Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-20
THE TINES AND PARNEIt
Two Witnesses Give Testimony About
Those Much.Talked-of Letters

Those Nuch-Tnlked-of Letters.
LONDON, Feb. 2o-The first witness yester.
day before the Parnell commission was Mr.
Macdonald. manager of the "Thunderer." He
said the reason he did not inquire where the
letters alleged to be Parnelis and others came
from when Houston brought them to him
was the latter said be was bound to secrecy.
Being questioned as to who was the author OF
one of The Times "Parnellism and Crime
articles, be said he did not know directly
who the author of the article Was, and was
not bound to tell If be did know The editor
Of The Times was responsible for what his
paper contained and the names Of individual
writers could not be demanded
Psrnell here entered the court room and
sat near his counsel
Theae was some discussion between coun-
sci as to the point and the judges decided
that he must tell If he knew, but need not
try TO find out II he did not know, Parnell's
counsel demanding that he be required to
perform the latter service. The article &C
cusing Parnell of assisting Byrne to escape
by giving him money was based on letter
which Sir Charles Russell had admitted to be
authentic No persons were specially en-
PlpSSI " "t.bS a. LILIES Ol and
crime" The articles were written in the or
binary course OF business Soames was mis-.
informed when ne stated that Flanagan
wrote the series
The witness said that the pa yments to Hous-
ton were made by Mr.. Walrsrs' checks, drawn
in favor OF Soamee, The Times solicitor.
Houston did not bring the envelopes with the
letters, and the witness assumed that they
were destroyed The witness first knew that
Plgott, former editor of The Irishman, SUD-
piled the letters at about the time the publica-
ton Of the articles on "PaTnellisrn and Crimer
was begun. He did not know that they bad
been shown TO Lord Harrington, who, be
said, had nothing whatever to do with their
publication. Macdonald said that Flanagan
wrote the "farnellism and Crime" articles
which appeared in The Times on March aud
10, 1887.
Parnelrs letter TO Pigott was produced
and Justice Hammer asked If its genuineness
was admitted. Sir Charles Russell replied
that il was not
Mr.. Houston, secretary Of the Irish Loyal
and Patriotic union, testified that the pamph-
let entitled "Parnellism Unmasked,n was
based upon information regarding John De-
voy furnished by Pigott Pigott also fur
nished notes of alleged conversations with
Eugene Davis at Lausanne, in which refer
ence was made to letter, and was instructed to
procure the letter. Pigott said that all the
letters were in possession of Egan or School.
master Kelly He afterwards supplied copies
Of five Of ParDells letters and six Of Egan's.
Witness further testified that Mr.. Buckle,
in 1886, had refused to touch the matter, and
that he himself at his own expense sent
Pigott to America to obtain the letters from
Egan. Pigott returned with a sealed letter
which be said be had obtained from Breslin.
instructing person in Paris to surrender
the letters in his possession. The sellers of
the letters afterwards offered to return the
money they had received if the letters were
returned 10 them, but the offer was refused.
Eugene Davis declares that the evidence
concerning him given by Mr.. Houston before
the Parnen commission yesterday is an
atro~ious calumny.
Not Much Like the North Judson Affair.
LONDON, Feb. GA glove fight for el00
a side took place between two well-known
pugilists, Hayes and Pritchard, last night.