Widnes Examiner. — 1889-03-09 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

THE SUICIDE OF PIGOTT.  It has been placed absolutely beyond doubt that the man who committed suicide in the Hotel Embajadnres, Madrid, was Richard Pigott. Pigott arrived at Madrid feint Paris on Thursday forenoon, and wee secured at the railway station by an interpreter tout in the service of the Hotel Esubatadorea and by him taken to that lintel. He carried only a small handle.. but he was very well dressed, and to the hotel nivel., seemed a well-to-do treveder of the ordinary British tourist type. His appearance, in fart. warranted the hotel clerk assigning him one of Ate hest rooms in the house, and Pigott made hininelf an learn as though he had always been usol to the best acrommedintion. Ile arranged with the interpreter to attend upon him , dining his stay, as he explained he did not speak Spanish, and he knew little French. After taking re- i frisitnvnta. Pigntt said he wanted to telegraph to , tendon, and at his request the interpreter showed hien • the way to the telegraph office. There in the interpriaer's prenmen he wrote out a telegram which the police have sine. ascertained IVIAR addrenned to "Shea. non. Mi. Inn Fields, London,- and asked for something prireini Inn he sent to him. After despatching this telegram Pigott seemed quite happy, and with the interpreter visited the museum, the cathedral church of San Isidro and other rights of the city, and strolled round the Puerto del Sol. He dined well at the hotel in the evenine, and retired to bed at an early hour, after making inquiries whether a teleerate had arrived for him. Alronst the first thing Pigott did when he went down in the meriting won to sok whether the expected telegram had arrived, and he vented worried at again receiving a reply in the negative. He moved about in an :Li mires. restlesa kind if risc. and his evident anxiety at length began to attract ialention, which is a had thing for a atoms,. in Spain. The hetet people gave information to the pollee reverting their restless Rue,t, red the police received a telegram from London Ovine Pirett'il description and slating that he was in Madrid. Fly four o'clock nn Friday afternoon the detectives had ran their fox to earth. At ballpast trey police officers arrived at the hotel, and after queetionine the interpreter satisfied themselves that Pleott was the man they wanted. Mr. Roland Parisonby, alias Pigott, was in his bedroom on the trot floor, and the scared interpreter and the police officer in 'hart. proceeded. The interpreter topped at the floor, and vas 'old to come in. Tie entered the room and told Pigott hat a police immecter wanted to speak to him. Pigott turned deathly pale, and for a °lenient seemed In loose his nerve completely. But he von pulled himself together, and ealinla told the interpreter that " It wax all right Ile would are the gentleman." At this moment the inspect, entered the room, and Pigott, inutferine witnethilie al sii e his limeade. ...peed back a Pare or tarn and tmened the linndhag, which lay upon a cheir. The inspector then areing•l to divine Pigott's object, and serene forward to seize him. It was too late. Pientt had a hig revolver in his hand, pietist] the muzzle against his mouth, drew the trigger, and fell to the ground a horribly mutilated corpse. Soon afterwarrla the chief of police, to whom iniormation of the nnicidethad been sent he special mesteneera arrived at the hotel. and in the presence of the oval judicial officials F4/1/8 were 'twee] upon the dead n.n'a Thew wens few in newton. and nf little value, In ilre bag were found two or three shirts and some socks. all quire new. There were in the poeketn of the clothes which he wan wearing whim he committed suicide, and which, in fact, were all Is. enuentsett in the war of wearing apparel, a number of note-books, cheque-bet., and received letters, red other odds and ends were found in the various pockets. In the pocket of the overcoat was found an official-looking document, which on investieittion proved to be a police license, dated Dublin. and authorisine Richard Pigott, journalist, to carry a revoli yen. A letter war found in the hand-bag. addressed In Mr. Henry •Labouehere, M.P. The envelope was clonely sealed. and ready to be put Into the post. This epistle. probably the Hat written by the forgerbi hand. rem.. • in substance the confession of guilt fillkfie by Pigott lo • Mr. Labonehere in the presence of Mr. Kiht. Pigott often referred to bin •meetinea and ronvervitions with Mr. Labouchere. lie says say that the first bateh of letters which I sold to The Times Were genuine. The screed lot, however, contained several forged letters. Among the letters in this batch which I forged were two attributed to Mr. Parnell. one purporting to be written by Michael Devitt, one bar Mr. Jas. F. (Melly, at.P.,and one by Mr. Patrick Egan." After furtive reference to the forgeries Pigott wrote I do asatire you 'lint I in, deeply vrry for all the wrong than I have roomed Mr. Parnell sad others. and I am ready to place in your hands the means of repairing that wrong. and 1,10 all in my maser to mend matters. All that I have hitherto said is false. hut what I have written under oath is true." A second letter signed by Finale. and else addressed to Labourhere. was found in the pocket of the undenmat. It is dated Monday last, anti wan evidently written in London, prohahly with the intention of poetine it on the journey. Pigott's note-book has been, of enure., also impounded tiv the magistrate who haa charge of the cares That courteren functionary is very niyaterinus ever thin nntabook, sod will say nothing except that "the notes are very interesting and numeroun." ' ' _  It es characteristic of Pigott that before be died he made an attemnt to obtain money in Mailtid. On Friday incoming Cr. went to one of the bunko here and presented a cheque for a considerable sun, drawn in the name of Roland Pensonby upon the Dublin branch of the Ulster Hank. The cheque looked nice enough. but the bank ifiloials refused to give cash for it on the ground that or. Ponmnby was quite unknown to them, and as Mr. "onsimby by his own admission was totally without irienda or acquaintances in Madrid, he had to leave the lank no richer than when he entered it.