Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-15
PARNELL'S LETTERS.
High Prices Paid for Them
by the " Times"
9 PARNELLISM AND CRIME"
How the Articles Were Prepared
for the Columns of the
Thunderer."

LONDON, February 14.-Soames, solici
tor for the Times, testified before the
Parnell Commission to-day tEat he Wis
tied Dublin in May, 1888, in quest of evi
dence. He interviewed person who
was introduced to him as a former EN-
ployee in the Office Of the League ant
who produced slip bearing the sigma
ture of Anna Parnell, specimens of Pat
rick Egan's handwriting and bundle O.
documents. These documents were
brought to London in 1888 and EN- bodied
in the affidavit in o 'Donnell's q suit agains
Walter for libel.
Attorney General Webster, in arguing
in favor of the admission of the letter
alleged to have been written by Parnell
let slip the fact that they were received
from a man named Phillips, said to be
an accountant OF the League. The court
refused to admit the letter. Soames,
continuing, produced five letters, includ-
ing letter a fac-simile of which was
printed in the Times.
At Attorney General Webster's request
the witness submitted genuine specimens
of Parnell's signature. The Court de.
clared that the question was as to wheth-
er Inglis thought the letter which appear
ed in the Times genuine. Soames said
he believed that the body of the letter
was in Campbell's writing, while the
signature was Parnell's. When he dis
covered the Parnell letters. he also came
across documents which he supposed to
be Egan's. Three OF Egan's letters were
found in Carri's house where two letters
in Campbell's writing were also discov-
cred. Witness produced these letters
together with other specimens of Egan's
writing.
At this point Sir Charles Russell said :
eve are only able to give these docu-
ments cursory glance. The Court
must not assume that they will all be
unquestioned. Attorney General Web
ster rejoined that he did not suppose Sir
Charles Russell would admit the
genuineness of the letters.
Soames further testified that Richard
Pigott gave the Parnell letters to Hous-
ton, the Secretary of the Irish Loyal and
Patriotic Union who had given them to
Macdonald. On cross.examination the
witness said he was not consulted regard
ing the publication of the articles on
"Parnellism and Crime" though he
knew they were being prepared early in
1887. Mr.. Flanagan, son of an Irish
Judge, co.operated with gentleman on
the staff of the Times in preparing the arti
cles. Up to January, 1888, twelve letters
had been obtained from Piggott. Later
more letters, written by Egan, O'Kelly,
and Davitt, were obtained, making
total of seventeen. He did not know
precisely what was paid for the letters.
Probably whatever was paid passed
through his hands. Tie first payment of
Ell 600 pounds was made to Houston. 1t
was partly for his expenses in going to
America, and partly for the payment Of
DIR. Mcguire and other assistants. The
successive subsequent payments to
Houston were s2OO, ESQ, 940, 912, ESQ,
ESQ, e342 and 91O0. Witness paid
Moser about $4,000, Kirby 9250, and
another agent, named Thompson, 9300.
Touching Davitt's letter, witness said he
took pains to form conclusive opinion.
He decided that it was genuine. Ad.
iourned.