Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-04
PARNELL'S ADMISSION.
He Acknowledges Having
Exaggerated.
BUT HE DID 1T FOR A PURPOSE.
A Sensation Caused in Court by the
Calm NOnchalance with Which
He Owned Up.


Associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
LONDON, May 3.-The croes'examina-
ton of Parnell was continued. Parnell
testified that he had often reproved Wila
liam O'Brien, editor Of United ireland, for
violent articles that appeared in that
paper. He had not publicly repudiated
the articles because he did not consider
that the way to effect the alterations he
desired in the tone of the articles. Par
nell said he considered O'Brien's teach
ings in advance of his own. He had
never heard of Egan's being associated
with The Martyrs Fund, )" for the bene-
fit OF the families of the Phoenix Park
murderers. He saw nothing criminal in
the fund and rather thought it WAS right
to assist innocent victims. He could not
recollect denouncing the outrages be-
tween 1878 and 1881. He believed the
outrages perpetia,ed to have been the
work OF small secret societies.
Witness was then asked whether il
secret societies., adverse to the League,
had existed, and if the vast majority Of
the people had belonged to the League
there could not have been ample evil
dence obtained to convict the perpetra-
tors OF the outrage. He parted the
| question by saying that that might, or
might not, have been the case.
Here occurred most remarkable incl
dent in the witnesses cross-examination.
Attorney General Webster quoted state
ment made by Parnell in the Commons
during the debate on Fosters bill in 1881
suspending the writ of habeus corpus, to
the effect that secret societies had ceased
to exist in Ireland.
! "Did you believe that when you said
it?" asked the Attorney General.
NO." replied Parnell Eat any rate it
was a grossly exaggerated statement"
| There was a buzz of surprise throughout
the courtroom at this response.
"Did you, or did you not" continued.
the Attorney General, "intend to mis-.
state the fact when you made that
statement
II have no doubt 1 did," was the
reply.
The Attorney General -" Deliber-
ately ?"
Parnell-"Yes, deliberately"
Attorney General" You deliberately
made statement knowing it to be un
true?"
Parnell-"Yes, or, if not untrue, very
extravagant and boastful."
Attorney General-"You have never
since Withdrawn it? ?"
Parnell-"No, have not"
The nonchalance with which the wit
ness made these admissions astonishel
the audience and elected Kisses.
Probably" added Parnell, "the
statement was made to mislead the House
am afraid it did not, for the bill was
passed. My purpose was to exaggeratt
the effect the League had in reducing
the number OF secret societies. The
! League undoubtedly diminished thu
number of secret societies, though it hat
t not swept them away as l stated"
Parnell was next asked what bad be
come of the Land League books. II
+ explained that some were brought &c
London. and were before the Commits
t sion. The cash-books and ledgers ha(
disappeared, he did not know where
! Neither was Treasurer Kenny, Eagan O
any of the League officials able to tel
, what had become of them. The letter
books and files of letters had also van
| ished.
/ Presiding Justice Hammer here i'm
, pressed upon the witness the fact tina
the court attached great importance tt
the missing documents, and Parnel
promised to try to find them.