Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-20
THE PARNELL LETTERS.
The Commission COatinues Its EXamina
tion OF Members OF the Times STAFF.

The Commission COatinues Its EXamina-
tion Of Members of the Times STAFF.
LONDON, February 19-Tte court loom
was crowded to-day when the Paruell
Commission resumed i.s sitting. Mestrs.
Henry Labouc5ere, John Morley, Right
Hon. George Shas-LefeyIe, and other
prominent persons, were present.
MIR. Macdonald, manager Of the Times,
was the first witness. lie was cross-exam-
ined by counsel for the Paraelliies. He
declined to ssy whether he regarded the
Letters of the 9th of January and the 18th
of May, as the only important Ones smoHg
the first five which Mr. Houston, Secretary
OF the Irish Loyal aud Patriotic Union
handed to him
Presiding Justice Hanen sharply re-
huked the witness for his refusal.
Mr. Macdonald, in reply to further
questions, said the letters had TO ba taken
KS g whole, and that as q whole they were
co compromising. Wires said he forgot
whether when he submitted the Egan let
ters TO the expert, he also submitted other
specimens Of Egsns writing He could
net be positive whether he then had actual
specimens of Egau's Wrri0g lie forgot
what material he gave the expert TO ena-
Bile him 20 ascertain whether the letters
were genuine. He was convinced that the
Egan and PaTnell letters we're genuine be-
fore the fsst article on "Parnellism and
Crime" wss published by the Times. He
did not think that the body of the letter
of Janusry 8 wa8 in the writing OF Mr.
Campbell, Mr. PaInelpa Secretary. He
had not noticed Gnd similarity between
that and the Egan Letters.
Witness paid Houston $50 pounds for
the Painell letter Of the 10Th OF June and
for Egsn's letter to Carey. The total
payments made to Houston amounted to
$50 pounds The payments were made
by Mr. Walters checks, Drawn in favor of
Mr.. Soames, the Times solicitor. Houston
did not bring the envelopes with the let
ters. Witness did Lot ask stout them,
assuming that they Rad been destroyed.
He particularly avoided asking from what
source the letters were obtained, because
Houston said he YVES bound to secrecy,
which he asked the witness to respect.
Witness first knew that Pigoti, former
editor OF the IrishmaH (newspaper), sup
piled them at about the time of the puAli-
cation of The articles on ''Parnellisn and
Crime" He did rot know that the letter
mad been shown TO the Marquis Of Hart
ington, who, he asserted, had nothing to
do. directly or indirectly, with their pub
| licaiioD. Houston showed the witness, as
tending TO confirm the genuinensss Of the
writing, letter written by Paruell TO
Pigott, which was not submitted 10 the
experts because it was private and conf
Dental.
Mr.. Macdonald said the Times state
ment, that knives and firearms we're kept
in the League Office in London, were based
upon information supplied to the writer
of the article, in which the statement was
made. He did not know directly who
wrote the article, and he was not bound
to tell If he did know The editor Of the
Times gss reep01sibe for statements MAD e
in the paper, and, therefore, the counsel
wss not entitled to demand by force the
names of contributors.
At this point in the proceedings Mr.. Par
nell, warmly enveloped il long cloak,
though the weather was mild, entered the
court room aud took q Sea. al the solicitors
table.
Mr.. Asquith, OF counsel for Mr.. PSrnell,
urged that he was entitled 20 demand the
name Of the author of the article because
he was bound to te't the truth of such
grave statement.
Sir Charles Russell supported Mr. A.
quitb, arguing that the qne=tion was rele-
VaEt