham." He explicitly states that Il |
was on hearing Of Mr.. Gladstone's wish that
he destroyed the documents, The reason for |
the rupture between O'Shea and ParnelI.
both sides chose to leave unreyealed What |
xyQ a Of fhar /