, 1889-04-03

at my house on n certain evening. l went
down to the Commission, which was slCClng
or that day. and informed Mr.. .Parneil ana
Mr.. Lewis of what had been ar~raRged.--lS
was agreed that they should both be pre-
sent. When PigOtt same he found me
sitting with Mr.. Parnell; aud he proposed
that our conversation, eff it led to moth
ing" should be deemed confidential, for
the man seemed to have the curious no.
ton that. if he p~refacei any remark with
an assurance that it was to be regarded as
confidential. he might with impunity con-
fess to any crime, either that he hal com
mitted or intended TO commit. PlgOtt
admitted to us that he had forged the lei
tcrO, and suggested that he would give
US . full confession, and write to the at.
tOrney. General and to tho Times that no
WAS the fOrgrr, if Mr.. Lewis would Will
draw his suhp@na aud let him go to Aus.
tralia. Although he did not then allude
to any payment, he, Of course, meant maj
we should provide him with funds for the
departure, it We accepted his on r.. we
told him that VIZ should prefer his remain
ing in England and appearing at the trial.
0nd that, when there he would do Well 10
tell the truth, for we had ample evidences
to convict him Of the fOrgeries aud then,
without telling him all our evidence, we
gave him u few samples.
About this time Mr.. L 'uis Was annOun.
ced l went out into the passage, told
him that PigOtt had confessed, ana
brought him in. Mr.. Lewis, as PigOtt Oh.
served, Was "severr.' He said that there
was no USE beating about the bush, that
Pigott had forged, and that if be supper
ted his fOrgeries by perjury, he wonId go
to prison. Pigott renewed his proposal
about the confession and Australia. Mr..
Lewis would not hear Of this. Mr.. PAr'
nell and for it was close on nine
O'clock-wpnt into the next room, where
there was u dinner, leaving Mr.. Lewis
talking TO Pigott. Soon Mr.. Lewis came
into the diDing-rOOm, and SAID To M,
"PigOtt wants to come to me tomorrow
and give me Il full statement. He is go
ing away, and wants to speak 10 you
adding, "Mimd, whatever you do, don't
give him any money if you do, he will
bolt" left Mr.. Lewis with Mr.. Parnell .
a~ssuaging the pangs OF hunger, aud went
back tn Pigott. That worthy at once
came to business, SAID that the TInses had
promised him 60, 900 to go into the box,
and asked what | would give for him not
to do 81. I reptile that [ would give
nothing, but that EgLn'S emlSSary hAd
already told him that, acting for Eg%t, 1
wanted the originals Of tho E gan drafts,
as these would prove the forgery up to tho
hilt, and that if he nd them, aud they
were satisfactory, | would pay for them.
He asked whether | would give $4,000
for them Z and when | declined no asked
whether I would give 1000. | said it
would be more like one Thousand than
Ave, but that | muSS frAt see the docu'
ments. [ then asked whether the sigma
lure of the ParneIl letter which is at the
top of a page was forged, or whether IL
was an autograph which had fallen into
his hands and he had written the letter
on the other side. "Why do you want to
know this Z" he said. "Mere curiosity
I replied, on which he said thAtit WAS fOrg'
Ell. He then left.
The next day Mr.. Lewis called upon
him by appointment. 1t was clear that
my last observations had not met with HE
approval, 30, instead of giving veracIOus
details, he vamped up - story about mys.
terious strangers giving him letters, &c.
My inference is that, when he told Mr.
Lewis that he wuuIH give full details in
writing; he had hoped that I should as
sure him that if he did he would recolve
money, aud so be able to go on to AUS
tralia. The silly fellow, with his threats
about confidential Conversations, did NOS
realise that, NO Gar as confession was con.
cerned, he had already confessed, and
that; far from caring for what he SAID 10
the witmess.box, he was rather bettes 90
- L. - .~nkAiE ~ hHMOk i6nGn1