New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-21
aTHE TIMES'S" WEAK CASE.
aousToN AND PIGoTT TESTIFY BEFORE THE
COMMISSION.
xo PROOF ApDucED TO SHOW THE GENUINE
vrss OF THE I,ETrERs-MR. PARNELL SAID
TO HAVE BEEN MEMBER OF THE


TO HAVE BEEN MEMBER OF THE
SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE I. II. B.
london, Feb. 2o.-wbcn the Parnell Commission
oef this morning the courtroom ana its pre-
.;,,ts were crowded Mr.. Parnell was present
ur Houston. secretary Of the Irish League and
patriotic Union. was further cross-expnined. lie
liz he DESTROYED Pigott's letters to him in ac-
.ordance with an agreement made between them
,at they were intended for the witnesss eye alone
.ad were not to be used publicly. Up to the time
H. witness went to Paris Pigott had not given
h1,p the names Of any of the persons connecteo
,r,t the letters secured by " The Times lie dld
aot consider that knowledge Of the men from
.hsp the letters were obtained was important in
,oa, ,ction with the question of their genuineness
rhs witness said his part was done when the letters
g ss obtained He accepted them without Sc
tgri any means of testing Pigotts statement ln
the went of their genuineness beng quesuoneu'
because he understood that it was useless 10 at-
tempt to make complete case, ana Iurener III
ouiyiss would only handicap himself. He had no
means whatever of testing any part OF Pigotts
tor which he regarded as probable. especially as
be newspaper reports Of the dispute between Mr.
s,r sll and the American extremists to some extent
sonf tmed Pgotts story that the letters were left
in a bag found in room in Paris The witness
q oued the letters to Lord Harrington and asked
his advice as to their disposition. but his Lord
sip refused to advise him. lie id not oher the
'-+sers to The Pail Mall Gazette He saw MI
Stead. Editor of The Gazette before he oo-
sal.xd possession of the letters. and asked him to
make up the matter which would lead to the dis
.Iossres. Mr. Stead said he had lost 1900 pounds
hs the publication of the Modern Babylon ar
siclss, and he wosd not like to touch anything
zoe unless he knew it would be successful
roox THE LETTERS SOLELY ON PIGorr's WORD
When the witness visited Paris he had no
genuine specimen of either Mr.. ParnelPs or Mr.
Eean's writing lie accepted the letters solely on
Fgott's word
sn.. said the witness, Pigott had been needy
or fraudulent enough to attempt TO commit per
Jury. nv action would have assisted him; but l
do not admit that he was either. Pigotts inter-
view with Mr. Labouchere shook my faith in
him and, therefore, my mind was not easy until
be had signed the sworn declaration.
The witness further said he might have told
Mr. Stead that Messrs. Sexton and Dillon were
implicated in the Phoenix Park murders but II
he did SO, it was on the authority of statement
made by Eugene Davis to Pigott, copy oil whlch
was produced by the witness. de did not know
where tho original was Two days before the
Commission opened, Pigott wrote him an abusive
letter demanding that after giving testimony be
fore the Commission he should be given o,ooo
pounds
Mr.. Houston said that Pigott told him to whom
,sveral of the letters were addressed lie Dd not
r,b;nl that Pieotts statements were vesy &C
,urate, because Pigott only repested what other
persons said Between October, 1856 and Janu-
arv. 1888, he paid Pigott 200 pounds, but J. he
,r;mes- paid the bills from May, 1887 he under
GOOD tat Pieott obtained the second uaVeh on
,setsers from the same friends tnat supp'iea ,no
first batch but he did not inquire apoue .,o
}matter. He did not think IT strange elae u'0
second batch was not obtained earnel' NJ
November. Pigott Informed witness tnaD "r'
.,Uhsls,an Tnllamore solicitor, had called upon
~, and Informed him that gentleman Honl
riros,;ca wanted TO have an interview with MN
q Tsndon He did not say that the American
came from Egan; Whelehan asked Plgott II he
r.a anv ~ Ecan's letters, he was prepared 10
ru,cbase them at high price. Pigott when ne
.,,o.s to the witness demanding o,oOO pounus'
ss;a he had been coerced in Nh Soamess once
into making a statement under iaise pfe'enceS'
The witness did not answer tne letter.
1890 .I1rGEp STATEMENT TO PIGoTr.
Attorney General Webster read copy Of the
.,as r,ade nv Pigott of the latters conversations
,;tb Fuosne Davis. According 10 these notes
nav,s state6 that Egan took him into his con-
49,. Davis knew that the /. X. b. and the
r. p wore connected with the League, one work
l.. ID.
ino onenlv and the other secretly, the Bs' ind
inc men and the League finding money Lgan
wss in paris with Parnell, O'Kelly, Dillon, Bren-
- a,a Harris in 1881 He told Davis that he
he'd had long conferences with those gentlemen,
and that all had agreed that the situation ienHered
rcprisak against England imperative and that
England's power could be neutratzed only by re-
moving as many Of her leading men as possible.
Walsh Sheridan and others were TO be sent TO
Ireland to plan the murders. Immediately atter
Parnells arrest Egan appealed TO the fenian
leaders TO execute the work more energeucally.
Walsh went TO Dublin and appointed Carey, Null
lett and CurIey as his chief men. lyman, Byrne,
Colbert and Sheridan were also assocl-
sred with him. Egan was inyariably con-
suited regarding projected outrages and murders.
Eean strongly reproved lyman for failing to ap-
pcar at Kingbridge In time to give the signal
Tor Mr. Forster's murder. Davis was present in
safe in Paris when lyman related the whole his
kry of the Phoenix Park murders; lyman took
pride in having given the signal for tue attack
Egan professed to be highly delighted, but re-
gretted that lyman had not begun work earlier.
Egan gave Byrne the letter fac simile OF which
vas published by 4" The Times" There was
plg to murder the Prince of Wales and Mr.. Glad,
bt0ce during the Carnival at Cannes. Byrne and
lyman were within striking distance, but dld not
attempt to carry out the plan.
Houston, under cross-cxamnation, said he did
moi regard al of this statement as accurate This
reply was greeted with laughter
Houston said that the suggestion that he de-
stroyed Pieott's letters because they east doubt
upon the genuineness Of the letters published by
sThe Times was without foundation lie de-
stroyed them because he believed that II they were
allowed TO exist and were published the lives Of
certain persons would be placed at the mercy Of
certain assassins. Replying TO Sir Charles RUSSELL
Houston SAID that Davis was IN England, and
that Soames subpocnaed him.
THE PRocURER OF THE LETTERS TEsTIFIEH.
Richard Pgott well-dressed ord benevolent
locking man, apparently about axty-years Old
was then called. lie testified that he was pro-
pgietor Of the Fenian organ, The Irshman,' in
1855. He belonged TO the Supreme Council,
F.B. All members OF the Amnesty Association In