Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-10-25
WHEELING W. VA TUESDAY MORNING. OCTOBER % 1892

the hostile press based upon the Pigott
forgeries Those sscriminal charges" were
fuliv investigated by the Parnell-ItneS
Commission in 1SSS-S9 with the result tnat
Pigott confessed TO the forgeries and COM
mitted suicide; an accompllce OF MS
the next day when he learned OF
the fate of his principal, dropped
dead in the streets OF London, the Attorney
General and Sir Richard Weoster, as Ieau
ing counsel for the Times, on the Stn Oh
February. 1889, withdrew ana apologlzeo
for the forgeries, and that the Times next
day, in the course OF leadlng arIcle'
apologiZed for their puoncaI0n III tne .1t p
LOWING terms: 'sMr. Parnell having IN the
witness box stated that the letters attrlo-
uted to him were forgeries, we accept In
every respect the truth Of that statement.
In these circumstances we deem II rlgnt 70
exnress orr regret most fully and sincere
lv that having been induced to publish the
letters in question as Mr.. Parnelrs, or TO
use them in evidence against him. Tnls
expression of regret we need nardly say,
includes also the letters falsely attrlonteo
to Mr.. Egan, Mr.. Dayltt ana MI Ohei-
ley"
The London Times lost by this entire
transaction. in damages and costs, the
enormous sum of 92l6,0O0 sterling (Sl, lOO,-
OOO). Three months afterward MacDon-
aid the principal of the Times syndicate,
died from worrying, and for two years
"the thunderer'' paid no dividend 10 us
stockholders.
Third: With regard to being "a shamo-
cratu and Fugitive from criminal JUS
tice" l am full content to leave the nrst
part of the Judgment of my Irish American
fellow citizens and TO the secend part L
plead guilty. Yes, l was at one tlme
fugitive from criminal justice" In the
same way precisely as were mos AaaIs
Emmett, Richard MacNevin, Richard o.
German, Thos. Francis Meagher, John
Mitchell and so many others and am
sincerely proud Of having been so.
1t will doubtless be news TO you TO learn
that very soon after my arrival In tnls
country tas a fugitive from criminal JUS
ticen | was elected, at a convention held In
Fanuel Hall, Boston, TO the honorable po-
sition of President Of the Irish National
League of America, which organization,
during nv term Of two years, sent TO Ire
land the sum of $780, GOO, and that from Ire
land there was forwarded TO me to the
United States. in 1883, presentation or
costly service of silver, accompanied by
flattering address signed by Chas. Stewart
Parnell, Justin Mccarthy, Michael Davltt,
John Dillon, w. A. O'Brien, and by all the
other leaders of the Irish National party,
and all this, too, after 'had fled the coun-
try to avoid arrest and trial on very
serious chaIge,n and had failed to ac-
count for very large trust fund placed In
my charge
In contradistinction to those mugwump
opinions of youss, which were reported to
have been so loudly cheered by the Demo-
Gratis at Cooper Union, permit me In con-
clusion to quote for yau the sentiments ex-
pressed by President Harrison upon the
Irish love of native land which you con-
slider such a grave offense against 'crimi-
nal malice.n In addressing u delegation OF
Irish Americans, he said:
You are Americans-lrishA Americans
and though you have given the concen-
trated energy of your honest hearts to the
starry flag and your adopted country. you
have not forgotten, and you onght
not to forget to love and ven
crate the land of your nativity.
If YOU could forget Ireland, if you could be
uninoved by her splendid oratory, unsym-
pathetic with her heroes and martyrs,
should fear that the bond of your new
citizenship would have no power over
hearts so cold and scensciences 80 dead.
What if sprig of green was found upon
the bloody Jacket of Union soldier who
Law dead on Mission Ridgea The flag he
died for was his flag and the green was
only a.memory and aainspiration."
Your obedient servant,
PATRIC EGAN."