The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-10-25

tho Handling of the Funds vindi-
Gated by che Great Irish Leaders.
Their Confidence in Him Nc
veagh's Demagogy Shown Up.
New YORK, Oct. 24.-sIinister Patrick
Egan has made his reply to the speech
of Wayne MacVcagh in this city, which
reflected on the character and official
fitness of Mr.. Egan.
The reply is in the form OF an open
letter, addressed to Mr.. MacVeaGh,
which he placed in the hands Of the
press bureau of the national Republi-
can committee.
The statement that Mr.. Egan would
make reply to Mr.. MacVeaSh'sspeech
had the effect of drawing from Mr.. Mac
veagh an open letter to Mr.. Egan of
rather caustic nature, which was pub
lished to-day. In his letter Mr.. Egan
says in part:
GILsEY HOUSE, NEw YoRK, /
Oct. 81, 1892. !
Mr. Wayne Nde VsaOh, Philadelphia.
Sm:-I perceive by the daily press
that at meeting held in Cooper Union,
under tho auspices OF the Democratic
club OF New York, you, renegade from
your people and your creed, attempt to
palliate your apostacy by undertaking
TO do that which the London Times with
its battalion OF testimony, chief among
which was the notorious Pigott, failed to
accomplish-besmirCh my good name.
With the adroitness OF police court
pettifogger you, under the pretext OF
referring to something that somebody
else said, assail me: first, as "swind-
Ter" who "iailed to account for very
large trust fund placed in his CHARGE"
second, you say 'it was we'll known at
Washington when he was appointed
what the charges were. and that he had
fled the country TO avoid arrest and
trial on very serious criminal charge;"
third, you describe me as "a sham pa
triot and fugitive from criminal JUS
tice," to which you are pleased to add
that you were greatly surprised and
disgusted to find such a man selected to
represent the country in high diplc-
matte post" .
| am convinced that in the entire
ranks OF the Republican party there
could not be found single man who
would make upon the character Of any
Irish-American SO wanton, foul and un-
founded an attack as you have
made upon me, but if such one could
be found and he should, under similar
circumstances, assail in like manner, in
my presence. any gentleman have
named, i will simply say that there
would not be in New York City any hall
sufficiently large to contain him and me.
l would publicly bring him to order and
either he or 1 should leave the build
ing. ="
In my entire connection with Irish
affairs there was not one single act that
| would take back, not one that have
to apologize for. For the information
of my American friends who may not
be du Courant with the matters to
which your slanderous attacks refer, l
will say, first, the "very large trust
fund" that you mention, and in con-
nection with which you dare to apply
to me the term 'swindler," was the
Land League fund, which amounted to
one and a quarter million of dollars, Of
which from 1879 to the end Of 1882, l
had the distinction Of being the treas
urer. Upon resigning the position and
turning over to my successor the bal
ance OF the funds, the auditors, Mr..
John Dillon, NJ. p, Rev. Eugene Shee-
hey and Mr.. Marhu Harris, NJ. p, in
their Joint report, after stating particu-
lars OF the accounts, said: ave certify
that every item of said expenditure has
been fully and satisfactorily vouched,
and We have the pleasure in bearing
testimony to the systematic and strictly
businessiike manner in which the ac-
counts and record Of said fund have
been kept by Mr.. Egan."
In addition to tho balance of princi-
pal turned over to my successors the
sum OF four thousand, four hundred
pounds and fifteen shillings sterling,
about twcnty-three thousand dollars.
which l had realized rs interest and
profits on investments, while giving
my whole time for two years Gratui-
tously to the league.
Second-There never was a formal
charge made or awarrant issued against
me. Those "criminal charges" were
fully Investigated by the Parnell- Times
commission in 1SSS-S9 with the re-
suit Piggott confessed to the forgeries
and committed suicide; an accomplice
OF his the next day when he learned Of
tho fate OF his princial, dropped dead
in the streets Of London, the attorney
general and Sir Richard Webster, as
leading counsel for the Times, on the
9th OF February, 1850, withdrew and
apologized for the forgeres, and the
Times, next day, in the course OF q
leading article, apologizcd for their
publications.
The London Times lost by this entire
transaction, i'll damages and costs, the
enormous sum OF two hundred and six
teen thousand pounds sterling (S2, ,100,-
OO0). Three months aiterward Mac
Donald, the principal of the Times
syndicate, died from worrying, and for
aa.t 4 ii