Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-05-11

me PerJurer's Rapid Fall from the
Ladder of Respaots, hiIttv

SHiSF Hapld Fali from the
LADDER OF Responsibility.
Richard Piggott, the latest Irish
Judas says the Now York World. IL
''ili another example Of hoy men may
iali from the topmost ruag of the lad
aer OF responsibility into the lowest
depths OF degradation. His fall. in.
Iced, has been great He was once
respected member OF Dublin society
and moved In the ranks OF Irish ma,
Journalists AN honored man. An honor
90 man he might have remained had
ne not allowed his ability for double
healing to lure him into the shadow OF
Dublin castle, in which the goodness
Oh heart OF so many Irishmen before
him had been destroyed.
Early In life Richard Piggott made
his way into the ranks OF the Dublin
journalists and quarter OF century
ago ne had In his hands two OF the
boldest OF the advanced journals. The
freshman and The Flag OF Ireland. He
owned besides a weekly paper devoted
10 literature, which was welcome
guest in every Irish homestead and
which still survives his disgrace.
The freshman and the Flag OF Ireland
were as much the advocates OF the rev.
olntlon as was the Irisil People, the
Official organ OF the ]. X. b. Piggott
was one OF the marked men OF the gov
ernment OF the d ~ Richard Piggott
and the lrishman were really big fac
tors IN Irish politics.
When Allan. l.arkcn and O'Brien
were executed at Manchester in 1867
no one made greater outcry than
Plggott, but even then he was dropping
into shady walks Of life. He had be-
gun 10 lose his hold and scarcity of
money, linked with desire for its
possession. did the work. He was un.
doubleday clever and an able writer but
full OF ambitions which could not be
satisfied as be desired them. by bounds,
and SO hc became disappointed man
and a crank. Had he been made OF
better moral stuff he could have easily,
with his ability. won a good position in
the field Of journalism.
As II was he allowed himself 10 drift.
Things went from bad 10 worse, and at
length the Flag OF ireland ceased TO be
published. Stories told OF a not very
creditahle character got abroad, and
Richard Piggott no longer stood on the
old pedestal He sank in the estima-
ton Of the public, and the men in the
forefront looked on him with suspicion.
For some years he was indeed regard
ed as q dangerous man, and writings
Of his Ia the newspapers clearly indi-
Gated the growing traitor spirit The
1 freshman, too. had evidently had ia
day. although il managed TO drag on a
wreiched existence. Throughout the
Butt home-rnle movement Piggoit cut
y small figure. and by the time young
| Parncli appeared above the horizon
| Piggoit's star had set He became q
nuisance. n clog that could not
| DO tolerated. and. besides, II was
strongly suspected that English gold
would tempt him up the back stairs o.
the castle. Isaac Butt had been laiC
with his fathers in Stranorlal
churchyard. county Donegal. ant
l Parnell was at the helm. A stirring
paper for the masses was sadly
needcd--the people who were no
usually reached by the ''dailies, F" and
indeed there was no daily. not even ex
ceptlng the Freeman's Journal, with
the true ring aboutii In Lower Abbey
street al was decay, but Parnell il
this, as in other things. was equal 4
| the occasion. The lrishman disap-
pearcd. Piggott left Lower Abbey
street. and United ireland and William
| O'Brien started in the old house,
Piggott begged hard TO stay, but his
character even then was such that tn,
| Irish leader could not venture 20 retait
hun. even as a dispatch clerk, He Their
went beneath the surface, and people
were glad he had gone. Once out Q
public view he was little thought OF
save now aud then when. overilowinj
with mischief, he sought the columns o
the Tory Press ms a mud-throwing me
dinm. He wrote against everybod,
and everything connected in the pas
and the present with the politics of hi
country. But the infinite depth of hi
scouudrelism was never dreamed O
even by those who would credit hiI
with any villainy.
As soon. however, as the "Parnelisr
and Crime" articles began TO appear i
the Times men whispered, "Piggott'
hand Is here and the "letters" wer
attributed to him by simple folk i
ireland not Mt all versed in the in
and outs of politics. In London, toe
before ever the commission was NJ
pointed Piggott's name was freely men
toned. and when there did not seer
the slightest chance of the forger'
identity being discovered men wer
prepared TO stake their all on Piggot
How justified were all the suspicious {
the people and their leaders was estat
lished out OF his own mouth before Oh
Judges by the wretch who, IL is be
| iieved. has now closed his career.