The sun., 1902-01-12

and that the wiser course In the interests
Of Home Rule would he take local govern
mont first Events continued to move
rapidly. Gladstone and Parnell drew
nearer to each other, and at length made
combined attack upon the Tory Govern
ment Before the end Of January, 1885.
Lord Salisbury had resigned, and early in
February Mr.. Gladstone was Prime Minis
ter, and Charles Russell was Attorney
General for England. In 1888, after de-
clining Puisne Judgeship. he had said to
Mr. O'Brien: Il have no desire to be Judge.
My ambition Ia to be the first Catholic At
torney-G General since the Reformation.
Having accepted the Office, no had, OF
course, to seek reelection at Hackney, and
held his ground after a sharp contest. AT
the general election which followed the
dissolution of Parliament aftor the defeat
OF the first Home Rule bill on June 7, 1885,
Russell was again opposed at Hackney by
Mr. Darling, but managed to hold his seat
though, as a whole, the Liberals were
routed at the ballot box.
In the twelfth chapter OF this volume
the author comes to the great event In the
life Of Russell, the defence Of Parnell. 1t
London Ti,nes began the publication OF
series OF articles entitled 'Parnellism and
Crime These articles were written to
prove that the Parnell movement was
revolutionary movement, stained by crime,
and designed TO overthrow British author
ity In Ireland. In April the Times went
step further. and published facsimile
letter purporting TO bear Parnelrs sigma
ture, In which the murder OF Lord Fred
erick Cavendish and Mr.. Burke was ex-
cused. The publication Of this letter made
great stir, and 1t was widely felt that a
serious blow had been struck at the prestige
Of the Irish leader. He alone treated tho
matter with sang froid, simply declaring in
the House Of Commons that the letter was
forgery. and taking no further trouble
about the business. The subject was for
the moment allowed to drop, though. mean
while, the Times went on publishing Par
nellism and Crime Twelve months later
tho question was revived, owing to tho
suit brought by Mr.. +. H. O'Donnell. an
ex-M.P.. who felt himself aggrieved by
certain statements In the -Parnellism
and Crime articles. The Times pleaded
that nothing in the articles pointed to
Mr.. O'Donnell. and the jury took the same
view Of the case. In the conduct OF the
suit, however, the counsel for tho Times
Sir Richard Webster, then Attorney Cen
eral, reiterated the charges levelled at
Parnell, and the old discussion about
the authenticity Of the facsimile letter
was reopened. Parnell now asked for
the appointment Of a select committee
Of the House Of Commons to inquire
whether the facsimile letter was forgery.
The Salisbury Government refused this
request, but promised instead TO appoint
a special commission. composed Of three
Judges, to investigate all the charges made
by tho Tines.
The commission having been appointed,
Russell returned the general retainer which
he had held for the Times, and appeared
before the special tribunal on Oct. ~, 1888,
as leading counsel for Parnel. Days,
weeks, months passed. and the commits
sion went on. The evidence Of the Times
was directed mainly to two points: TO prove
that crime dogged the footsteps OF the
Land League, and that the Irish Parlia-
mentary party was In alliance with the
Fenian organization. The whole investiga-
tion had begun to pail upon the public
mind, and everybody was asking when
shall we get to the letter. The Irish
members said from the outset that the
letter had been forged 10y Richard Pigott
the same Richard Pigott who had beon
clerk In the Uisterman Office In Russell's 8
Belfast DAYS, and had now. after
career Of I'll luck and III fame. sunk to the
lowest depths OF misery and despair. In
February, 1880. IL was known that the
Times had bought the letter from MIR
Houston. the Secretary OF the Irish Loyal
and Patriotic Union. and that Mr.. Houston
had bought It from Pigo;t. But how did
Pigott come by it9 That was the question
Of the hour. and people looked forward
10 the day when Pigott should 60 into the
boz TO tell his story. and when Sir Charles
Russell would rise 10 cross-eNamine him.
On Wednesday. Feb. 20. 1889, Pigott went
into the box He looked well and pug
nacious We are told that any person
unaware Of the flaws in his character would
have regarded him a. a staying man and
a respectable witness. He gave his evi-
denoe clearly and calmly and. at the con
cluzlon Of tho first day's eIAinInatlon-in-
chief. left tho boz with a self-satisfcd
expression On Thursday morning be-
re,uned looking radiant and confidently
surveyed the court Before the adjourn
ment for luncheon the .taminAtion-i IN -
chief CLOSED Pisoit's evidence, ~ far a.
tho letter Was oonocrned. amounted 20
this Ho had he.n employed by the lrlfh
Loyal AMI Patriotic Union 20 hunt NJ docu.
nl.nts which might ncriminate Pane.
and hs had bought th' facsimile lsttsf
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