The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-26
PIGOrPS CONFESSION.


Nothing Left for the Government md the
Tunes but to Abandon tho Case Against
Parnsll-A View from Conservative
Writer,
G, ", SHalleyI cab'graH TO he N. y Tribune
february q.
II anybody ever doubted that Sir
Charles Russell is a great artist, let hun
consider the effect OF his SIX hours
cross.examination OF PigOtt, Sir Charles
has as yet hardly approached the vital
point, which take 10 be, legally speak
Ing, Pigotts account OF his alleged pur'
chase OF the Parnel-Egan letters in
Paris. He has touched upon the ques:
ton OF forgery, but only touched, All
the long story OF the witnesses dealings
with Mr., Houston has been left unmen.
toned, Nearly all the most essential
PARTS are to come. Yet has Sir Charles
so handled this witness upon side is
sues, upon incidental matters, upon
historical and biographical matters,
that | apprehend no human being who
has sat through It in court retains one
shred OF belief in the genuineness OF the
letters. Possibly an exception may be
made In favor OF MI. Macdonald. lshould
be sorry to attempt to gauge the depths OF
Mr.. Macdonad's credulity. Conviction
that the letters are iOrgeries has spread
eyeryw here. Belief that Piggott Is the
iorger is not less universal, II Is simply
the genius OF Sir Charles Russell which
has wrought this conversion. When
Piggotts direct examination had ended
there were not few in court who still
maintained his story credible. Outside
the court there were many perhaps al
most as many as ever. To-day not one
| Is to be met. So far as the letters are
concerned, and so far as public opinion
about the letters is decisive, the case Is
over.
The cross examination OF Pigott, how.
ever, is very far from being over, What
Sir Charles Russell has done so far is TO
exhibit Pigott as witness whom no
man can believe, as creature entitled
to nothing but contempt. Sir Charles
has forced him TO own that he lied TO
Archbishop Welsh, lied to Mr.. Forster,
| lied to Mr.. Egan, lied to Mr.. Parnell,
lied to the Court, lied 10 everybody with
whom he came in contact. He had
forced him to own that both toward MIR.
Egan and Mr.. Forster he stood fnt in
the relation OF q beggar, then as black
mailer. Mr.. Forster's long.suHering
kindness to this impudent impostor
might touch even Mr.. Forsters would
be assassins. Obliged OF course, to re.
fuse Plgotts request for q government
subsidy to his paper, Mr.. Forster listen
ed TO his piteous appeal for private Chari-
ty, gave him money in large sums, gave
him time more valuable than money,
gave him advice, tried to find him a
situation, and gave him, when all else
failed, more money to take him to
America.
"Did you GOT" queried Sir Charles.
"No," muttered Pigott.
Finally, when even Mr.. Forster's pa
tience was exhausted and no more money
was to DO got from him by whining,
PigOtt turned around and tried to get
more by threatening his benefactor with
publication OF his letters. Pigott seems
10 have thought these letters could be
twisted into something that would look
like readiness Ton Mr.. Forster's part TO
bride him into Government Be-
fore this, and while living on Mr.. Fors-
ster's bounty, he was writing to Mr..
EHan that Mr.. Forster was concerned In
plot to procure the the publication OF
false statements about the Land League
accounts. -.
The exposure Of Pigott's affairs, had It
been wanton, would have seemed cruel ,
80 pitilessly was 1t pursued. But 1t
bore strictly on the case. Its aim was to
present Pigott, by the time he entered
IIpon the parnell letter business, as pre-
pared by distress and by long practice in
disgraceiul arts for any safe crime. The
suggestion that he forged the letters
rests, SO far, upon resemblances between
Pigott's handwriting and the body OF the
forged letters, upon identical misspell..
ings In Pigotts letters and in the forged
letters, upon the recurrence In the
forged letters OF phrases, dates and sen.
fences closely corresponding with
phrases, dates and sentences In genuine
letters from Mcssrs. Parnell and Egan to
Pipott. All this, and much else, has
been brought out with ingenuity, with
dramatic effect, often with startling sud.
denness, sometimes sternly, sometimes
with derision. There have been mo.
ments when the court was solemn as
death, and moments when the Judges
themselves were Convulsed with laugh.
ter.
Pigott announced himself as fifty.iour
years old when he entered the witness.
box, BY tho time he left II on Friday
he was certainly sixty.four. He has
two days more OF this torture before him.
Il Is an open question whether Sir
Charles Russell will not In the end OK
tract from him public confession that
he forged the letters. Confession is In
deed Pigott's only visible chance OF es.
cape from prosecution. II he Confesses,
he may get certificate Of indemnity
from the court. Escape no cannot. His
every step Is watched by detectives.
Confession or suicide Is the alternative
that awaits him. and, as Webster said,
suicide 10 confession.
Far more important Is the question
what course the Times will now take.
As yet that paper is not called on to
move, Proofs aia still wanting the case
Is incomplete. What 10 clear on present
evidence 10 that the case ofthO Times
against Mr.. Parnell, 30 far rs supported
By tho letters, rests upon Plgott and
upon Plgott only. The conductors Of
that Journal either share the general con.
yICtion that Plgott Is the iorger, Or do
moi, lithey do not, their incredulity Is
NJ remarkable a. their credullty. II thOy
do, or when they do, immediate &C.
acknowledgement lsthe Inst though least
act OF uxplatlon due from them 10 Mr..