New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-24

gHE PUBLIC CONVINCED THAT PlOOrT h1MshLp
foRGED THE PARNELLEGAN LETTERS-No
SIGN YET OF WHAT "THE TIMES" WILL
Do-rRENcH RADICALS IRREcoNc1L-
ABLE-roPIcs IN PARLIAMENT
-coPYRIGHT-MoTLEYS
CORRESPONDENCE.
rpY CABLE TO THE TRIBUSE.J
CopuicM; 1889 By The Ne,c- York Tribune
London, Feb. 23.-n anybody ever doubted that
Sir Charles Russell is great artist let him con-
slider the effect Of his six hours crossexaminatlon
of Pigott Sir Charles has as yet hardly ap-
preached the vital point, which take TO DE-
legally speaking, Pigott's account of his alleged
purchase of the ParnellE Egar letters in Paris.
He has touched upon the question of forgery
but only touched All the long story OF the WIT
ness's dealings with Mr. Houston has been left
unmentioned Nearly all the most essential parts
are to come Yet has Sir Charles so handled this
witness upon side issues, upon incidental mat
ters upon historical and biographical
matters, that apprehend no human being VINO
has sat through it in court retains one shred OF
belief in the eenuineness of the letters Possibly
an exception may be made in favor OF Mr. Mac
donald. should be sorry to attempt to gauge
the depths of Mr.. Mscdnald's creduality Con-
viction that the letters are forgeres has spread
everywhere Belief that Pigott is the forger is
not less universal 1t is simply the genius OF Slr
Charles Russell which has wrought this conver-
SION When Pigotts direct examination had
ended there were not a few in court who still
maintained his story credible. Outside the court
there were many; perhaps almost many as ever
To-day not one is to be met So far as the letters
are concerned and so far public opinion ABOUT
the letters is decisive, the case is over.
The cross-examination of Pgott, however is
very far from being over. What Sir Charles hus-
sell has done thus far is to exhibit P1gott as d
witness whom mar can believe, as creature
entitled to nothing but contempt. Sir Charles
has forced him to own that he lied to Archbishop
Walsh, lied TO Mr.. Forster. lied TO Mr.. Egan' heo
to Mr. Parnell, lied to the Court lied to every
body with whom he came in contact. lie mas
forced him to own that both toward MIR. Egan
and Mr. Forster he stood first in the relation Of
a beggar then OF blaclSmailer. Mr.. Forster's
long-sufering kindness to this impudent impostor
might touch even Mr. Forsters would-be assassins.
Obliged, of course TO refuse Picott's request for
: Government subsidy to his paper, Mr.. Forster
listened to his pteous appeal for private charity
gave him money in large sums, gave him time
more va'uable than money. COVE him advice, tried
TO md him a situation. and gave him, when all
else failed, more money 10 take him to America.
Did Won go?' queried Sir Charles.
No." muttered Pgott
Finally, when even Mr. Forsters patience was
exhausted and no more money was TO be got from
him By whining, Peott turned round and tried
10 get more by threatening his benefactor with
publication Of his letters Pigott seems to have
thought these letters conld be twisted into some
thing that would look like readiness on Mr.. Fors-
ter's part TO bribe him into Government service.
Before this, and while living on Mr. Forsters
1.r ~
ter was ccnoernsd ia plot 30 procure the pubiica
ton Of false statements about the Land League
accounts.
The exposure OF Pigott's affairs, had it been
wanton, would have seemed cruel, so pitilessly
was il pursued. But it bore strictly on the case
It's aim was TO present Pigott, by the time he en-
tered upon the Psrnel letter business as prepared
by distress and by long practice in disgracefnl
arts for any safe crime. The suggestion that he
forged the letters rests, far, upon resembances
between Pgott's handwriting and the body of the
forged letters, upon identical misspellings in Pig
otis letters and in the forged etters upon the re-
currence in the forged letters Of phrases dates
and sentences closely corresponding with phrases
dates and sentences in genuine letters
from Messrs Parnell and Egan to Pigott All
this, and much else, has been brought out with
ingenuity, with dramatic effect often with
startling sudderness, sometimes sternly some
times with derision. There have been moments
when the court was solemn as DEATH and moments
when the Judges themselves were convulsed with
lsughte-.
Pigott announced himself ffty-four years
old when he entered the witness-box By the
time he left il on Friday he certainly sixty
four He has two days more Of this torture
before him It is an open question whether Sir
Charles Russell will not in the end extract from
him a public confession that he forged
the letters. Confession is indeed Pigotts
onfy.visible chance Of escape from prosecution. If
he confesses he may get certificate OF indemnity
from the court Escape he cannot. His every
step is watched by detectives. Confession or sui
eide is the alternative that awaits him; and, as
Webster said, suicide is confession
Far more important is the question what course
g The Times will now take As yet that paper
is not called on TO move. Proofs are still want
ing; the case is incomplete What is clear on
present evidence is that the case OF The
Tines against Mr. Parnell, so far supported By
the letters, rests upon Pigott and upon Pigott
only. The conductors Of that journal either
share the general conviction that Pigott is the
forger or do not II they do not their in
creduNty is remarkable as their credulity. II
they do. or when they do. immediate aclnowI-
edgment is the first though least act OF expiation
due from them to Mr.. Parnell and to the public.
n. Csrnots efforts to reconcile the irrecon-
cilables have met with the success that might be
expected They turn aud rend him Radical
journals denounce the new Tirard Cabinet with
all the wealth of the Radical vocabulary A
Cabinet OF deception. is their midest term for IT,
Yet the President has made concessions
which any but party Of extremists
might think sufficient. When the Floquet
Ministry was turned ont, an opportunist Ministry
would have been its natural successor. The
present Cabinet is Cabinet Of compromise, but
compromise is precisely what French Radicals