The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-21
THE PARNELL LETTERS.
Houston Continues His Effort to Implicate
Prominent Irish Leaders.


Prominent Irish Leaders.
LONDON, Feb. 2O.-When the Parnell COM
mission, met, this morning, the courtroom
and its precincts were crowded. Mr. Par
nell was present. Mr.. Houston, secretary
of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union, was
further cross-examined. He said he de-
stroyed Piggot's letters to him, in accord
ance with an agreement made between
them that they were intended for the wit
ness's eye alone, and were not to be used
publicly. Up to the time the witness went
to Paris, Piggott shad not given him the
names of any of the persons connected
with the letters secured by the Times. He
did not consider that knowledge of the
men from whom the letters were obtained
was important in connection with the ques-
tion of their genuineness. The witness said
his part was done when the letters were
obtained. He accepted them without Sc
curing any means of testing PiggOtt's
statements in the event of their genuine
ness being questioned, because he under
stood that 1t was useless 10 attempt to
make a complete case, and further inquiries
would only handicap himself. He had no
means whatever of testing any part of PieN
gott's story, which heregarded as proba bic,
especially as the newspaper reports of the
dispute between Mr.. Parnell and the Ameri-
can extremists to some extent confirmed
Piggott's story that the letters were left in
bag found in room in Paris. Witness
showed the letters to Lord Harrington, and
asked his advice as to their disposition, but
his Lordship refused to advise him: He did
zette. He saw Mr.. Stead, editor of the
Gazette, before he obtained possession of
the letters, and asked him to make up mat
ter which would lead to the disclosures;
Mr. MI sa Stead dnnoson sad he d had the lost s
Babylon" articles, and he would
not like to touch nything unless he knew
it would be successful. When the witness
visited Paris he had no genuine specimens
of either Mr.. Parnelrs or Mr.. Egan's writ
gott's word. If" said the witness, Pig
gott had been needy or fraudulent enough
to commit perjury, my action would have
assisted him; but do not admit that he was
either. PiggOtt's interviews with Mr.. La
bouchere shook my faith in him, and, there
fore my mind was not easy until he had
signed the sworn declaration"
Witness further said he might have told
Mr.. Stead that Messrs. Sexton and Dillon
were implicated in the Phoenix Park mur-
ders, but if he did so 1T was on the authori-
ty of statement made by Eugene Davis to
Piggott, copy of which was produced by
the witness. He did not know where the
original was. Two days before the cOp,uis-
sion opened, Piggott wrote him an alb sive
letter, demanding that, after giving uesti-
mony before the commission, he should be
given $4,000.
Mr.. Houston said that Piggott told him
to whom several of the letters were ad-
dressed. He did not think that Piggotts
statements were very accurate. because
Plggott only repeated what other persons
said. Between October, 1885. and January,
1888, he paid PiggOtt f200, but the Times
paid the bills from May 1887. He under
stood that Piggott obtained the second
batch of letters from the same friends that
supplied the first batch, but he did not in
qulre about thematter. He did not think it
strange that the second batch was not OBJ
tanned earlier. Prior to November Piggott
informed the witness that Mr.. Whylehan,
a TullamOre solicitor, had called upon
him and informed him that gentleman
from America wanted to have an interview
with him in London. He did not saw that
the American came from Egan. Whylehan
asked PiggOtt if he had any of Egan's let
ters, as he was prepared to purchase them
at high price. PiggOtt, when he wrote to
the witness demanding $4,000, said he had
been cOerced in Mr.. Soames's office into
makinga statement under false. preten ses.
| The witness did not answert the letter or the
notes made by, Piggott of the latter's CON
yeTsatlons with Eugene Davis According
| to these notes, Davis stated that Egan took
him into his confidence. Davis knew that
the /. K. B. and the L. b. were connected
with the league, one working openly and
the other secretly-the BIS finding men and
| the league finding money. Egan was in
Paris with Parnell, OKelly, Dillon,
| Brennan and Harrison in 1881. He told
Davis that he had had long conference
| with those gentlemen, and all had agreed
that the situation rendered reprisals
| against England imperative and that Eng
lands power could be neutralized only by
| removing as many of her leading men as
| possible. Walsh, Sheridan and others were
to be sent to Ireland to plan the murders.
Immediately after Parnelps arrest, Egan
| appealed to the Fenian leaders to execute
| the work more energetically. Walsh wen
to Dublin and appointed Cary, Mullett and
| Curley as his chief men. lyman, Byrne,
Colbert and Sheridan were also associated
with him. Egan was invariably consulted
| regarding projected Outrages and murders
Egan strongly reproved lyman for failing
| to appear at kingbridge in time to give the
signal for Mr.. Forster's murder. Davis
was present in cafe in Paris when lyman
related the whole history of the Phoenix
4 Park murders. lyman took pride in having
given the signal for the attack. Egan pro
| fessed to be highly delighted. but re-
gretted that lyman had not commenced
| work earlier. Egan gave Byrne the letter
| a fac-simile of which was purchased by the
Times. There was a plot to murder the
Prince OF Wales and Mr.. Gladstone during
| the carnival at Cannes. Byrne and TynaT
were within striking distance, but did moi
at tempt to carry out the plan.
Houston, under rcross-examination, saiC
he did not regard all of this statement n.
accurate, This reply was greeted Will
laughter. Houston said that the sugges