The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-09-15
(London Daily News.)

In the memorable trial which began
on Oct. %, 1888, and came to an end on
Nov. %, 1889, there were many scenes
which those who witnessed them will
never forget. In these scenes the chief
personages were Sir Charles Russell, as
he then was. and Richard Pigott, the
forger and Houston. Pigott's employer
and dupe and LIE Caron-that strange
sinister figure, the ableSt by far of the
witnesses for the Times. One remem-
bers those scenes, not merely for their
dramatic interest of the moment. but
also for their revelation of the MANY
sided character of the great advocate
who shattered the fabric of lies labor
iously built up as an obstacle against
the effort of English Liberalism in the
cause of Ireland. OF all those scenes
the most stirring was, of course, Rus
sells SS-eXaminatIon of Pigott,
which began on Feb 81, 1889 During
| the whole of the preceding day and the
first few hours of the 21st Sir Charles
Russell had been making his last prep
aratfons for his onslaught. He had
turned Houston inside out so to speak
And he had been quietly taking stock
of Richard Pigott during the forger's
long-winded, plausible story to Sir
Richard Webster. Who can forget his
treatment of the prin. priggish, COM
posed, bandboxical Houston? Com
posed, l mean. until Mr.. Houston be-
came demoralized by the merriment
caused by his own admissions in an
swer to abrupt little questions deliV-
cred in a sort of confidential undertone.
curiously at variance with the sudden,
searching gaze that accompanied them.
After eleven years I can see Mr.. Hous-
ton. in the flesh as it were coming mis-
erably to grief in that cross-emaina-
ton about the black bag in which Pr
gott and his alleged confederates
brought the Parnell letters to their
purchaser in the Hotel des Deux Mon
des, Avenue de rOpera, Paris. I can
hear the laughter in the densely packed
court promptly suppressed by the ush-
er-While Mr.. Houston told how he
waited upstairs" while the bargaining
for the letters was going on down
stairs" and how he refrained from
going downstairs" or seeing who was
there, or taking any part whatever in
the bargaining-"be said Mr.
Houston, Il wished to keep myself
aloof: l wanted to keep myself in ig-
norance of the source of the letters"
l can hear Sir Charles "aye"-''aye''-
aye, uttered at intervals quietly.
encouragingly as it were while the
smart Mr.. Houston was laying bare
his own extreme simplicity, or worse.
Sir Charles looked at the ceiling. Then
down again, in an absent-inmded sort
of way. He unpockets his snuffhox.
He taDs the lid. With his right thumb
he helps himself to pinch. You didn't
go downstairs?" he asks quite casual
ly. No" The snuffy brown handker
chief half way up to Sir Charles nose
stops. The keen eyes look Mr.. Hous-
toms through and through. MOP"
No" Laughter-and furious rebuke
in the ushers eyes,
At 80 on the following day Sir Rich
ard Webster's examination of Richard
Pigot came to an end. Almost before
Sir Richard sat him down Sir Charles
was up. The loud murmur of talk that
broke out after Pigott's evidence"
came to dead stop. You could hear
a pin fall as Russell and Pigott stood