Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-12

DENVER Col, Jan. 1.-THE News pub.
fishes a five column interview with
Thomas Brennan, who was first secretary
of the land league in Ireland, and one Of
the few men in the United States who en-
joys the confidence of all of the leaders in
the league movement in Ireland. Bren-
nan furnishes the history of the case foI
the first time, in which he shows how the
London Times was trying to manufacture
P. j. Sheridan into witness against Par
nell before the London commission. He
also explains the cable messages sent to
himself and Alexander Sullivan on May
| 6, 1889, from Michael Davitt at Paris and
to which DR.. McCahey gave significance
in connection with the disappearance OF
DR.. Cronin. He said:
Con the day mentioned, received a
cablegram from Paris unsigned but which
/ believed was from Davitt, informing me
that some person on this side had offered
to go to London and give evidence on be-
half of the Times in the Parnell commits
sion and that money had been sent by the
| Times people to Chicago and Pueblo, Col,
and asking me to consult Patrick Egan on
the subject. On May Egan came to my
Office in Omaha where we had long con-
sultation as to who the person was who
was going to turn traitor. On May and
9TH the Chicago and Omaha papers con-
tanned articles announcing the disappear
ance of Cronin. Soon after this message
came from Davitt who said Sheridan was
the man the Times expected to get. We
then felt at ease, as we had-perfect conf
dence in Sheridan and knew nothing could
tempt him to go over.
VISITED BY TIMES" AGENT.
"Now for Sheridan's part of the story.
| which declare is true. On October Is,
1888, a man came to my ranch in Rio
Grande county, Colorado, and introduced
himself as an agent of the London Times.
He said he had been sent over by Joseph
Soames, the attorney for the Times. to see
if would come to London and testify on
behalf of that newspaper before the Par
nell commission. and that he was pre-
pared to offer me any amount of money
for my services and guarantee my abso-
lutte protection while in England. This
man gave his name as J. f. Kirby. and
after some further conversation | was re-
quested by him to name me- my price, VIII
the Times give me 100000 to do this
thing" l asked. Kirby replied Yes.
provided your evidence is satisfactory
You will be given the amount one hour
after your examination Closes What
Will you consider satisfactory evidence? |
inquired. The Times people want evil
dence that Parnell was a party to the
Phoenix Park murders. If not, the insti-
gator then, and your evidence to that eff
feet will be satisfactory to my friends and
secure to you the fortune you name and
the fullest protection of the government
Is the government aiding the Times in
defraying the expense of the commission
| inquired. Not as the government but
as individuals presume they are What
guarantee will l have that your people
will pay this money i'll the event of my evil
dence proving satisfactory l asked. Be
fore you leave this country he answered,
Joseph Soames will cable a
draft to any bank that we may
agree upon in New York or
Chicago in favor of your wife or whoever
else you may name. The same to be paid
provided it is deemed satisfactory We'll,
guess don't care for voyage anyhow
l said. Gould | not give my evidence in
this country before sub-commission"
Yes but you can not hope for the protec
ton here you would get in London" he
replied.
Eve then debated at some length the
question of giving the evidence before a
sub-commission in this country and l ulti-
mately led him to believe that | would
give my evidence before sub-commission
and as such evidence would make it i'm
possible for me to live in my present home
a provision was to be made for my wife
and family by an advance of SO, 900 TO my
wife by mortgage on property III Colorado
before the sub-commssion sat.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE WOULD BE.
81 then suggested the ACCESSIBILITY of my
being posted on what was the evidence of
H.
nesses in order that mine should be
corroborated or at. least non-contradic-
tory. In reply he said a series
pared by Soames as soon as he (kirby) got
to London, after which he was to return
here and perfect his arrangements with
me. Kirby at the close Of the interview
returned to London, promising to be back
early in December of that year. Before
going we arranged that in any correspond
ence we might have / should address him
as J. Donaldson and he me as NJ. s.
Smart. We had some correspondence by
cable and the mail.
"On April 4, 1882 Kirby returned to my
rancho, near Monte Vista, and in our in
terview he said be knew l was sentenced
to assassination. | then told Kirby II it
was true that my assassination had been
ordered by the Clan-na-Gael, that it
would be impossible to give evil
dence before the sub-commission as
arranged in our last interview.
That at present / had to have
two men armed with Winchester rifles to
protect me and, as l would not think of
living in this country, would go TO Lon
don on condition that the Times would buy
my rancho and other property in Colorado
for 10000. the money to be paid over to
my wife before l started TO London and
1900 TO be paid me after | had gwen my
evidence and that l be guaranteed protec-
ton by the English government. After
some hesitation he consented 70 my terms
and said he could speak for both the
Times and the government.
About the nature OF my evidence he
asked if it would not be likely to create a
sensation and did / not think that after
my first day on the witness stand Parnell
would likely fly the country, TO which |
replied that Parnell and his friends would
either fly the country or walk into TIE
dock after had given evidence.
ANXIOUS TO SECURE REVENGE
Il told him was desperate and was
anxious TO get even with the men who had
ordered my assassination, and therefore
wanted to go to London at once. He said
he would Immediately cable the Times the
result of tie interview and request that
money be Immediately forwarded. Kirby
they went to Pueblo. | met him at Colo
RADIO Springs by appointment on May -.
was TO be asked before the commission ana
the question would suggest. told him