The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-24
HIS RACY TESTIMONY.
That of William 0'Brien Before
the Parnell Commission.
INVESTIGATING CRONIN's CASE.
The COroner's Jury is Impannelled-The Police
WOrking-Whisky Expenses in the
Illinois Insane Asylum.

LONDON, May 23.-Gladstone was present
at the session of the Parnell commission
to-day. The cross-examination of William
O'Brien was continued by Attorney Gen
eral Webster O'Brien declared that his
paper I'm. d Ireland, worked according to
constitutional methods and advocated moth
ing but peaceful means to attain the end
sought by the Irish parliamentary party.
He declared the London papers were more
responsible for the actions of the dynamite
party than either Finerty or Ford.
But for the views those papers ex-
pressed, $1,000 would not have been
collected in America for the use of
the dynamiters. He admitted the author
ship of an article declaring the chairman of
the committee selected to receive the Prince
of Wales on the OCCASION of his visit to Ire
land would be hunted from public life. He
vehemently exclaimed: "He has been; and
rather than allow an Enelishman to be de-
ceived by show of sham loyalty, l re
solved to tell them the truth" O'Brien
said personally he never had spoken disre-
spectfully or Extensively about the Prince
of Wales. No people, he declared, had SUI
fered for loyalty more than Irishmen; none
prohted more by prostestations of loyalty
than the people who oppressed them. If it
were clear that England would not satisfy
the aspirations of Ireland and there were
any rational appearance of success, an at
tempt should be made to rebel
Mr.. O'Brien explained that when he
made the speech in which he used the
words "We are in a state Of civil war;
tempered by scarcity of firearms he was
exasperated by his expulsion from the
house of commons and spoke under intense
feeling. caused by the fearful hatred dis
played by the majority of the house against
the Irish members. He declared that if
any people had a right to rebel, the Irish
people had that right. if there were a
chance of success.
Attorney General Webster said: ''You
only objected because it was hopeless"
O'Brien: I'm the circumstances of the
times, unQuestionably. Violent language
could not have further infamed the
peoples 0mind, against England. Their
minds became like u lightning conductor
when the air is charged with electricity"
O'Brien justified certain articles written
by him and printed in the United ireland to
illustrate the brutal argument that because
the British people represented $4,000, 900
and the Irish people 100000, the English
were entitled to do what they liked.
Attorney General Webster quoted from
an article in United Ireland: "O'Brien and
Larkin were honored by their Chicago kin
dred," and asked the witness whether it
referred to the Manchester murdererS.
O'Brien announced not to the murderers,
but to the men engaged in open warfare
who shot the police by accident.
The Attorney General: Shooting at the
police at Invan, and at Manchester, was
that legitimate Warfare!''
O'Brien: 1T was not criminal. Men
who openly take arms to release their com
rades are no more murderers' than any
body here. They acted from the highest
and MODEST motiveS''
Attorney General Webster (holding up
the paper: DO you see the heading
Allen, Larkin and O'Brien hOnored by
by their Chicago kindred
O'Brien: Eyes: and the article was writ
ten by me-"
The proceedings were here interrupted
by cries of hear" ''hear''
1Attorney- General Webster: 'Why these
hears -
Presiding Justice Hammer threatened
that if order were not maintained he would
have the court room cleared He said he
understood O'Brien to say that he did not
consider shooting at the Manchester police |
murder, but he wished to remind him that |
the court did so consider it.
O'Brien said ne invited Ford TO be pres
ent at the Chicago convention as proof in |
the change of feeling as wrought by Glad |
stone and the fact that Ford seemed to re |
greet his former views and appeared to be |
harmless. This concluded O'Briens testi- |
mony.