The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-16

TO London. Witness produced copy Of
the letter which accompanied il. 1t had
never occurred TO witness 10 ask piuott
how he had acquired the letters. Neither
had he asked Houston. pigott showed
witness q letter from Solicitor Lewis nc.
cusing him (Pigott) OF having admitted
that he forged the letters aud his reply
whcrcupon witness required that the stat
utory declaration be made, in which Pigott
detailed all the communications between
himself and Solicitor Lewis, including the
offer OF cl 600 by Mr. Lewis on behalf OF
Mr. Labouchcrc, il he would swear that
he had forged the letters.
This statement caused a sensation In the
the courtroom. Continuing, Mr. SOamcs
said that pigott did not tell him OF the
correspondence he had had with Arch
bishop Walsh, OF Dublin, regarding the
letters. He had ucycr heard OF this cor
rcspOndcncc until he heard il mentioned
In court last evening. Besides, Mr. lngls.
Mr.. Soamcs said The 7uHfs engaged
Mcssrs. Birch and Ellis as experts lie
had never promised pigott siXpencc, but
know that Pigott had asked Houston for
g, 6,OO) ON the ground that it would bo i'm
possible for him TO live In Dublin after
giving evidence for The Times, aud that he
wanted 60 make some provision for him.
self. Witness told him that hc could not
listen TO such suggestion. hut that he
(PigotO might res, satisfied that ihf inns
would never see him ruined through his
honestly tcstilying 10 all he knew.
Mr. Soamcs said that u man calling him.
self Wilson, wrote 10 him Offering TO give
Information lie recognized the writing
~ that of man named o. Brien. who was
an cmssary from Elau to labuuchcrc
The oilcr to furnish information was
simply "plant" After that he had
o. O'liricn watched. At Mr. lahouchcrc's
instance q Brcn was sent TO Dublin to see
PigotL In Dublin O'lirion assumed the
name OF Sinclair, The men following
OBrlon traced him 10 labouchcrs aud
PlgOts house, aud then traced pigult,
Solicitor Lewis and Mr. PaTncll 10 1t
buuChcrc 4 residence. The witness know
OlrlCn IA man who was known in
America as Robertson. IL was "Robcrt-
sou who dcludcd Detective Moscr with
lcttOn which had since been admitted To
bo lurgorics. Kirby was paid C2iD 10 20
tu America and procure from Sheridan the
original parncll letter, fac-simile OF which
Is published ia tho imiU. Mr.. llurbuH
saw this letter
Mr.. Soamcs was rc-cNumincd by Sir r.
u. Webster. lie said thcrc WAS no bar
gain whatever with the Iimo to purchase
the letters. II the pnrnvn letters were
lorgcrics, then the writing oi the others,
signed with the names ul Egnn, Campbell
Dayitt aud o. Kelly, of Tyrone, must have
been forged. The bodies ot six disputed
rarncll lcttcn were In tho writing Of
Campbell.
Mr. Willacott, nm cmploye Of The Cen.
trail News, drppscd that IN nn interview
with Mr.. pancll, on the appearance Of
fac-simile letter in 1857. Mr.. rrncll
called the lctIcr an impudcnt forgery.
Mr. Macdonald, manager ui Ihf Iims,
dcposcl that la October 1885. hc got five
parncll aud six Egln letters. lie stipu-
lated that their authcnvity must be- tested
before the payment of the price which
Houston said hc gave iur them. Whom the
| other letters (ihDsc OF O'kvlly and ntyitU
wcrc tested lac paid Houston El,7OD, thc
/ exact sum represented ~ expended In
| gaining possession Of tho letters Houston
| declining personal remuneration.
Upon crpss examination witness said hc
never asked how Houston got tho letters.
llc had asked about the difference IN the
writing in the body ol the letters and in
the signatures aud Houston replied TINT
it was practice ol the leaders of the
movement that one wrote the letter. an.
other signed h, aud Third pouou al.
drcscd the envelope.
The commission al this point adjourned.