The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-21
TALES TOLD Of PARNELL.
BY a Writer Who Was in Kilmain-
ham Jail With the Dead
Leader.
Pleasantries Incident to Receiving
New Prisoner in His
Apartments
Kesn Reiotuder That Discounted Baronet
Brucs-Mr. Kettle, Whose Namo Was
q Household Word.

A contributor to the New York Tribune
who was in Kilmainham jail with Mr.. Par
nell. writes of that period:
WELCOME to Jail, Mr.. W." said Mr.
Parnell with n smile on the first day OF m,
arrival, He was walking around the LITTLE
exercise ward a~rm-in-arm with John Dillon
s.This is scarcely an Irish reception, Mr.
Parnell," said l. a
"Weli,. said he deliberately and with the
Same quiet smile. II dare say that is so
Perhaps you think it is more like an Eng
lish reception"
ut certainly looks that way, SIR" said I
''Ah! But you must remember" he wen
on, that We are now technically at leas'
upon English soil" .
He looked up at the high walls who'll
shut out everything except the sky. He had
on a dressing gown, smoking cap and pair
of heavy slippers. It was in the early
morning and in the hrst days of November.
He shivsred 4 little. H..
''Do You feel oold?" he asked, and then,
without waiting to be answered, he turned
his face fully upon me and said with a puz-
zled air, in which the serious n the
humorous wore both blended, "How do you
like to be in jail?" .%
Really. Mr.. Parnell, " I replied, II would
much prefer to be out"
At this he made . motion as nearly ap-
preaching a laugh as any one ever saw him
come. LET N have a game of chess" he
said. The challenge was accepted, n be-
fore anybody had been cheekmated we had
to return to our cells at five O'Clock. to be
locked up for the night. He was not more
than an average player. but he was SO de-
liberate and methodical that, unless you
we're cautious, he would wear out and in the
long run ovsrwhelm a more accomplished
player by his exasperating p~ertinacity and
GOODNESS.
Men and women, admirers alike, in all
parts of the country. showered him with
tokens Of regard while he was in prison.
His cell was already filled. The apart
ments of the governor were nearly filled,
too. He never could use all the dressing
gowns that were sent him. 1t was in a
dressing gown and a smoking Gap that he
usually appeared in the exercise yard. One
far-on county of Kerry. They we're
healthy, hearty, honest fellows, and every
one q farmer. They knew nothing of city
life or dress or ways. All they knew was
in their homes around tie Mangerton
mountains they had learned hat Ireland
was OuCo AuObC III SO4lAASv wiUA btAU1SA
tyranny. and they were willing to go to
Jail in that sacred cause. When Parnsll
appeared in the exercise yard. dressed a.
usual, one Of the Kerry men said to me:
"Whe is that hne, big MAJ with the bed
tick on himf"
"That is Mr.. Parnell,' - said I.
"God bless me sowl." said he. " do 70 tell
mo SOP Is that raylly Mr.. Parnill?'' and he
shaded his eyes with his hands and fol-
lowed every movement Of tho great Irish
man with an emotion 10 visible and intense
and 4 curiosity so penetrating as to leaye
no doubt that for him, in worldly affairs at
least, there was but one God and Parnell
was his prophet.
That simple peasants face was a study.
He drew a long breath, and as Parnell came
over and shook hands with him, he said,
in the simplest and hardest way: "Glory
BE- to God. isn't he a powerful fine man?"
If Parnell had not by this time disap-
peared, it is doubtful whether this honest
farmer in the very excess of his gratitude
would not have called down 4 blessing on
'Buckshot' Forster for having given him
q chance to shake hands with the uncrowned
king .,x,v ..,. ,on .r,e...a,w h..,, %.
oomer.
For telling the truth, Mr.. Parnell." was
Afterward Mr.. Parnsell gave that man an
opportunity to tell the truth in the house of
commons and he is to-day one of the ablest
Westminster.
In the early days of the party Parnell's
most intimate associate and friend was
"Joe' Biggar. In fact, Biggar and Parnsll
were the Irish parliamentary party then.
Joe" himself got into trouble with a wo-
man, but it did not by any means end his
usefulness, He trouble was as defendant
in a charge of breach of promise.
Once in the house of commons Parnell
Frustrated Sir Hervey Bruce by a outing re-
joinder. 1t completely knocked ont the bar
onet, who took his seat amid derisive shouts
Sir Hervey was an Irish tory landlord and
the newly established land courts has re-
duced his rents a great deal. Parnell was
speaking and said something that the baron
thought disloyal.
81 move,' he said chat the words of the
honorable member be taken down"
Parnell, amid all sorts OF interruptions,
looked at the speaker of the house with
that air of stern and impressive GOODNESS
which SO we'll became him. II regard that
motion as of little consequences Mr..
Speaker" said he, ''and not at all to be
com Jared to the fate which has befallen
the honorable baronet. The rents of the
honorable baronet were taken down."
On another occasion, during a speech at
an election contest, his eye twinkled a little
when the crowd laughed. This was when
he referred to his friend A.. j. Kettle az "a
man whose name js a household word
throughout Ireland" Mr.. Kettle, not
withstandinQ, was beaten out OF his boots
by Mr.. Hammond, the anti Parnellite oan-
date, in the parliamentary election of Car
low.
Mr.. Parnell is said to have smiled during
the height of the commotion in Ireland last
year occasloned by the O'Shea divorce case,
He had seized the plant Of United Ireland,
whose editor, William O'Brien, was in this
country, and was ON his way from Dublin
O'Brien's birthplace, and a deputation APP
peared to present Parnell with an ad-
dress" Imagine his astonishment when
the spokesman began:
"We come here to tell you some whole
some truths. You did what even Balfour
never did. You ~evictor, how dare you break
in the -"
This address of welcome' was cut short,
the windows were shut down and tho train
swept out of the station amid a whirl of
blackthorn sticks and "groans and Kisses"
ns the reporters say. This Incident alone
VIZ show how high the excitement was in
ireland but one short year ago-and, indeed,
fer that matter, it is as high now.
In a speech at Galway once he nicknamed
w. l.. Forster, who was chief secretary for
Ireland, and the name stuck to Mr.. Forster,
namely, "Buckshot" Forster, until hs died.
The chief secretary ordered buckshot served
to policemen who attended e%victions, on the
ground that, though it would MAIN more
persons, it would kill less. Parnell re-
ferred to this order by utterinp the one
scathing sentence: This hynocritical hu-