The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-22
STORY OF THE BAG.
Pigott's Testimony Before the
Parnell Commission.
SWORE BY THE PRAYER BOOK.
Divulge the Secrets of Clan
Na-Gaels

Divulge the Secrets of Clan
Na-Gael.
LONDON, February 21.-Pigott is
again on the stand in the Parnell case.
He testified that he had an interview
with Eugene Davis at Lawson In June,
1888; pretended, he (Pigott) wanted to
write pamphlet on the league and de-
sired to embody signed documents in it..
Davis declined to furnish the docu-
ments, saying the Fenian Brotherhood
was bound to Parnell not to interfere
with his plans till after certain time.
Finally Davis, for $1,000, furnished
witness the principal facts with the
understanding that they be written but
not published till a certain time. Wit
ness at once wrote out from this in
formation and gave it to Houston. This
was the statement read yesterday.
HOLDING THE BAG.
Subsequently in Paris man named
Morris Murphy fer the sum of $500 fur
n shed Witness,the documents which he
he'd tried to get from Davis. They were
in bag and consisted of five or six #
Egan's letters, some of Parnell's and
s)me old accounts. Witness read the
letters and made q memorandum, but
did not copy them. Piggott identified
six letters of Egan's and five of Par
nell s, including the letter which ap-
peared in the Times and scraps of &C
counts, aud produced the contents.
Piggott said he did not know Parnell's
writing when he looked at the bag. He
knew his signature. He believed the
signatures attached to the letters to be
those of Parnell. He had no idea who
wrote the body of the letters.
NEGOTIATING WITH MURPHY.
Witness returned to France April 10
and told Murphy he would accept the
offer. After long discussion, Murphy
told witness it would be utterly impos-
sible to obtain the letters unless witness
should go to New York.
Witness consulted with Houston and
went to New York. There he saw Bee
slim, to whom Murphy had given him a
letter. Becslin handed witness sealed
letter, which he said witness was to oe-
liver to Murphy in Paris.
Witness continued. Il returned to
London and told Houston what oc-
Cured. He believed the letter con-
tanned authority 10 deliver the bag. l
went TO Paris July 20 and saw Murphy
at the Hotel s.. Petersburg.
MURPHY WORKS A STAND OFF.
handed him the letter. He said it
was all right, but he could not give me
the letters until he had seen other
people. Two evenings later Murphy
invited me to cafe in Rue st. Honore.
He conducted me to private room
where five men were seated around the
table. These men, he said, represented
Clan-nR- Gael.
SOLEMN OATH.
He made me swear on a Catholic
prayer book under no circumstances
would I reveal the source from which
l obtained the documents. l also
sWore l would not mention the names,
and if any proceedings followed the
publication OF the letter, that l would
not testify.
Pigott did not get the documents that
night. Witness detailed the purchase
of the letters and Murphy's otter to
purchase them. Witness knew Egan's
writing and signature, and was con-
WINGED that Egan wrote the letters
| ascribed to him. Murphy was dis
| pleased with the refusal TO return The
| letters.
Pigott, resuming, said he first heard
of the existence of other letters at the
beginning of 1888. His informant was
Thomas Brown, member of the Clan
Na-Gael. Hays introduced Brown and
| witness in the cafe in Royaie, Rue st.
Honore, Paris. Brown produced the
| letters and witness sent to Houston
copies of two of Parnell's and one OF
Egan's. Pigott said he had not the
slightest doubt that the signatures were
genuine.
A CAUTIOUS PAIL.
In July, 1888, he heard of other let
tiers. A person in Paris who declined
to reveal his name, offered to surrender
them for $500. He was paid s2OO, Of
which the witne-s received $50 back.
| Pigott said further: "a man named
| O'Brlen visited me in Dublin under the
alias of Sinclair. He said ParnelI haG
sent him to try and get me to assist
Egan. Labouchere, he said, was acting
for Egan, and would pay me very
high price if / had any letters of Par
nell g to sell. Sinclair suggested thai
I should see Lsbouohere in London ano
gave me f5 with which to pay my
passage. l went to the place men
toned. but Labouchere was not there
l declined to hold a conversation will
Sinclair. l afterwards Wrote to La
bouchere without Sinclair's knowledge
Labouchere replied and 1 had an inter
view with Parnell and Labouchere q
the latter's house. We did not NEE
with any proceedings. and declined t,
meet Parnell agar. Witness continu
ing said that Lapouceere repeated,
wrote him in Dublin pressing him tt
testify and Offering to pay his passage
At the end of January he received
letter containing 91O. He was auxlou
to avoid testifying He was aware i
was dangerous to offend the Clan ma
Gael, and he might be murdered.
PIGoTT is TURNED OVER.
Sir Charles Russell conducted TIA
cross-examination of Pigott, II