The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-21
pIGGOTT NOW A WITNESS
uuE EXAMINATION OF HOUSTON
AT AN END.

y
1oophole-Piggott Tells Of Alleged
Murderers.
1ovDoN Feb. 20-When the Parnell
commission met this morning the court
roo-o and its precincts we're crowded. Mr..
parneu was present. The examination Of
Mr. Houston, secretary of the Irish Loyal
ond Patriotic Union, was concluded, and
Richard Piggott, the man who procured the
Ietters for the Times, was upon the stand
when the commission adjourned.
Hr Houstons cross-examination was re-
suned. He said he destroyed Mr.. Piggott's
1atters to him in accordance with an agree
roent made between them that t ey were iu-
tended for the witness eye alone, and were
not to he used publicly. UP to the time the
witness went to Paris Mr.. Piggott had not
given him the names Of any of the persons
Connected with the letters received by the
Times.
LEFT A LOOPHOLE.
He did not consider that knowledge of
the men from whom the let er was obtained
was inDortant in connection with the cues
ton of their genuineness The witness said
that his part was done when the letters
we're obtained. He accepted them without
securing any means of testing Mr. Piggott's
statement In J06 6YbuG Oh JQ6lr
genuine ess being questioned, because ne
Understood that it was useless to attempt
to make q complete case, and that further
inquiries would handicap himself. He had
no means whatever or testing any part of
Mr. Piggott's story which he regarded as
probable, especially as newspaper reports of
the dispute between Mr.. Parnell and the
American extremists t. some extent con-
frmed Mr. Piggott's story that the letters
were left in bag found in a room in Paris.
SHOWN TO HARRINGTON.
The witpess showed the letter to Lord
Harrington and asked his advice as to their
disposition, but lis lordship refused to ad-
wise him He did not offer the letters to the
Pail MdU Gazette. He saw Editor Stead
of The Gazette tefore he obtained posse sion
Of the letters and asked him to make up
matter which would lead to the disclosures.
Mr. Stead said that he lost 43, 900 by the
publication of the Molern Bah lon articles,
and he would not like to touch anything
else unless be knew it would he successful.
When the wit ess visited Paris. he had 20
sDecimens of either Mr. ParnelrS or Mr..
Egan's writing
TOOK PIGGoTT's WORD.
lie accepted the letters solely on Mr..
Piggott's word. IF" said the witness,
Mr.. Piggott had been needy or fraudulent
enough to attempt to commit peri .ry, my
action would have assisted him; but | do
not admit that he was either. Mr.. Piggott's
interviews with Mr.. Labouchere shook my
faith IN him, and, therefore, my mind was
not easy until he had signed sworn dec
larstion."
The witness further said that he might
have told Mr.. Stead that Mr.. Sexton and
Mr. Dillon we're implicated in the Phoenix
park MURDERS but if he did so it vas on the
authority Of statement made by Eugene
Davis to Mr.. Piggott a copy OF which was
produced by the witness He did not know
where the original was.
PIGGOTT AFTER PELF.
Two davs before the commission opened
Mr.. Piggott wrote him an abusive letter,
demanding that after he had given testi-
mony before the commission he should be
given 5000.
DOUBTED HIS ACCURACY.
Mr.. Houston said Mr.. Piggott told him to
whom several of the letters were addressed
He did not think that Mr.. Piggott'S ate
ments were very accurate, because he only
repeated what others said. Between Octo-
Der, 1856, nd January, 1885, he paid Mr.
Pggolt 9200, but the Times plid his bills
from May 1887. He understood that Mr..
Pggott obtained the second batch of letters
from the same t lends that supplied the
nrst but he did not inquire about the mat
ter He did not think it strange that the
second batch was not obtained earlier.
AN EMIssARY FROM AMERICA.
Prior to November Mr. Piggott informed
the witness that Mr. Whelahan, a Tulls-
more solicitor, called upol him and in
formed him that a gentleman from America
wanted an interview with him in Lon on.
ne dld not say that the American came from
hr. Egan. Mr.. Whelahan asked Mr.. Pig
gott II he had any Of Mr. K gan's letters, as
ne was prepared to purchase at a high price,
mr., Plggott, whel ha wrote the witness de-
manding $4,000, said that he had been
coerced in M. Soamss IS office into making
statement under false pretenses. The wit
1sSs lld not answer the letter.
HIS TALK WITH DAVIS.
Mr.. Webster re1d a copy Of notes made
by Mr.. Piggott of the latter's conversation
WIN Eugene Davis. According to these
PAWS st ated that Mr.. Egan took him into
MS confidence. Davis knew that the |. r.
D. and 1. b. were connected with the
lesgle, one working openly and tie other
secretly, the "B's" finding men and the
Besgue finding money. Mr. Egan was IN
Parls with Messrs. Paruell O'Kelly, D illon,
bronnan and Harris in 1881.
REPRIsALs FAVORED.
He told Davis hat he had long con-
ference with those gentlemen, and that all
4 Hau agreed that the situation rendered re-
.rlsas against England imperative, and
'uSt England's power could be- neutrahzed
A s1y oY removing as many OF her leading
msH as possible. Walsh, Sheridan and
o'ners were to be sent TO Ireland to plan
murders Immediately after Mr.. Parne 5
I'ieot Mr. Ega1 appealed TO the Felian
ally '''' " = NV 0'-'' e0'''
| CHIEF MEN APPOINTED.
| walsh went to Dublin and appointed
TTNey Mullett and Curlay as chief men.
| 4yuan Byrne, Colbert and Sheridan were
Ulso associated with HIM. Mr.. Ega1 was
Invariably consulted regarding projected
ouTages and murders Mr.. Egan strongly
| TSFoyed lyman for falling t. appear at
FElus bridge In time to give the signal for
a0rs'ers murder Davis was present in n
(tls l. IA Paris when lyman related the whole
u@'oiy OF the Phoenix park murders.
lyman GAVE THE SIGNAL.
lynnn took pride in having given the
s@Ha Tor the attack. Mr.. Egan professed
DC highly delighted, but regretted that
yH9n had not commenced work earlier.
- t' Egan gave Byrne letter, fac simile
m whlch was published by the II eS.
tVE9Ie was pot murder the Prince Of
9.es and Mr.. Gladstone during the carni-
,el at Cannes. Byrne and lyman were
1uln striking distance, but did not at
''NPO 10 carry out the plan.
RAISED A LAUGH.
II 9r. houston, under cross-examination,