Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-10
THE PARNELL SCANDAL.
Davitt Says There is no Foundation for
OsShea's Charge.

OSucoe NuoE8es
From the pitssburs pisp.tch
THAT O'Shea divorce case In, In my opinion,
. base conspiracy against Parnell," said Rev.
E. r. Donehoo, Of the Eighth Presbyterian
church, to areporter last evening; "and I'll tell
you Why think 30. From the standpoint of q
little inside knowledge which picked up quite
BY accident while in London last June, this
whole effort to make the Irish leader appear q
correspondent in Capt O'Sheas suit for Q d.
vorce from his wife seems to me not only heart
lessly cruel, but unfair and farcical in the ex.
treme. You want to know what my inside
knowledge or information Of the case il and
how came by it2 Al right; I'll tell you. While
I was wandering around the great city upon
other errands last summer I naturally heard q
great deal Of gossip about the great Times trial,
which was then in progress. / had several
friends in London, among them Michael Davitt,
who had made my acquaintance here a. q friend
OF the Irish homo rule cause.
zone day while strolling down the Strand ]
met and recognized Davitt We had not talked
long together when l called the attention OF
this well-known Irish patriot to bit Of ugly
was being industriously doled out in quiet
way by the enemies Of lreland's home rule
cause. It was the preliminary gossip Of this
same OShea scrape.
"'Why,' said Davitt emphatically, yet with
evident disgust, I have personally Investigated
all that stuff and with the heartiest co-opera-
ton Of Capt. OShea himself, who was even
more interested than in having it all cleared
up, one way or the other. Now, you know I
have not always worked in the heartiest SYM
pathy with Parnell; he's q cold-blooded man,
not half enthusiastic enough in this cause OF
ours. So thought if there was the slightest
shadow Of foundation for that O'Shea scandal
We radical friends OF Ireland wanted to find it
out as soon as possible and dump our acknowl-
edged leader overheard, so as to proceed at
least with clean hands IN any event.
"'But it's all barefaced lie, invented by
the Times or its friends! exclaimed Davitt,
and only wonder now, since have satisfied
myself to that effect from thorough investi-
cation, that didn't know 1t without investigat-
ing. Why, my very knowledge of the man
gives the lie to such a scandal. II ever there
was a woman hater, a man who avoided society
and all it's environments, from choice, Parnell
was and Is such man. He was a good friend
OF the O'Sheas, it is true, and spent consider
able time at their home-for the captains COM
panlonship, however, not for Mrs. Sheas. Oh,
it's all bosh! Parnell simply couldn't be party
to such a scandal, and, more than that, I now
know that it isn't and hasn't been.
"'Why, do you know how this patriot and
leader of ours spends the bulk of his time 2
concluded Davitt. I'll tell you how. Not in
the society Of any woman; not in any society
IL
at the suburban home of his. Yes, with a
scroll saw, saving out little devices and knick-
kpacks, when some of the rest OF US think occa-
sionally that he should be about his country's
business. That's one of the points whereon
have differed with him SO radically at times,
because, with this burning issue still before US,
he should still seem, even at intervals, 80 con-
servatlvely phlegmatic, so cold blooded as to
fall back on that soroll-saw diversion Of his
But he must have some relief from the weight
OF responsibility that is put upon him, 1 sup
pose: Still, you may rely upon it that his re-
lief does not, cannot come in any scandalous
form--I know it,
80, you see," added Rev. Mr. Donehoo, IT
had occasion to draw out as early as June last,
some time before O'Shea had turned against
Parnell and united his forces with those Of the
London TtD.es-the fact that the conspirator
we're at work upon an utterly groundless foun-
dation to ruin his character. if possible. Such
conspiracy should not, cannot succeed. Day.
lit knew what he was talking about and he
always tells the truth"