Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-16
After Labouchere.
A Mild Sensation in the Times.
Parneil Case.
THE EMINENT EDITOR IMPLICATED

In . scheme to Bride . Witness In Behaii
of Parneii--some Testimony Showing
How the Friends Of the irish Loader Are
Watched-Peculiar Variations In Sigma
lures to the Much TalkCd-Of Letters
Combination Correspondence.
LONDON, Feb. 16.-There was something Of
sensation in the hearing of the Parnell case
yesterday when Soames, The Times solicitor,
charged Labouchere with attempting to bribe
Pigott Labouchere is home rule member
Of parliament and editor Of the London news.
paper Truth.
Soames said that Pigott had told him of In.
terviews which he Pigoth had with Solicitor
Lewis and Labouchere The latter sent
Pigott several el0 notes One Of these notes
was forwarded to Ireland and there
re-directed to London. The witness pro
duced copy of the letter which accom-.
panied it. Pigott showed the witness
letter from Solicitor Lewis &C.
cusing him lPigottI Of having ad-
mitted that he forged theletters Pigott also
produced his reply, whereupon the witness
required that the statutory declaration be
made, in which Pigott detailed all the com
hudiiiSotAOuS bStWccii ditQ <1OhCltOi
Lewis, including an offer FL 900 by Lewis on
behalf of Labouchere if Pigott would swear
that he had forged the letters
Soames said that a man calling himself
Wilson wrote to him offering to give inform
alton. The offer was simply plant" He
recognized the writing as that of man named
O'Brien, who was an emissary from Egan to
Labouchere, After that he had O'Brien
watched. At Labouchere's instance O'Brien
was sent to Dublin to see Pigott. In
Dublin O'Brien assumed the name of
Sinclair. The men following him traced
him to Laboucheres and Pigott's houses, and
then traced Pigott, Solicitor Lewis, and Mr.
Parnell to L.abouchere's residence The wit
ness knew that O'Brien was known in
America as Robertson. lev Robertson
who deluded Detective Moser with letters
which have since been admitted to be for
geries. Kirby was paid f25 to go to America
and procure from Sheridan the original Par
nell letter, a fac-simile of which was pub
lished in the Times. Mr. Hurlburt saw this
letter.
He tSoamesl had rever promised Pigott a
sixpence, but knew that Pigott had asked
Houston for 5000 on the ground that it
would be impossible for him to live in Dub
lin after giving evidence for The Times, and
that he wanted some provision for himself
The witness told him that such suggestion
could not be listened 10, but that he might
rest satisfied that The Times would never see
him ruined through honestly testifying to all
he knew.
Soames then offered in evidence a schedule
of all the Parnelf signatures which he pos
sessed. He said that Mr. Parnells writing
varied considerably, and produced letter in
which the name was written in six different
ways. Presiding Justice Hammer ordered
that the letter be photographed
This was all brought out on the cross-ex-
animation. Parneu was present during the
session of the commission
Mr.. Willacott, a lobbyist in the employ of
the Central News, swore that in an interview
which he had with Parnell, that gentleman
characterized the fac simile letter produced
in The Times as an "iInpudent forgery"
A. r Mcdonald, manager of the Times,
testified that he had paid Houston Il, $50 for
the letters after their authenticity had been
tested, He did not ask how or where Houston
got the letters. He learned from Houston and
others that it was the practice Of the leaders
Of the Irish movement that one should write
a letter, another sign it, and still another ad-
dress it The body parts of the Parnell lot
tiers were in disguised handwritings Wit
ness had heard that Harrington had been Of
fered the letters, but had refused them He
was convinced that the letters were genuine.