St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-16
SENSATIONAL soAMEs.
The Counsel for the Times Pro-
duces the Alleged Parnell Let
tiers, and Tells All About Them.

The Counsel for the Times Pro-
duces the Alleged ParnelI Let
tiers, and Tells All About Them.
Special Cable to the Globe.
LONDON, Feb. 15.-Mr. Parnell was
present at the sitting Of the Parnell
commission to-day. Mr.. Soames, coun-
sci for the Times, submitted schedule
of all the signatures of the Irish leader
in his possession. He said that Mr..
Parnell's writing varied considerably.
In one of the letters submitted Mr.
Parnell's name is written six different
ways. Mr.. Soames said that Richard
PigOtt had made statutory declaration
that Solicitor Lewis, of the Parnellite
counsel. had offered him 81, 900 if he
would swear that he had forged the let
tiers printed in the Times attributed
to Mr.. Parnell. The cross-examlnatIon
of MIR. SOameS was continued. He said
that Pigott related to him various inter-
views he had with Solicitor Lewis and
Mr. Labouchere. He said that the lat
ter had sent Pigott several 4l0 notes.
PigOtt'S statutory declaration detailed
all the communications he had had with
Solicitor Lewis, including the offer OF
81 200 from Mr.. Labouchere. This lat
ter statement
CAUSED A GREAT SENSATION
in the court room. The witness then
stated that mau whom he knew to be
an emissary Of Egan's went to Mr.. La
bouchere and offered to give evidence
favorable to Mr.. Parneil. Mr.. Soames
had this man watched and found that
at Mr.. Labouchere's instance the man
was sent to Dublin to see Pigott. Then
he traced Pigott. Solicitor Lewis, and
Mr.. Parnell to Mr.. Labouchere' house.
The Egan emissary, Mr.. Soames said,
was the same man who deluded MOSer
with the alleged letters of Mr..
Parneirs which were admitted to
be forgeries. Presiding Justice Hannen
ordered the letter in which Mr.. Par
nell's name was written six different
ways photographed. Upon redirect
examination Mr.. SoameS said that Hno
bargain had been made when the letters
were first brought to the Times. Their
genuineness was to be tested before any
payment was maze. The Times paid
Pigott only $40 or $50. Mr.. Soames
said that Pigott showed him letter
from Solicitor Lewis accusing him
Pigott} of having admitted that he
forged the letters and his reply to the
same. This was the cause of the wit
ness having PigOtt make the statutory
declaration referred to. The witness
said that Pigott did not tell him of the
correspondence he had with Archbishop
Walsh regarding the letters. He had
never heard of this correspondence be-
fore. The Times engaged Mr.. Englis
and MesSrs. Birch and Ellis as experts.
He had never promised igOtt SiXpence,
but knew that the latter had asked
Houston for $4,000 on the grounds that
it would be impossible for him to live
in Dublin after giving evidence for the
Times, and that he wanted some pro-
vision for himself. Witness told him
that he could not listen to such prOpO-
sition, but that the Times
WOULD NEVER SEE HIM RUINED.
He honestly testified to all he knew.
Attorney General Webster re-.
examined Mr.. Soames, who testified
that the bodies of six of the 'sParnell''
letters were in the hand writing of
Campbell. Mr.. Willacott, a lobbyist, in
the employ of the Central News, swore
that in an interview which he had with
MI. Parnell that gentleman character
lied the fac-simile letter produced in
the Times as an ''impudent forgery"
A. r. Mcdonald, manager of the Times,
testified that he paid Houston 91,7SO
for the letters after their authenticity
had been tested. He did not ask how
or where Houston got the letters. He
learned from Houston and others that
it was the practice of the leaders OF the
Irish movement that one should write a
letter, another sign it, and still another
address the envelope. The BODY parts
of the Parneil letters were in disguised
handwritings. Witness had heard that
Mr.. Harrington had been offered the
letters but had refused them. He was
convinced that the letters We're genu-
inc.