Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-21
THE PARNELL AFFAIR.
A Brace of InfOrmers on the
Witness Stand.
FENIAN SECRETS GIVEN AWAY.
Houston and PiggOtt's Compromising
Testimony on the Plans of
the Patriots.
I Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

| ANOtSDNt'3 AObA Ne~A SO' Aho SASo'
examination of Houston, the Secretar.
of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union
was continued. Witness said he de
stroyed Piggott's letters to him accordin,
to the agreement between them. Wit
ness did not attempt to secure any mean
of testing tie genuineness of the letter
by sending to get the names of the mel
from whom Piggott got them. His par
was done when he secured the letters
He had no means whatever of testing any
part of Piggott's story, which he regarded
as probable, especially as newspaper re
ports Of the dispute between Parnell ant
the American extremists to some extern
confirmed Piggott's story that the letters
were left in bag found in room in
Paris. Witness saw Stead, the editor Of
the Pal Mall Gazette, before he obtained
possession of the letters, and asked him
to take up the matter which would lead tc
the disclosures. Stead said he had lost
e3, 900 bv the publication of the "Modern
Babylon" articles, and did not care tc
touch anything else unless sure it would
be successful.
When the witness visited Paris he had
or Egan's writing. He accepted the
letters solely on Piggott's word. "If,"
said the witness, ''Piggott had been
needy or fraudulent enough to attempt to
commit perjury, my action would have
assisted him but l do not admit that he
was. either. Piggott's interviews with
Labouchere shook my faith in him, and
therefore my mind was not easy until he
had signed sworn declaration"
Witness further said that he might
have told Stead that Sexton and Dillon
were implicated in the Phoenix Park
murders, but, If be did so, it was on the
authority of statement made by Eu.
gene Davis to Piggott, copy of which
was produced by the witness. He did
not know where the original was. Two
days before the Commission opened
Piggott wrote him an abusive letter, de-
manding that, after giving his testimony,
he should be given $4,000.
Houston said that between October,
1886. and January, 1888, he paid Piggott
s2OO, but the Times paid his bills from
May, 1887. Prior to November, Pigsott
informed witness that Whilehan, Tulla-
more solicitor, had called upon him and
informed him that a gentleman from
America wanted to have an interview
with him in London. He did not say
the American came from Eagan. While
han asked Piggott if he had any Of Egan's
letters, as he was prepared to purchase
them at high price, Pigott, when he
wrote to witness demanding Is, 600, said
ne mad been coerced in Soame's Office
into making a statement under false pre-
ters containing notes made by Piggott of
the latter's conversation with Eugene
Davis. According to these notes, Davis
stated that Egan took him into his con-
tidence. Davis knew that the I. K. B.
and T. B. were connected with the
League, one working openly and the
other secretly, the Obs" finding
money. Egan was in Paris with Par
nell. O'KeIly, Dillon, Brennan and
Harris in 1881. He told Davis he had
had long conference with those gentle.
men, and that all had agreed that the
situation rendered reprisals against Eng
land imperative, and that England's
power could be neutralized only by re-
moving as many of her leading men as
possible. Walsh, Sheridan and others
were to be sent to Ireland to plan the
murders. Immediately after Parnell's
arrest, Egan appealed to the Fenian
leaders to execute the work
more enegetically. Egan was in
variably consulted regarding the
projected outrages and murders.
Egan strongly reproved lyman
for failing to appear at Kingbridge in
time to give the signal for Forster's mur.
der. Davis was present in a cafe in Paris
when lyman related the whole history OF
the Phoenix Park murders. lyman took
pride in having given the signal for the
attack. Egan professed to be highly de-
lighted, but regretted that lyman had not
commenced the work earlier. Fgan gave
Byrne the letter, fac-simile
of which was published by the
Times. There was a plot to
murder the Prince of Wales and Gladstone
during the carnival at Cannes. Byrne
and lyman were within striking distance,
hut did not attempt to carry out the plan.
Houston, under cross-examination, said
he did not regard all this statement as
accurate. This reply was greeted with
laughter.
Richard Piggott, a well-dressed and
benevolent looking man, apparently
about 60 years of age, was then called
He testified that he was proprietor of the
Fenian organ The Irishman in 1885. lie
belonged to the Supreme Council, I. B
All the members of the amnesty associa
tions in 1870 were Fenians. Parnell be.
longed to the order, and about 1871 Big.
gar, Barry, Paris, Nearey, Mullett and
Murphy belonged to the Supreme Coun.
Gil of the 1. r. B. Witness belonged
to the I. R. B. until August, 1881
He detailed the negotiations in
1879 by which The IrishmGn ant
The Flag of ireland were sold to com
pany in which Parnell and Eagan were
shareholders. He did not doubt that tht
League provided the money. Latel
Eagan said he proposed to render thu
| r IL al E-nvond