The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-17
HENRY LABOUCHERE, A
GREAT PERSONALITY OF
THE VICTORIAN AGE

49, ~ lttlNlN tAS ~
! only five pounds. He gave that for
the design on the cover. The pa
per paid from its first number and
quickly made a great deal of money.
King Edward, when Prince of Wales,
was very friendly with Mr.. Labou-
chere and occasionally used the col
umr2 of Truth for suggestions or
semi-oflicial announcements that he
wished to make. For time the
royal favor was withdrawn, but the
Prince asked Sir George Lewis to ar
range a meeting with Mr.. Labouchere,
and then assured him of his good will
Nothing you write need make any
difference to our personal relations"
his Royal Richness said. Mr.. La
bouchere never forgot this gracious,
kindly act.
He wrote a great deal himself, and
he gathred round him some very
clever men, to whom he gave an ex-
ceptionally free hand. Thus when he
was joined by "Marmaduke" (whose
witty column is still feature looked
for every week. he agreed to let him
write from the Tory standpoint in
Radical paper, and never once inter-
fered with him. He made the paper
n success by consistently opposing
current views, and by taking up griev-
ances. The number of impostors it
has exposed must run tn many hun
dreds, ranging from quacks who rob
the public on large scale to petty
rascals who live on the subscriptions
of the charitable
Naturally he had to defend a great
many actions for libel. But the care
he took to investigate before attacking
was proved by his almost invariably
winning them.
Happy Old Age.
In London he made his home in
many spots, finally in Old Palace-yard,
to which he became greatly attached.
He was very fond, too, of his famous
house, Pope's Villa, at Twickenham.
But he chose to end his days on for
eign soil. His only daughter, Dora,
a charming and clever girl, to whom
he was absolutely devoted, married
some years ago to the Marquis Carlo
di Rudini, and to be near her he set
tied in Florence Here his wife, for
merly Miss Henrietta Hodson, an act
ress of distinction, died in 1910. His
old age YVES happy one. His mind
was keen, he had troops of devoted
friends, he could look back upon
singularly full, interesting, and sue
cessful life.
His final epitaph will be written
when the social history of his age
comes ID be published. But it can be
said of him now, without fear of con-
tradiction by pcsterity, that, whatever
his failings, he did good service and
merited the respect he eventually won,
by his fearless championship Of sin
cerity and honesty, by his untiring
energy in showing up fraud and sham.
Unmasking of Pigott.
Mr.. Labouchere played an important
part in the exposure of the Pigott
forgeries at the time of the Parnell
Commission.
Mr. Barry O'Brien in his Life of
Parnell' tells the story as follows:
can agent employed by Mr.. Labou-
chere called on Pigott at Kingstown.
Would he, so the agent asked, come
to London to meet a man from Amer
lea who wished to see him on i'm
portant business? The meeting could
take place at Mr.. Labouchere,s. Pigott
fell into the trap, On October 25,
C1SSS) he called at Mr.. Laboucheres S,
to find himself confronted with Par
nell.
"Parnell and Mr.. Labouchere charg-
ed him point-blank with forgery He
said the accusation was false. Then
Mr.. Cthe late Sir George) Lewis enter
ed the room. Parnell and Mr.. Labou-
chere withdrew, and the lawyer and
the journalist were let alone. 'Pigott,
said Mr.. Lewis, you have forged these
letters; we have abundant proof, we
want no help from you. It is a ques-
ton for yourself What will you
do?"
After a show of fight Pigott col
lapsed and admitted his guilt. 1t was
arranged that he should see Mr.. Le-
wis next day and make a clean breast
of everything in writing"
On second thoughts, however Pigott
changed his mind, determined to
brave it out" Ultimately, however
Pigott called of his own accord on Mr.
Labouchere; saying he desired to make
a full confession. Mr.. Labouchere
sent for George Augustus Sala who