Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-16
pARNELL LETTERS.
A SENSATION OVER THEM IN THE
COURTROOM.
There was No Bargain for Their Pur.
chass-Convincsd that They wore
Genuine.
TBy Auglo.American cable 10 tho Dtspatch.l

LONDON, February Is. Mr.. Parnell was
present at to-day's session OF the Parnell |
Commission. Mr. Sosmes. solicitor for the |
Times. was further cross-examined. He Of |
fsred in evidence a schedule Of all signatures
OF Parnell that be possessed. He said that
Parnelps writing varied considerably, and |
produced letter in which Parnelfs name
wss written six different ways.
Presiding.Justice Hammer ordered that |
the letter he photographed.
Continuing. witness denied that he bad /
heard that Pigo,t and the League CLERK be
interviewed In Ireland had a grievance |
against Psrnell. Pigott he said, had made |
statutory declaration that Solicitor Lewis |
bad offered him $1,000 II be would swear |
that he forged the letters said 70 hsye been |
written By Parnell. Tho Times paid Pigoft |
only go or ESQ. Witness bad FigOlt !
watched and traced him into the company OF !
Labourchere. He paid Houston. secretary
Of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union. alto.
gether 5000. Upon redirect examination
Soames stated that no bargain was made
when the letters we're first brought to the
Times. Their commences was to be tested
before any payment wss made. Soames
said Pigott told him OF the interview
he had with the solicitors and Labour.
chere. The latter sent Pgott several notes
and there redirected to ireland. Witness
produced the copy OF letter which accom-
panied It. Il bad never occurred % witness
TO ask Pigott how he had acquired the letter
Neither had be asked Houston. Pigott
showed witness a letter from Solicitor Lewis.
accusing bin (Pigo,D OF having admitted
that be forged the letters and his reply,
whcreupon witness required that statutory
declaration be made. In which Pigou de-
tailed all the communications between HIM
self and Solicitor Lewis. including the offer
Of 1000 OF Lewis on behalf Of Labourchefe
II be would swear that he had forged the
letters This statement caused a sensation
in the courtroom. SOqmes said that pigOit
did not tell him OF the c0rresDondence
be mad had with Archbishop Walsh, OF
Dublin. regarding the letters. lie bad never
heard u this correspondence until he heard
il mentioned in court Last evening. Besides
lnehs. Soamss said the Times engaged Birch
and Ellis a. experts. He had never
promised Plgoit six pence, but knew that
Pigott bad asked Houston for $4,000 on the
ground thst it would be impossible for him
20 i've in Dublin after giving evidence for
the Times. and that he wanted 20 make some
provision for himself. Witness told him be
could not listen 10 such suggestion, but tat
TIC u ArUAfl hiAHhN A'0N "'-riNt-'N 1870
Times would never see him ruined
through his honesty in tc'tiiylng 10
al he knew. sOlmes sad that a man
ealing himself Wilson wrote to pm
Offering TO give him information.
lie recognized The writing as that Of man
named O'Bricn, who vas m emisslry from
Egan 10 LaOourchcre. The offer 10 furoish
information was Simply "plant." After
that be- HAD O'Brien watched. At Labour-
chere's instance O'Rricn vas sent 10 Dublin
20 see PigOr. In Dublin O'Bfien assumed
the name Of Sinclair. The men following
O'Rricn traced him 10 LahOurchcre's ard
Pigou's houses and then traced Pi2oii,
Solicitor Lewis, and Parn,ll 10 Lobour-
chercs residence. Witness knew O'Brien
A. the man who was known IN America A.
Robertson. IL was Robertson who deluded
Detective Moser with the 'ctiers which had
since been admitted 10 be iorgercs. kirby
was paid $3.50 10 20 10 America and procure
from sheridan the original Psraell letter,
| fac-simile VI which was published IA the
FINES. llurbuIl saw this letter.
! Soame, was rtcXamined by Attorney
| General Webster. lie said there was no bar
/ gain whatever with Tie Times 70 purchase
| the letters. II the Psrnell letters were
! ioreerics. then the writing ~ Others, signed
Wild tue HAilfN vi IsEal '-IAi' Aff ifthN 'NNf
/ and O'Kelley, must have been forged. THE
bodies Of six disputed Parne.l letters were IA
the writing OF Campbell. Wilacott, IN en-
plovee OF the Central News tnewspalerl, de-
! posed that in an interview with PaTnell on
| the appearance OF the fac simiie letter In
! 1857 Parnell cabled the letter an impudent
forgery. Mcdonald. manager 0f the Times.
dep0sed that in October, 1856, he got i've
Parnel and six Egan letter.. He ipufttd
! that their authenticity must be tested BE-
lore the payment Of the price
which Houston said be gave for them.
! When the other letters, those OF o'kelley and
| Dayitt, were tested he paid Houston 81, $50.
tue exact sum represented a. expended IN
| gaining possession Of the letters, Houston
| declining personal remuneration. Upon
| cross. examination witness said he never
asked how Houston got the letters. Tie had
asked about the difference IN The writing IN
the body a the letters and in The signature,
and Houston replied that II was the pracuca
Of the leaders Of movement that Que wrote
the letter, another signed IL. and 4 lhlrd
person addressed the envelope. witness
afterWard asceitMned from other sources
that tins was an actual practice, and that
some Of the letters wee purpOsely left I'M
/ dated. Egan wrote whole letters himself.
The bodies OF the Psruell letters were
ali more or less written IN B disguised
hand except in one letter dated kimainham.
The writing in the body Of the .tac snnfl
letter Is disguised, but The signature OF Par
nell Is not. Witness never heard that The
letters were offered 10 other papers, but mad
heard that the docu nents had been offered ia
Lord HARRINGTON before they were offered to
the Times. Houston produced no voucher
for the sums paid. Six months were occu-
pied IN iuquiring II the documents were
bona tide. Witness was convinced that the
letters were genuine and he thought that be-
fore the second reading Of the crimes bill
would be a fitting time TO show 10 the coun'
try the character OF the men making them
selves prominent I'm Irish affairs.
The commission at this point adjourned