The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-27
THE CONSPIRACY.
How the Plot Against Mr.. Parnell
Was Detected and tho Fine Work
1t Took to Do 1t,
Ono of the Most Thrilling and Ora
matte Stories Ever Told.
Patrick Egan the Man Who Landed
the Home Ruler Safe,
Who Found That Piggott Was the For
ger and Who Exposed the Fraudu-
lent Evidence OF the London
Tlmes-A Great Head.


high in the authority in the prosecution OF
the Parnell; Times, representative OF the
Associated Press today heard the true story
OF how the conspiracy against Parnell was
detected. Ii constitutes one of the most TO.
mantle and extraordinary narratives in the
history OF politics. The evidence by which
the conspiracy was exploded was sent TO
London from a distant point in the west
tern portion OF the United States. Without
this evidence, complete IN detail aud in
vincible at every point the Times would
undoubtedly have won, Notwithstanding
the spuriousncss OF the letters.
Up to July OF last year Parnell, his
counsel and colleagues were wholly nj sea.
They surmised, coniecturcd, investigated
clues and found each OF them false. They
knew the letters were forged. But the
lorgeries were so adroit, aud the test OF
letters, TO say nothing OF their pcnman-
ship, was SO like the habitual phrascology
Of both Parnell and Egin that il was clear
the crime had been committed los some
one having access TO the correspondence OF
tcctiycs and the most ingenious Of English
solicitors were in the case, every effort to
discover the iorgcr proved futile, and Par
nell and his conlidants were, il not hope
less, nj least depressed and dishcartcncd.
One day last July young lrish.Ameri-
can priest, the Rev. Maurice ]. Dorney, Of
| Chicago, ILL.,, accompanied by the Rev.
! Herbert Dunn, oi the same city, sent his
card in 30 Parncll ut the House OF Com
mons. When they met Father Dorncy
| informed Parncll that he had package to
/ deliver, placed in his hands the night be-
/ fore lac sailed from New York. II con-
/ tanned, lac said, the evidence that would
reveal the lorgcries and identify the iurscr
of the letters printed in the London Times.
/ The circumstances under which lac came
/ 10 be- It's bearer were singular aud almost
accidental. lie received telegram
! from Alexander Sullivan, OF Chicago,
whose name has figured prominently dur
| ing the trial, asking him 10 meet Patrick
| Eg1u ~ q railway station IN New York
| the night before he was b. sail for Liver
pool. lie didso. Egan said he had come
directly from Chicago where ho had hron
/ iu consultation W.,n .iI sUllNau, eiDm
/ hc had requested, after they had gotten
the documents and their history In form,
| 10 select trustworthy man 10 carry them
10 parncll. Sullivan learned that fpthcrs
/ Dorney aud Dunn were to take the
steamer that Saturday Tor Liverpool, aud
/ lac selected Father Doucy 10 bear the
message.
Mr.. Exam was met a, the station by
| Father DOncy, who was told the duty
| that had been imposed upon him. They
rat mp all night The priest learned the
whole story, aud was able 10 make II clear
/ 10 parnull. lie told parntll he had carried
/ that package with more solicitudc than II
| ID had been millions. for II Il were lost all
the gold the Irish race could send 10 help
him IN his trial could not replace h. lie
expressed 10 him the anxiety OF Egnn aud
Sullivan for the safety Of the package,
aud when it, real nature and incstimablo
value became apparent 10 Pancll, the
Home Rule leader was deeply affected. The
depression which had been visible on his
| pale face for months began 10 soften, and
| during the recital Of the story, lac yielded
several times 10 emotion. When the story
| itself was over, ho asked with painful mp
| prchcnsion how many men In the United
/ States knew what the package contained.
/ Father Dofncy replied that only Egan,
/ sullivan aud himself were familiar with II,
/ but that Patrick Ford, Of the Irih World,
would hc taken into confidence by Egan.
/ Parncll was delighted. lie inquired. fear
ing some one knew who might indiscrcctly
tell the story 10 warn the Tina. lie WIS
| solicitous for secrecy. But lac said the
/ gentleman named would understand the
nucd Of secrecy without request or a
word Of caution, fnd they wcrc all men
whose names anFtcrviccs insured safety.
A - s..N I'll al
pntod in by DOrnpy, parncll Sir Charles
| Russell. Lewis aud Labouchcrc.
The discovery that piggott was the iorg-
or was made by Egun Ia Lincoln, Ncb.,
while detectives aud experts were vainly
| trying To lind clue in Great Britain.
| Egln writes that be- was sorcly pcrpleXcd
| by tho forged letters, fac SMILES Of which
I be- got in the London Iima. The sigma.
| turrs Of those attributed 10 him were ~.
| marknbiy good. Expressions and odd alb
/ breyiatiOns peculiar 10 him were IN the
| text. lie considered ~ possible iDrgcr
each OF several men whom the Parnellitcs
| suggested or suspected. but none Ut them
could have had lcltCrl from him which
I would have made the spurious connections
possible. llo recalled Richard Pggott,
/ bat ho had been long dead In politics aud
covered with accumulated shame that Emn
dismissed him from his mind. lie rcmcm.
bcrcd that Piggolt had been in forgerlcs
\ many years before. llut the idea that hc
might be- concerned IN these seemed ab.
surd. In srruinizing the forged iHc-sim.
lies be- finally discovered that one signed
with his own name was written ayoWedly
nj "A certain address In Paris and the
recollection flashed upon him that piggolt
WIS the only man 10 whom lac had ever
given Il. plggolt had written 10 him ask.
Ing ior confidential address 30 which he
might send important information, and
Egan, concluding 10 learn what II was,
secured this address, which proved the
KEY 10 tnc iorgcdcs. Egn, who is moth.
olicnl had saved his correspondence ior
ycars. Instead oi keeping letter press,
hc LAS bppn accustomed 90 writing on the
ny leaf oi 70 letter received bis answer
t6 b aud ihun copying the an
swcr tp boz s'ut io bic correspondent
Thu hs bad rurr aud angwc. together
Ile sanfrhcd bis volumes o' lriir- un.
Ill bee ionl pg.0ta by computing
thrn with ihc handwriting un hr forged
lc'iori DC slw tll' Hn haI thu iurY'r lie
submitted lc,cDatLg.,.l. hss.I 10 ex,