THE LATEST SENTATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1568, 26 May 1887, Page 2

THE LATEST SENTATION.

(Received May 25, 2.30 p.m.) Adelaide, May 24. The following is a summary of news per Austral.

London, April 22. By far the most startling event of the. week has been the publication m the " Times " of a fac simile of a letter purporting to have been written by Mr Parnell to Patrick Egan, excusing his public condemnation of the PHcenix Park murderers. It is dated 15th May, 1882, and runs thus : —

"Dear Sir,— l am not surprised at your friend's anger, but he and you should have known that to denounce the murderers was the only course open to us. To do that promptly was plainly the best policy ; but you oan tell him and others concerned tbat though I regret the aocident of Lord Cavendish's death, I cannot refuse to admit that Bourke got no more than his deserts. You are at liberty to show him this and others whom you can trust, but let not my address be known. He oan write to the House of Commons.— Yours very truly, Charles S. Parnell."

■ The body of the letter is written m a small round hand, but " Yours very truly " and the signature is m ParnelPs own hand. The publication of the letter caused tremendous excitement throughout the United Kingdom. In Parliament Mr Balfour alluded to the absence of comment by Mr Gladstone on the charges against Mr Parnell, and challenged the latter to disprove that he was the author of the letter published by the "Times." Mr Parnell complained that he was not allowed to intervene before Mr Balfour, to contradict the villainous and barefaced forgery by which the "Times" attempted to blacken his character. It was obviously perpetrated, he asserted, for the purpose of influencing the division. When the letter was brought under his notice he saw at once that it was an unblushing forgery, and except as regards the letter's signature.it m no way resembled his writing. He denied that he had ever heard of the letter, directed it to be written, or ever seen it. He indignantly disclaimed all knowledge of the Invihcibles' conspiracy. . Replying to Lord Hartington he repudiated altogether the charge m connection with the secret societies, and asserted that all his political proceedings had been above board.

(Received May 26, 1.5 p m.)

Meibou rne, May £G "Argus" to-day reproduces a fac simile of the letter purporting to have been written by Mr Parnell regarding the Phcenix Park murders.