Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-20
AGAINST PARNELL.
Evidence Bearing on the.
Famous Letters.
TIMES" MANAGER TEsTIFIES.
A Disclosure of the Methods Adopted
to Procure the Document
airy Evidence.
ASS ooiated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. !,

ass ociated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD.p
LONDON, February 19.-The courtroom
was crowded to-day when the Parnell
Commission resumed its sitting. La
bouchere, John Morley, George Shaw
Lefevre and other prominent persons
were present. Macdonald, manager of
the Times, was the first witness. He de-
clined to say whether he regarded the
letters of the 9th of January and the 18th
of May as the only important ones among
the first five which the Secretary of the
Irish of the Loyal and Patriotic Union
had ha nded to him. tT
Justice Hannen sharply repuked the
witness for his refusal. Macdonald con-
cluded and said the letters had been
taken as q whole and as whole they
we've compromising. Witness said he
forgot whether, when he submitted the
mitted other specimens of Egan's
writing. He could not be positive
whether he then had actual specimens
of Egan's writing. He was convinced
that the Egan and Parnell letters were
genuine before the first article on Par
nellism and crime was published by the
Times.
Witness paid Houston ESQ for the
Parnell letter of the 10Th of June and
Egan's letter to Carey. The total pay
ments made to Houston amounted to
$3.50. He particularly avoided asking
i from what source the letters were OBJ
tanned, because Houston said he was
bound to secrecy. Witness first knew
Piggott, formerly editor of an Irish news
paper, who supplied them, at about the
time the publication of the articles on.
"Parnellism and Crime" began.
Macdonald said the Times statement
that knives and firearms were kept in
the League Office in London was based
upon information supplied to the writer
of the article in which the statement
was made. He did not know directly who
wrote the article and was not bound to
tell if he did know. The editor of the
Times was responsible for statements
made in the paper, and therefore coun-
sci we're not entitled to demand by force
the names of contributors. Counsel for
Parnell and Egan said he was entitled
to demand the name of the author of the
article because he was bound to test the
truth of such grave statements.
The Court ruled that counsel for Par
nell was entitled to investigate the mat
ter in order to ascertain the foundation
of the statement. Witness said he could
, inquiries. "Parnellism and Crime" and
the series of articles were not all written
/ by one author. Counsel for ParnelN
, asked witness to inquire who the author
was. Court expressed doubt whether,
!, ii the witness could not remember, he
could be required to seek information on
the subject. Counsel for Parnell said
witness could be forced to do so.
Finally the Court ruled that counsel
} was not entitled to ask, witness to make.
: inquiries, but might question him as to.
anything within his knowledge in con-
!; nection with the specific facts.
u Mcdonald finally said that Flanagan
wrote the articles that appeared March
and 10, 1887. He had forgotten who
wrote the others.
Parnell's alleged letter to Piggott was
then produced. Presiding Justice Han
nen asked whether it was admitted that
the letter was genuine, and Sir Charles
Russell replied, "No, no." Attorney
General Webster then called an English
writing expert to the stand, whereupon
there was sharp encounter, Sir Charles
Russell contending that justice demand
ed that the source of the letter should be
revealed before he was called upon to
cross.examine experts. Presiding
Justice Hannen thought that an
enquiry should now be made, ss
to the source of the letters. Houst ~
Secretary of the Loyal and Pat .,ot;c,
League, testified that the pamp' ,fet en-.
titled "Parnellism Unmaske 4 ,, was
based upon Piggott's informs .e;on revsrd.,
ing Dewey. In Decem' ser. 1ss5s the,
witness asked Piggott d supply further
information for new spaper publication.
Later Later flggott wat to Paris and else
wneie. ne V4sited Eugene Davis at
lausanne al ID wrote to witness that he
,i;. loInu nm very bitter against the Par
aeli''es' ae Piggott supplied the copies of
I'VE hse Parnell letters and six Egan
;e' .ers. Pigott returned from Amer
! IA with a sealed letter which
he said he had obtained from
Breslin, and which contained instructions
to person in Paris to give up the letters
on certain conditions. Piggott went to.
Paris repeatedly before he obtained the
letters. Witness showed the letters to
Buckle, editor of the Times, who advised
him to see Mcdonald. Up to the time
OF their publication he had not bargained
for payment for the letters, but he made
it condition that the Times alone should
be responsible for their publication. Wit
ness had nothing to do with the testing
of signatures, and was completely ignor-
ant OF the process by which they were
tested.
Eugene Davis states that Houston's
evidence before the Parnell Commission
Il L.. = 4