Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-28
INFAMOUS PIGOTT.

the Forgery and Perjury of the London
Times Witness Intensifies q Sensation.
LONDON, Feb T.-All England Is ass
founded at the Pigott forgery Of the Par
nell letters. The greatest excitement pre-
vailed In the court room when the COM
mission adjourned yesterday. Messrs..
Parnell and Davitt, Mr.. Gladstone and
larger number than usual of the Irish
members of the House of Commons against
whom charges were made were pre- emit
Since the discovery of Pigott's a ght all
sorts of rumors as to his whereabouts have
been in circulation. What appears to be
the best founded Of all these is the one al
leging that the forger has gone to Ant.
werp. 1t is known that he was penniless
Monday morning and where he obtained
the money necessary for his journey
abroad is mystery no one has yet been
able to solve. Two private detectives,
whose employers are not definitely known,
kept Pigott under surveillance Monday
morning and Sunday and these worthless
have also disappeared.
The Scotland yard officials profess the
most profound ignorance, not only of
Pigott's whereabouts. but Of any thing
else concerning him.
There is intense interest to know the
meaning of Justice Hannen's remarks to
Sir Charles Russell, wherein he said:
There have been more documents found
than you are aware of, and the public Is
preparing for further surprises"
Mr.. Parnell's progress in the Bow street
court to obtain a warrant for Pigott's ar
rest was q continuous ovation. He was
followed by an ever increasing crowd who
cheered him repeatedly.
Prof. MCGUIRE, Houston's patron and
colleague, who has been summoned to
testify for the Times before the Parnell
commission, died suddenly yesterday. It
is reported that he had q stroke Of apo
plexy upon hearing that Pigott had fed.
In the House of Commons last evening
Mr.. Healy asked whether Home Secretary
Mathews had ordered the arrest of Rich
ard Pigott, and if not, why had he allowed
Mr.. Pigott to escape.
Mr.. Mathews replied that warrant had
been issued against Pigott
Mr.. Healey then asked whether the Gov
eminent had taken measures to prevent
Pigott's escape by telegraphing informa-
tion to the police authorities of the va
rious seaport towns of the kingdom. Pigott
he said, was valuable person.
Mr.. Mathews admitted that as vet he
had taken no steps in the matter. The
knowledge of Pigott's disappearance
had reached him within the past
hour. He promised that the Government
would do their utmost to capture the fugi-
tive.
1t is believed that Pigott disguised him.
self and fled to either Antwerp or Rotter-
| dam. 1t is learned that he sent dispatch
to his housekeeper at Kingstown instruct
ing her to burn ''all the papers in the black
box" and that his order was obeyed.
Pigott has four sons, the youngest of
| whom i six years of age. His wife died
eighteen months ago. 1t is surmised that
the black box mentioned in Pigott's tele-
gram to his housekeeper contained his COR
respondence with Houston, which it is
reported he told Mr.. Labouchere on Satur-
day he had preserved.
Mr.. George Augustus Sala writes to the
Telegraph an article column and half
long, describing the interview on Satur-
| day between Pigott and Mr.. Labouchere.
1t is written in the usual gossipy style Of
Mr.. Sala and confirms the statement that
Pigott went to Mr.. Labouchere's house
voluntarily to make a confession, but that
apparently owing to the gnawing Of his
conscience he had great difficulty in
owning up and took a full ten minutes
to make up his mind. He then began, in
a musing tone, soliloquy, but by degrees
his voice rose and he became so fluent that
it was rarely necessary for him to halt or
to reconstruct a phrase. The copy of the
confession which Mr.. Lewis obtained was
from the beginning to the end literally
and verbally the composition of Pigott,
who confessed that he forged the Parnell
letters and minutely described the manner
in which they were written. Pigott said
that he alone executed the forgeries.
whether he is telling the truth or an
other batch of lies, says Mr.. Sala, sis not
for me to determine, but to my mind he
seems to be confessing facts and nothing
but facts. No pressure was put upon him
and no leading questions were asked. He
went on quietly and continuously to the
end of his story. / should have thought
it amazing had L not occasion to hear
many more astounding tales. Pigott did
not appear to be overcome by shame and
treated his actions more as incidental
weaknesses. Both myself and Mr.. La
bouchere, as he left, wished him well out
Of it -