Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-02
A CONSPIRACY ALLEGED.
DIR. McCahey Says That Davitt Has Been
Plotting Parnell's Ruin.

DIR. McCahey Says That Davitt Has Been
Plotting Parnell's Ruin.
DR.. Peter McCahey, the Irish agitator, in an
interview in Philadelphia declared that a con-
spiracy, led by Michael Davitt, had been work.
ing for years to depose Parnell. He says:
''Nichael Davitt has been the most unscrupu-
lOus member of it, as well as its apparent
leader. One Of his first moves to embarrass
Parnell was when he formed the Irish Demo-
cratic Labor Federation, an organization with
practically the same platform as the Irish
National League, but having Michael Davitt for
its leader. Another move, which was almost
disastrous in its consequence, was when he
went before the special commission appointed
to try Parnell and others and asked that he be
placed with them as a co-defendant. His re-
quest was cheerfully granted, and the result
was that Parnell and his colleagues became
aIpenable to the commission for all Of Davitt's
HIS MOST SERIOUS oFFENsE.
The most serious Of Davitts offenses, and
for which he must answer to the bar of public
opinion. were his Proclamation of the sessions
OF the special commission until after the muir
der OF DR.. Cronin was perpetrated and his
secret alteration of the London Times cipher
cablegrams and repeating them to the United
States to assist the Cronin murder conspiracy"
advice Mr.. Parnell went back into court after
Piggott broke down in his testimony and thus
gave the Times one year more to buy bogus
testimony against Parnell. 1t also gave the
Cronin conspirators the time that they needed
for renting the cottage and making the neces-
sary preparations to cover their tracks. con-
tinued the doctor. SIT enabled them to divert
the search for the body Of their victim by
pointing to the commission then in session in
London 1t was absolutely necessary for the
success of the murder that the life Of the COM
mission should be prolonged for months.
Michael Davitt is one Of the men responsible
for its prolongation."
THE cEoNIN MURDER.
The doctor told of the efforts Of the agents
Of the Ta'aes to induce Sheridan to assist in
prolonging the sessions and of their failure at
first Then negotiations were reopened, and
several long cabiegrams passed between the
agent and Solicitor Soames in London.
while Sheridan was thus filling the Times
with hope, the doctor went on, ''the Cronin
conspiracy was being carefully matured. and
on May 4 the murder was committed. Thirty
TIVE hours later an unsigned message was re-
ceiyed from Paris by Alexander Sullivan"
The dispatch referred to was long and OBJ
scure, land" continued the doctor, IAN exam
nation Of the message will show that the per-
son who sent it was in possession OF the agents
cablegrans in regard to the terms for Sheri-
dams testimony. The sender Of the Paris
capieSram not only aitefeu tne IWsPS dispatch
to cover up murder, but withheld the original
from the Irish party until too late for an in
quiry to be made about it before the commits
sion. He was, therefore, not only an accom-
plice in the Crpnin conspiracy, but also the
player OF treacherous part in trial in which
Parnell and the Irish parliamentary party had
to contend against fearful odds.
According to Thomas Brennan, who GER
tainly ought to know, the sender of the Paris
cablegram of May 6, 1889, was Michael Davitt
A few weeks later Davitt made desperate eff
fort to commit Parnell to public Endorsement
of Sullivan and even went 30 far as to tell a
New York World representative that 'Parnell
and all of US have the utmost confidence in Mr..
Sulliyan's innocence On the following day
Da,itt was compelled to state in the
same journal that i spoke for myself
alone"