LADY FLORENCE DIXIE.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4480, 15 May 1883, Page 2

LADY FLORENCE DIXIE.

Some short time before the fit of dementia came over this scion of the house of Queensbury, which has made her the laughing stock of Europe, she wrote to the London Times, miking some very carious assertions atnut the balances that should remain from the several funds collected for v lrish purpises during the last year ■or two. A.ud here it may-be siid-.that the pe.jplo who are most anxious to know how these" funds were expended, are those who never gave a penny towards them. It is sufficient for those persons to. know th-it no Land League Fund went to atrl >lr Girey in his policy of assassination. iVlau'y pjople say ihat'a portion of these ■ I'un. U was so employed. L t them say s:i. A<i untruth dot's not become otherwise by c instant repetition. Lady Florence, early .in 1881, struck up an acquaintance with Mr Richard Pigott, who bad been " boycotted," he asserts, by the Land League. Mr Pigott was the late proprietor of the Irishman, and Fla& of Ireland. He has for some years past been at feud with. Mr Egan, the late Treasurer of the Land League, and it has been through Mr Egan's representation mainly, if not alone, that the outcry of misappropriating funds arose. In April, 1881, Mr Pj'jJQtt wrote to Mr Egan, stating that the Castle autaori ties in Dublin had offered him £500 to publish a statement in the Irishman that the Land League had misappropriated ki funds. He told Mr Egan he wanted moritey very badly, and threatened to do what the Castle people wanted done, unless Mr''Egan sent him £300 hush money. The demand being spurned, he entered into an arrangement with Lady Florence Dixie to write a pamphlet for publication with her name as the writer attached to it. It is very doubtful whether any offer from the Castle was made to Mr Piggott. The pamphlet was " act up " and a few copies printed, but Lady Florence became so frightened at the serious charges it contained, that she "refused to stand sponsor for Mr Piggott's bantling. Theformes were broken up, and only a few pamphlets preserved. The information given to her ladyship by Mr Pigott is that she has beeu constantly retailing. All the statements made by her are Mr Pigott's statements. It is sufficient to say about her misappropriation financial fancies, that the Land League accounts have been audited by the Her. Father Sheehy, Messrs John Dillon and Matthew Harris. Only a craving for notoriety could hare made this foolish woman become connected*with Mr Pigott, or have meddled with the exciting theme of Irish politics. She should have confined her attention to affairs in Zululand.