The sun., 1888-12-15
WIN. O'BRIEN IN CONTEMPT.
HE SAYS SOME PLAIN THINGS ABOUT
TIE "FORGERIES COMMISSION"


but the Commission will Remember him
On Jan. 1S-Inrorner O'Connor Adn,its
that he Swore to "0ueer ThinEs."
oTsrfoM, 1884 ~ THr suS Printing ana Publishing
ztsoctafior
LONDON, Dec. 14.-A shiver RON through
the crowded Parnell Commission Court this
morning when. Immediately after their lord
ships took their seats. Attorney General Web
ster, with face as sallow as the fog outside.
rose and asked that the Court might sit on
Tuesday for the purpose OF considering the
conduct Of William o'Brien. who. in this weeks
United Ireland. had published an editorial
which constituted gross contempt Of Court.
Webster himself read the whole OF the article.
but the following extract will enable Americans
to Judge Of the measure Of O'Brien's iniquity:
The time has come for very plain speaking on the sub
tect Of the ForReries Commission which has been
sitting for twenty days London without getting
inch the subject which the public under.
stands II was specifically appointed to Investigate So
far the evidence has been = meaningless parade Of
sEhtyyehr-od ourages from all participation In which
the victims Themselves examined for the forger.
concur In emphahcally generating tho League The
has been numbered with nies of old newspapers
and stunned with opinions Of policemen land Rrabbers
and evictos and Of tthuntns Catholic clergyman
Thank God there 10 but in all Ireland TO be found In
such company As tho condition Of the country
its causeA It 10 true the waste of me has been In
redeemed by open exposure Of the methods
Of bribery and Intimidation by which the forRer and
the Government combined desperately struggling
escape from tho horrible which they have land
Cd themselves On all this black business claim
rights Of free comment and open exposure. We have
intention Of waiting until the toreer gives leave to
speak. With all respect for the Court do not
twopencs for the opinion Of three Judges specially
lected In the teeth Of Justly indignant liberal protest
by the forger's friends and accompicea
here. as well as In Ireland. but none the less 1t
is contempt OF court as fragrant as the judicial
mind could imagine. The strange thing. how
ever. is that newspapers Of all shades Of poll
tics are almost daily guilty Of similar contempt,
while up to the present only Irish Nationalist
newspapers have been brought to book. Sir
Charles Russell has repeatedly refused to take
action against Tory journals and orators. and
has only once yielded to the temptation OF
paying back Webster In his own coin. A case
In point was mentioned in court to-day. big
Tory maRnste at Oxford. the warden OF Nor
ton College. on the Sd inst, made O scandalous
speech. in the course Of which he compared
Michael Davitt and other Irish members to
Jack the Ripper. but no notice was taken OF 1t
until to-day. and then only as counter to Wob-
ster's cowardly thrust
President Hannen. OF course, lost his temper
over United Ireland. and. banging his fist on
the desk before him. declared passionately
that we're he not 80 to speak. bound to the
stake he would throw UP the commission
The other Judges muttered something
which sounded like Hear! hear" and it would
certainly have gone hard with O'Brien had he
been present for judgment Fortunately for
him. he could not be found. The yearning for
q holiday. which the Judges share with every
body concerned In the case. also operated In
the famous Irishman's favor. with the result
that sentence will not be passed until the re-
assembling ON Jan. Is. Meanwhile. 1t is hoped.
O'Brien may be induced to apologize. The
warden Of Merton College will also be required
to appear on Jan. 15.
The tempest was followed By calm. which
enabled every ono thorppshly to enjoy Rpsselrs
mastery oross-examinaton Of Inforuer
O'Connor. The result thereof may be put in
few words Everything the informer formerly
asserted was proved to be false. and everything
he denied last week was shown to be true.
This creature has been for years disreputable
loafer. moro or less In the pay Of the police. to
the shame OF his own family and the disgrace
of his Irish name. Finally. documentary proof
was forthcoming that the man was not over
honest. oven to his employers. His chief object
in Volunteering evidence was make money.
and. as he put 1t In letter to his brother.
which was promptly forwarded to Russell. he
found he had to say some queer things" to
earn It.
By ne Assoetdted Press
O'Connor. under Sir Charles Russell's cross
examination, repeated the statement that he
Tho money was In f1 notes. and two OF them
were cashed by the National Bank. He had
decided. he said. to give evidence simply with
the 9bieGt 81 putting an end to the hell upon
Sir Charles Russell asked: We're you asked,
In order to eliminate tho Parneltes to tell
Witness evaded the question. but Sir Charles
pressed him hard. remarkinR that he used the
term queer thing" I" adyisedly. Witness at
last admitted that Mr.. Walker. In behalf of
the Times. had strongly urged him to give evil
sir Charles Russell here produced q letter
and handed 1t to witness. who admitted that he
wroteit tt was addressed to his brother. and
said that hs tXitnsssl had got himself sum.
few Pounds, but he found that he could not un-
less he would swear to queer things.
On the redirect eIspjnstion M witness. IN reply
he first gave evidence bis family had tee-
Of shame unless. when he was scross-examined.
he denied the. evidence that he had already
given before the court.
Tho Commission adjourned to Jan. IL.
"a .00O In Coin Stolen by . Negro Janitor.
Ilnowosy nao haor toin;n~ A mn