New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-02
-npARNELL AS A WITNESS
,p,sp LEADER UNsCATHED IN THE
cROss-EXAMINATIoN.

,,,sa LEADER UNsoArHED IN THE
CRoSS-ExAMINATIoN.
- ...,.,.,oz IN THE ooURTRoeM-HH
.,,Cr oonposuRE-THE ATroRNE1ShS'
rp.Ys UNHAPPY DAY-sIR RIoHAH
81 NO MATCH FOR HIS oPPoNhNH'
,pY GABLE TO THE TRIBUNE
x-ssAt. 1889: BY The Eee York T7os"s
80 Nav Mr.. Psrnell seems likely TO
IL .,.s, distinctions that Of being good
200 " A rh.r. "a judicial authority fof speak
inc well Of his performance to-oay ua ssDa-naS +
.rsmination. Since the Commission "u'o -.
have met Judge Of great dis1nIsvn' 80,
S.". n,ss.n. IN court. There could be no oo'tef
US.S s.id this iudse, whose testimony oamo
...r.ousIv vithout . question. The Attorney
n"..-.I an, the other hand, does not seem
S -. . hanpv day. His cross-examnatioR
80 1T, ,,ra., xav by noon, when came In
s,...-;o,s oouns for something, and
-. .a".a. .h;nc, we're not looking well for him and
-. S.,+v A, he was putting question: ms
- ,ather loud for this room, was
,Ssr, .han aver. He had lost his usual cheery
...,n..s ~ msnnsr: his face looked hot. and the
III :, ,sne, IN his hand was slapping the smell
~ 80 ,,,,h no much emphasis. l heard after
~ ~ o., \. had opened his cross-eSaminatlon
W. 80. mistake about the Clan-na-dae'
-. h.a .ss the people Laughing, and provoked
.c.. n. ..,,.. Rnsell into something hike sneer.
.S~- a. An audience before whom nooooy
.,,S as. "a mako more mistakes than he couid
ss,n Lady Coleridge Lady Haroourt, MILO
~, n. Spaakers wife, and Miss Peel Archbishop
ws,., .,d = ,oore Of other notabilities sat looking
80 ,,s.ntns There was, however, no such crowo
a, n. sourt or in the corridors outside - during
~. ,o,spisht Of the forged letters. If MIR fsrneh
.honld brosk down in the witne ss-box, II woulo
=. . ds.sstes which would blot out the memory OF
~. triumph about the letters Yet somehow the
nnhio interest ct this most critical perhaps de-
eiriye. moment of the inquiry. IS less tnan tneh
J Audience or no audience, Mr.. Parnelps composure
v,s such that the pectator who knew nothing OF
vhat had gone before might well imagine that the
hsue was no great matter. He was seated wnen
first saw him. The judges are mercifuI and do
MT keen witness on his legs while the Attorney
General is reading out his interminable EXTRACTS
from MIR. Patrick Ford's prolific pen When the
ou,s.son. based on MIR. Ford's article, is at last
put Mr.. Psrnell rises. He Is IN
bhsk. nothing white visible but two
triangular ends of turned-down collar ana
. psasl soarf-p in e black satin scarf. Inc
black frock-coat thrown open, shows heaVy
double gold chain with gold pencil pendant from
Il. 1he figure is slender and upright. When its
ovneri chooses his face Is the face Of man
whose enthusiasm for hs ends is held In check
by host temperate judgment in its use OF
means the face Of q man with soul all aname'
and brain ell ice. he stands not quite erect
the rigAs hand leaning on the box, his head
generally . little bent to the left There Is
to-day in these palc checks some faint trace
Of color. Hh voice is low in tone, firm, smooth,
and altogether conversational The accent
resembles slightly, very slightly, the very marked
German acoent Of the Prince Of Wales. Perhaps
In Ne. Parnen it is o slight lisp or i1distnctness
Of artdcphtiop, rathes- thss ssoent 1ne WORDS
ave % mako tSGr way ~ best they ean out through
The hah opened lips and then through the meshss
q . sofS brown mastaohe
Tbs eomposure Of his manner is perfect. The
more Tie Attorney General storms, the calmer
growv Mr. Parnen. From the beginning to the
end Of tAs day there is never sisn of excite
msns IN tie Ir,sh leader. bis face never hushes,
his palse never quiekene his brain does il work
In . tsmperature that 10 invartable.
II lbs b duel between the Attorney General
and NJ Pasnsn there can be no question who
ses the boss Of IL thus far. Sir Richard Websters
beigssous fnpetuosity Is no match for Mr ParneiIs
cool susxiv of demeanor. II 10 not 70 much
that Sir Hchard hss taken the wrong line q
thas - cannot make up his mind what line
70 tAke; he has not thought 10 out beforehand
he 10 owl ono moment peremptory the next
10 blasesrs and hammers out his questions; he
would dsmineer II he could He addresses Mr..
PaxnSn in tons unplessantly suggestive OF tho
Old Bailey. he launches At him what are meant
for bttter sascasms. He assumes oocaSonally-the
assumption 10 only too obvous-a tone OF con-
sempt BE cannot resolve whether 10 treat
Mr.. Parnsn from I" The Tmes's" point Of view
- . criminal steeped to the lips in treason and
outrage, Or - the leader Of q great movement
whom half Of England and more than halt Of
America regard ss hero and statesman.
Little does 10 matter to Mr. Parnen. He meets
he taunts ssormS oivilities. whatever Sir Richard
hAs to offer. with the same impassive, imperturb-
Shls. polite indifference. he never retorts; he
never sssms to care 10 take advantage of the
many openings IN the Attorney Generals fence save
waen some serious point 10 to be made When he
hAs mads It. when b has delivered decisive
answer, when al ths rest Of the court sees bis
success. Mr.. Parnen alone seems totally unaware
Of IL No nnils Of triumph. no expression of de-
HIGHT IN his enemyS discontinue, Is ever visible
Il y not that his face Il incapable Of expressing
enotton; IL can express many things-it does az.
pcsa what he chooses IT should and no more. ex
esut sooe o. twioe when Sir Richard goes OF on a
wrong scent and comes to grief. Then the pale,
thosehtful faee relaxss into an amused and IRE.
prssdble smile Not even then does It lose that ex.
peesdon which - stamped most strongly on tt-su
expression Of inoe1ant Intellectual activity. Of nm
slapdng vigilance. an expression belonging to one
whose mind Is working st high pressure. He has
eelsts control over these sculptured features; his
dap Slowing eyes he cannot completely control
4 dangerous hight oomes into them now and then.
II 0ir Nchasd wen wise hs would watch for it.
bss teAay 6ir k3ehArd ie not altogether wise
He hAs fsred htae better with the substance Of his
snaa Shan in hia nsnnar An daY lonR hs hsa fzisd