Mr Rhodes’s Gift to the Irish Leader.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 466, 26 April 1890, Page 3

Mr Rhodes’s Gift to the Irish Leader.

IN; the; sketch of Mr Parnell given in this month’s ‘ Review of Reviews,’ Mr Stead throws some light on Mr Rhodes’s gift of £IO,OOO to the Irish leader. vVhon the money was offered, Mr Parnell said it would be better to postpone the gift until he had cleared himself of the charges in the * Times.’ Mr Rhodes declared he was satisfied if Mr Parnell said he had not written the letters. To this Mr Parnell replied, ‘ Not only did I not write the letters, but have a very shrewd idea who did. lam accumulating evidence, and in time, when I have completed all the links, I will prove the forgeries in open court. Till then it will be better for you to keep the money.’ Mr Rhodes showed, however, that he was fully satisfied by insisting on Mr Parnell taking the money. Mr Stead also recalls a conversation with Mr Parnell when the forged letters appeared. ‘I would prosecute the “Times,”’ said, he, ‘without ‘hesitation if I were quite sure I could bring the real forger to book. But what vfebey will Moi.if. I prosecute or •bring the 1 matter intp court will be to rake up every "outrage that has taken, place 1 in Ireland for* the last ten years,,in-order to cover the floor of the-court.-with a .bloody puddle, in which they may bemire the Rome Rule cause. That is.not a disadvantage to be lightly incurred.’ Inquisitive Citizen : * What’s the matter with the man ? ’ * Been run over by a railway train ? ’ Ambulance Surgeon: ‘ VVorse than that. He was caught among the women in a bargain rush at Rag and Rem nant’s sale.’