Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-27

pliers. It's value was inestimable, and no
one was aware of its existence save
Egan, Sullivan and Father Dorney, until
The discovery that Piggott was the. for
ger was made by Fgan in Lincoln,
Nebraska, while Parnell, his detec-
tives and experts we're vainly trying to
find clue in Great Britain. Egan was
sorely perplexed ny the forged letters, |
facsimiles of which he got in the London
Times. The signatures TO those attrib- |
uted to him were remarkably good, and
expressions and odd Authorizations pecu-
liar to him were in the text. He con-
sijered every possible person who could
have been the forger, but could not ar
rive at a conclusion. He remembered
that Piggott ha been involved in for
geries many years before, but the IDEA
that he might be concerned in these
seemed absurd. In scrutinizing the
forged fac similes, however, he finally
| discovered that one signed with his own
name was written avowedly at certain
address in Paris, and the recollection
flashed upon him that Piggott was the
only man to whom he had given it,
Piggott had written him asking for
a confidential address to which he
might send important information, and
Egan, concluding to learn what it was,
secured this address which proved the
key to the forgeries. Egan, who is
methodical in his habits, has saved his
correspondence for years. He searched
his volumes of letters until he found
Piggott's. By comparing them with the
handwriting on the forged letters he saw
he had the forger. He submitted the
letters written by Piggott to experts, to-
gether with the facsimiles of the forged
letters. They Immediately detected
characteristic peculiarities which were
confirmed under the microscope. Egan
had Piggott's letters and the forgeries
photographed and started for
Chicago, where he placed all
the papers before his friend,
Alexander Sullivan, who is also solic-
itor. A brief was drawn up by him and
Sullivan in the latter's Office in Chicago.
1t related the chief incidents in Piggott' 8
career, and showed he had been q forger
before. Years before, when Piegott tried
to sell The Irishman, a newspaper, to
Parnell and Egan. be furnished an in
ventory, apparently authenticated by
we'll known Dublin accountants, showing
the value of the property. Egan proved
tQ8C tu0 IuVCuVO1y Wdb SdlSC, anu ebds
Piggott had forged the accountants sig.
nature to it. Piggott was also caught in
another similar transaction. These facts
, Egan committed to writing. He had
meanwhile ascertained the process by
which Piggott had made the spurious
letters. He found among his papers
some letters written by him in which en-.
: tire sentences appeared that were also
| -, Az, forUa6 1ottoro p;OOO{t hod kroo ooo1
these sentences carefully, word for word
then he interpolated or added other sen.
tences or phrases, completely changing
the meaning of the whole letter while
preserving the integrity of portions
Dates were also changed to make crimi'
nal interpretations applicable to illegal
events. Egan also found letters by Par.
nell which had been similarly used
Photographs OF all these and of Piggott's
begging and blackmailing letters were
enclosed with the originals in a package
with memoranda recalling to Psrnell all
, the circumstances attending the writing
or receipt of each. This was the
, precious piece of luggage the young
priest conveyed to Parnel!. Unit!
Lit came, the Times case waf
as invulnerable as it was fraudulent. Nc
hint of the contents of the package evel
became public until Parnell himself, ir
an interview he had with Piggott in the
presence of Labouchere and Lewis, asked
Piggott certain questions which disclosed
to the culprit that evidence had been
secured against him. Piggott either re-
: ported this to the Times or was watched
by its detectives and traced into Parnell't
presence. Then he had to partially con
: fess to his employers and the Attorney
General and his colleagues. Then they
,, compelled Le Caron to testify and be as
malignant as possible, swearing thai
Parnell declared that he favored ar
armed revolution, and that Alexan
der Sullivan got him lie Caron,
into secret revolutionary organization
This was for the purpose of breaking the
force of Parnell's information about
Piggott's antecedents, but Piggott had nc
/, suspicion of the overwhelming com
> pIeteness of the knowledge conveyed in
the package to Parnell and did rot realize
until he got into Sir Charles Russell's
clutches, that no calumny could impair
the fatal effect upon him and on the
Times case of what Parnell knew. Had
Egan not made the discovery Of the
truth, the letters could only have been
denied, but their falsehood could not have
: been demonstrated. That situation would
: have been Times victory, and the vic.
tory of the Times would be the ruin d
Parnell, the Home Rule party, and the
infinite discredit of the Liberals.
LONDON, February 26.-The opposition
will not raise formal discussion ir
Parliament on the Parnell discussion
but the Nationalists will closely question
the Government regarding the assistance
given by the authorities of the Times.
LONDON, February 26.-At 10 O'Clock
tonight the police had not yet found any
trace of Piggott. The latter had posted
to his housekeeper in Dublin blank
check with which to obtain balance oi
e5. at his bankers. Piggott has four
SONS, the youngest of whom is six years
of age. His wife died eighteen months
ago. It is believed that Piggott has dis
guised himself and either fed to Antwerp
or Rotterdam.
SETBACK TO PARNELL.
EDINBURGH, February 27.-The case OF
y Parnell against Walter, of the London
Times, for libel, which was dismissed by
single Judge on the first hearing on the
} ground that no arrestments against Wal
ter as individual would be valid against
the corporation, came up to-day before
The Judges of the First Division on a re-
hearing, demanded by Parnell's counsel