Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-27
THE DISCOVERY.
Pigou's Forgeries-How They Were Dis
covered by Egan.

LONDON, February 26th.-From a gentleman
high in authority in the prosecution OF the Par
nell-TsTnes case representative of the Associ-
ated Press To-Day heard the true stors of how
The conspiracy against Psrnel,-vHs detected. 1t
constitutes one OF the most rom antic narratives
in the history OF politics. Without the evil
dence by which the conspiracy was exploded,
the Teaaes would have undoubtedly won its case,
notwithstanding the spuriousness of the letters
Jpto July of last year Parnell, his counsel
and colleagues were at sea, and every effort to
discover the forger and get at the bottom of
the case had proved futile. At this time the
evidence was sent from the Uuted States by a
young Catholic priest, Rey. Father Dorney, of
trusted by Patrick Egsn and Alexander
sullivan. its compilers- It's value was
inestimable, and no one was aware of its
existence save Egan. Sullivan aud Father Dor
ney until it was delivered TO Parnell in person.
The discovery that Pigott was the forger was
made by Egan in Lincoln, Neb-, while Parnell,
his detectives and experts were vainly trying to
find clue in Great Britain. Egan was sorely
perplexed By the forged letters, the fac siMes of
which he got in the London Times The sigma
lures of those attributed to him were remarka-
bly, good, and expressions and odd abbrevia-
tons peculiar 20 him were in the text. He con-
sidered everybody possible who could have
been the forger, but could not arrive at a con-
clusion.
THE FIRST CHE.
He remembered that Pgott had been in for
geries many years before, but the idea that he
might be concerned in these seemed absurd,
he finally discovered that one signed with his
own name was written avowedly at a certain
address in Paris, and the recollection flashed
upon him that Pigott was the only man to
whom he had ever given it. Fig0tt had written
him asking for q confidential address TO which
he might send important information, and
Egan, concluding TO learn what it was, secured
this address. which proved
THE KEY 10 THE FoReEgIEs.
Egan, who is meahodicaI in habits, had saved
his correspondence for years. he searched his
volumes Of letters, anti he found Pigotts. BY
comparing them with the handwriting on the
forged letters, he was sure he had the forger.
lie submitted letters written By Pigou to ex-
sperts together with @cc-sfnacs ofthe forged let
tcrs. They Immediately detected characters
exc microscope. Egan had Pigotts letters and
the forgerias photographed. and -started for
Chicago, where he PLACED all the papers before
MS friend, Alexander Sullivan, who is also a
solicitor. brief was Drawn up by him and
suikyan, in the latter's. Office in Chicago. 1t
related the chief incidents in Pigots career,
end.showed that
HE HAD BEEN Be2GEI BEyoS.E.
Years before when Pigott tried to sell the
irss.Rs1a newspaper to Pa-nell and Egan. he
furnished an inventory-Gpparentlr sCthenti-
Gated by we'll known Dublin accountants show
ing tke value Of the property. Egsn proved
that the inventory was false. and that Pigott
had forged the accountants 8 gnatures tot.
Pigott was also caught II another similar
transaction and these facts were committed to
writing He had meanwhile ascertafnef the
process By which Fgott had made the spszious
letters he found among his papers some letters
written &y him in which entire sentences ap
peared that were also in the forged letters
Pigott had traced these sentences carefully,
word for werd. Then he interpolated or added
other sentences or PHRASES, completely chang
ing the meaning of the whole letter, while pre-
serving the integrity OF portions Dates were