The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-27
STORY OF TIE DISCOVERY.
One of the Most Romantic Narratives
in the History of Politics.

One of the Most Romantic Narratives
in the History of Politics.
LONDON, Feb. 26-From a gentleman
high in authority in the prosecution of the
Parnell-Times case a representative of the
Associated Press to-day heard the true story
of how the conspiracy against Mr.. Parnell
was detected. II constitutes one OF the
mostroman,ic and extraordinary narratives
in the history of politics. The evidence by
which the conspiracy was exploded was
sent TO London from Lincoln, Neb., by
Patrick Egan Without this evidence,
complete in detail and invincible at every
point, the Times would undoubtedly have
Won, Notwithstanding the spuriousness of
the let ers.
HARD TO RUN DOWN.
Up TO July of last year Mr.. Parnell his
counsel and colleagues were wholly at sea.
They surmised, coujeccured, investigated
clews and found each of them false They
knew the letters were forged. But the for
geries were SO adroit aid The text of the
letters, to say nothing of their penmauship
was 30 like the habitual rhraseology
Of both Messrs. Egan and Parnell
that it was clear the crime had been
committed by some one haviug access to
the correspondence of both. But although
the most astute detectives and most ingeu-
ious of English solicitors were in the case,
every effort to discover the forger proved
futile, AID Mr.. Parnell and his confidants
were. if not hopeless, at least depressed and
disheartened.
A PACKAGE FROM AMERICA.
One day last July a young Irish-Ameri-
can priest, Rev. Maurice j. Dorney OF Chi
cago, H., accompanied by Rev. Herbert
Dunn of the same city, sen5 MS card in to
Mr. Parnell a the House of Commons.
When met Father Dorney informed Mr..
Paruell that he had package to deliver,
| placed in his hands the night be-
fore he sailed from New York.
1t contained, he said, evidence that
would reveal the forgeries and identify the
| forger Of the letters printed in the London
| Times Interviews followed. participated in
Wy Father Dorney, Mr.. Parnell, Sir Charles
Russell, Mr. Lewis and Mr.. Labouchere.
The discovery that Pigott was the forger
was made by Eyan in Lincoln, Neb., while
the detectives and experts were vainly try
| ing to find clew in Great Britai1.
EGAN soRELY PERPLEXED.
Mr. Egan wrote that ne wa s1rely per-
| picked by the forged letters. fac simileS of
| which he got in the London Times. The
| signature of those attributed to hin was
remarka lly good. Expire sions and odd
abbreviatons peculiar to hun were in the
toxt He considered as the possible forger
each Of several men whom the
| ParnelliteS suggested or suspected.
But none Of tlem could have had letters
from him which would have made the spu-
| rious concoctions possible. He recalled
| Richard Pgott, but he had been 80 long
dead in Solitics and covered with accumu-
lated shame that Mr.. Egan dismissed him
| from his mind. he remem Jered that
Plgott had been in forgeries many years be-
| fore. But the idea that he might be con-
| earned in tEasn Sapun6 absurd
THE DISCOVERY.
In scrutinizing the forged fdc-SimileS he
| finally discovered that one signed with his
| own name was written avowedly at a ce
| tain address, il Paris and the recollection
| flashed upon him that Pigott was the only
| man TO whom he had ever given it. Pig
oft had written to him asking for conf.
| Dental address to which he n GIT
send important information and Mr. Egan,
con ,luding to learn what it was, secured
tuis address, which proved the key to the
| forgeries. Mr.. Egan, who is methodical in
| habit, had saved his correspondence for
years. Instead of keeping u letter press he
mas been accustomed 10 writing on the fly
leaf of the letter received his answer to it,
and then copying the answer to be sent to
his correspondent. Thus he had the letter
and answer together.
A TELL TALE UTTER.
he searched us NOluIneS OF IeJUerS until
he found Pigott's. BY comparing them
with the handwriting on the forged letters
he saw that he had the forger. He sub
mitted the letters written by Pigott to
experts, together with fac SiBtiles Of
the forged letters. They Immediately
detected characteristic peculiarities, whica
were confirmed under microscopic exlmi-
nation. Mr.. Egan had Pig tits letters and
forgeries photographed and started for Chi
w Ar ba N "a ,pr
his friend Alexander Sullivan, who is also
a solicitor.
BRIEF DRAWN UP.
A brief was drawn up by him and Mr.
Sullivan in the iatter's office in Chicago.
1t related the chief incidents in Pigott's ca
reer and showed tlat he had been a ( Jrger
before The history Of these flrgeries was
set forth. Mr.. Egan hal mean .gile as
certaiued the process by which Pigott made
the spurious letters. He found among his
papers some letters written by him
in which entire sentences appeared that
we're also in the forged letters. Pigott had
traced these sentences carefully word for
word. Then he interpolated or added other
sentences or phrases completely changing
the meaning of toe whole letter while pre-
serving the Integrity of portions. Dates
were also changed TO make the criminal in
terpollations ap' licable 10 illegal events.
LETTERS FROM PARNELL.
Mr.. Egan also found letters written by
Mr. Paruell which had been Similarly used.
Photographs Of all these and OF Pigott's
and the blackmailing lett RS were inclosed
with the originals ia package, with
memoranda recalling 10 Mr.. Parnell all the
circumstances attending the writing or re-
ceptlon ot each. This was a precious piece
OF luggage the young clergyman fetched
t. Mr.. Parnell. Until it came the
Times case was as invulnerabe as it was
fraudulent. No hint of the contents of the
package everbecame public until Mr.. Par
nell himself, IN the interview he had with
Pigott in the presence Of Mr.. Laoouchere
and Mr.. Lewis, asked Pigott certain ques-
tions which disclosed TO the calprit that
evidence was secured conyicung him of the
crime Pigott either reported his fears TO
the Times or was watched by its detectives
and traced into Mr.. Parnell's presence.
FORCED TO TESTIFY.
Then he had partially confessed to his
employers, and the attorney general and
his colleagues thea compelled L. Caron to