New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-16
LETTERS THAT COST MONEY.
THOUSANDS SPENT FOR MIR. PARNELL'S COR
RESPONDENCE.
CROssEXAMINATIoN OF "THE TfMEss" soLIC-
IToE CONTINUED BEFORE THE PAR
NELL COMMISSION.

CROSS ANIMATION OF "TIIE TlMES'S' SOLlC-
IToE CONTINUED BEFORE THE PAR
NELL COMMISSION.
London Feb 15-Mr Parnell present at to-
DAYS session Of the Parnell Commission
Mr. soames, solicitor for "Thc Tines was further
crossexamined He offered In evidence a schedule
of all the signatures of Ms Parncll that he possessed
lie said that Mr. Pames writing varied consider
aily and produced letter IN which MIR. Parnells
name written in six different ways
Presiding Justice Hannen ordered that the letter
be photographed
Continuing, the witness denied that he had heard
that Pigott and the League clerk he interviewed In
Ireland had grievance against Mr. Parnell. Pgott,
he said, had made statutory declaration that So
lcitor Lewis had offered him 900 pounds II he would
swear that he had forged the letters said 10 have
been written by Mr.. Parne The Times paid
Pgott only 40 or 50 pounds The witness had Plgoit
watched and traced him into tie company Of La
bouchcre lie paid Houston, secretary of the irish
Loyal and Patriotic Union, altogether 5000 pounds.
Upon redirect examination, Mr.. soames said that
bargain was made when the letters were first
brought to The Times" Their gcnuincness was 10
be tested before any payment was made.
Mr.. soamcS said Pigott told him of interviews he
had with solicitor Lewis and Mr.. Laboucherc. The
latter sent Pigott several ten-pound notes. Ono Of
these notes was forwarded to ireland apd there
IedIrccted to London. Witness produced copy of
the letter which accompanied IT, 1t never had oc-
CURED 10 witness 10 ask PlSott how he had acquired
the letters Neither had he asked Houston Plgott
showed witness letter from solicitor Lewis, accus
ing him (Pigotu of having admitted that he forgcd
the letters and his reply whercupon witness reqreu
that the statutory declaration be male. III whch
Pigott detailed all the communications between MIN
self and solicitor Lewis, including the offer OF loOo
mounds by Mr. Lewis. behalf Of Mr.. IaDouchero' u
he would swear that he had forged the letters.
This statement caused a sensation in the court
room
PIGOTT WANTED GOOD ROUND BUZZ
Continuing Mr oOamcs said that flgo'' u'u W
tell him of the correspondence he had had with Arch
bishon Walsh, OF Dublin, regarding the n''ei'
had never heard Of this correspondence Until ne hodu
II nentioned I'm court last evening. BESIDES MI
trcIis Mr. soames said "Thc Times" engaged MeS'rS
Rich & Ellis as experts He had never piom'seu
Ticot sypcnce but knew that Pigoti ha1 asheo I'ou
ton for 600 pounds. on the ground tla' II "o"" 10
impossible for him TO live in Dublin ai'er e'N'"b "
dence for The Tines and that he wanted 10 MANI
some pro,isio, for himself Witness tod MN ne
couL not listen 10 such a suggestion. p"l W."
H.. (pioott, might rest satisfied tnat :" The nmeN
,vonld never see him ruined through his honestly
testlfyin to all he knew. .
Mr.. Soames said that calling himself wilson
wrote TO him, Offering TO give lnlOinHioh' ho
recogpzcd the writing that of man naheu brc"'
who was an emissary from Egan to Labouchefe' inc
offer TO furnish information war simply " plant
After that he had O'Brien watched. Al Mr.. Labou-
cbcrc's instance OIrien was sent 10 Dublin 10 sec
Pigot In Dublin OBrien assumed the name Oh
Sinclair The men following O'Bilcn traced MI" ~
Labouchcrcs and Pgott's houses. and then traced
pcott solicitor Lewis and Mr. Parncll 10 Labouche" 5
house The witness knew O'Bren "a man who was
known in America as Robertson. 1t was Robertson
who deluded Detective Moser with letters which had
since been admitted be forgeries. Kirby was pau
$50 pounds to 60 10 America and procure from oher-
idan the original Parncll letter. fac-simile OF "h"h
was published in The Times" MI Hurlburt saw
this letter.
NIr. soames was re-examIned by Sir r. d. Webster
He said there was no bargain whatever with The
Times, TO purchase letters If tho Parncll letters
were forgeos, then the writing of the Others signed
with the names OF Egan Campbell, Davitt and Okelly,
of Tyrone. must have beer forged. The bodies OF
six disputed Parnell letters were in the writing Of
Campbell
PARNELL CALLED THE LETTER FORGERY.
Mr. wiacott an employc of the Central News dc
posed that in an interview with Mr.. Parnell on the
appearance of the fac smile letter in 1857, Mr. Par
nell called the letter an impudent forgery.
Mr.. Macdonald. manager Of The Times deposcd
that I'm Octobc:. 1856. he got five Parnell and six
Egan letters. lie stipulated thst their authenticity
must be tested before the payment OF The price "hlch
Houston said he gave for them. When the other let
ters-those Of O'Kcly and Davtt-were tested he paid
L.
pended gaining possession of the letters, Houston
declining personal remuneration.
Upon cross Examination, witness said he never
asked how Houston got the letters He had ASKED
about the difference in the writing In the BODY OF ue
letters and in the signature and Houston replied tha'
# was practice of the leaders Of the movement that
one wrote eh letter another signed It. and thiru
person addressed the envelope. Witness atterwarii
ascertaincd from other sources hat ths was an acd
practicr and that some of the letters were pur-
poscly lefr undated Mr.. Egan wrote whole letters
himself The bodies of the Parnell Letters were all
more or less written In disguised hand except IN
one letter dated Kimanharl. The wiring IN % %the
body of the fac-simile letter Is disguised. but the sE
nature of ParneI is not Witness never heaM fs INA,
tbc letters were offered 10 other papers. but had hca
that the documents had been offered 10 Lord Harting
Ton before they offered to The Times OIs
ION produced no voucher for sums paid SIX mOhths
were occupied I'm inquring if the documents Wcn
bona fde witness convinced that me icllcss
were cenninc and he thought that before the second
reading Of the Grimes bill would be hIlhg .lne W
show the country the character OF inc nien hdAn
themselves prominent in Irish affairs
The Commission at this point aalouiheo'