Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-16

pany. The adjoining buildings were
badly damaged by smoke and water.
DENVER, Jan. 1.-THE News prints an
interview with Thomas Brennan. of
Omaha, who was the first secretary of the
land league In Ireland, in which Brennan
tells at length how agents representing
the London Times, endeavored to induce
P. J. Sheridan, of Rio Grande county, Col,
to give testimony adverse to Parnell be-
fore the London commission. The state
ment is supported by the sworn affidavit
OF Sheridan, who says a man named j. F.
Kirby, came to him October Is, 1888, say
ing he had been sent by Joseph Soames,
the attorney for the Times, to see
if Sheridan would go to London and
testify, and that he was prepared
to offer any amount of money for services
and guarantee absolute protection in
England. Sheridan led the man on and
finally asked if the Times would give him
$4,000 for it and Kirby replied in the
affirmative providing the evidence was
satisfactory to the Times people, he said
he wanted evidence to the effect that Par
nell was a party to the Phoenix park muir
ders, if not instigator of them.
rs the government aiding the Times in
defraying e~xpenses?" asked Sheridan.
mot as a government, but as individ-
uals | presume they are" said Kirby.
Sheridan expressed a dislike to going
abroad and asked if he could not give evil
dence before a sub-commission in this
country. The matter was debated at
length and Sheridan led Kirby to believe
that ne would give such evidence. As
this would make it impossible for him to
Ero IN he ,.o-oo4 1880 -
be made for Sheridan's wife and family by
an advance of SO, 900 to his wife by a
mortgage on property in Colorado before
started back to London and said that
the series of questions and the answere re-
quired to them would be prepared by
Soames. Sheridan and Kirby had some
correspondence, and in April, 1889, the
agent returned to Sheridan's ranch and
reopened negotiations. Sheridan told
Kirby his assassination had been ordered
by the Clan-na-Gael. and that it would be
impossible to give evidence before
the sub-commission, but that he
would go to London on condition
that the Times would buy his ranch and
other property for e10, 900, the money to
be paid over before he started for London.
Sheridan was also to be guaranteed the
protection of the English government.
After some hesitation Kirby consented and
said he could speak both for the Times and
the government. Sheridan further hood
winked and led on Kirby, and the latter
said he would Immediately cable
the Times the result of the interview
and request that the money be forwarded.
Sheridan tells further how Kirby waited
some time at Colorado Springs and Pueblo
but could not get an answer from the
Times. He endeavored to get Sheridan to
fill out answers to a list of questions which
he Kirby brought with him, but Sheri-
dan would not do this. Finally Kirby
went east. In conclusion, Sheridan says,
he deliberately entered into negotiations
with Kirby for the purpose of getting all
the information he could from him and
also to sell his ranch at a good figure when
he found Kirby ready to buy it. Sheridan
kept Kirby waiting on a decision until
as late as the last ten days session of the
commission. Brennan also explains the ca
BILE messages sent to himself and Alexan-
der Sullivan May 9th, 1889, by Michael
Davitt from Paris, and which were given,
at the time of their publication here, sig
nifcance in connection with the disap-
pearance of DR.. Cronin. Brennan ex-
plains that the leaders on the other side
had learned of the attempt of the Times
people to bring a witness from
this side, and that he was to
sail soor and Davitt wired Brennan and
Sullivan that money had been sent by the
Times people to Chicago and Pueblo and
asking them to consult Patrick Egan on the
subject. Soon after, another message
came from Davitt, announcing that Sheri-
dan was the man and Brennan says they
then felt at ease as they knew Sheridan
and were confident of his integrity. This
is an explanation of the mysterious tela-
grams.