Old Memories.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 4, 25 April 1914, Page 5

Old Memories.

THE LETTERS OF PARNELL AN INTERESTING WORK. [Bt Electric Telegraph—Copyright] [United Press Association.? Loudon, April 23. Mrs Parnell is publishing the letters of Parnell in the middle of May. They will include the history of the O’Shea divorce, Parnell’s love letters to Mrs O’Shea, and political revelations, including Mr Parnell’s draft of an Irish Constitution with Mi' Gladstone’s comments. Mrs Katherine O’Shea acted as Parnell’s go-between in the negotiations between Messrs Gladstone and Chamberlain. [Mr Parnell was the co-respondent in the O’Shea divorce case in 1890, hut did not appear in court to answer the charges. The adverse verdict caused a revulsion of popular feeling against him, and ho had to retire from the leadership of the Nationalist Party. Ho married Mrs O’Shea, and died rather suddenly in 1891. The question of the divorce case was raised again a few months ago by a letter from Mr William O’Brien, in which he quoted Mr Parnell as having said, in January, 1890, in reference to the case: “If the case is fully gone into it will show discredit and dishonour, not on my side.” The letter stated that Mr Parnell subsequently told Mr O’Brien that the whole complexion of the affair would have been altered had ho given evidence concerning O’Shea. Ho had pressed upon Sir Francis Lockwood, K.C., Mrs O’Shea’s counsel, that he should have examined her, and almost came to blows with Sir Francis Lockwood regarding the point. Sir Francis many years afterwards, told Mr O’Brien that lie was afraid Parnell had been badly treated. He had addU ed : “I have some remorse myself.” Mr Gerald O’Shea, son of Mrs Parnell by her first marriage, replied in a letter stating that he was hastening the publication of Mr Parnell’s letters, in order to refute the allegations of Mr O’Brien.]