THE PARNELL CASE

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2545, 1 November 1888, Page 2

THE PARNELL CASE

[BY ELECTRIC TKLEUKAPII.— COPYItIGKT. | London, October 22. Sir R. E. WEusxjcn, Q. 0., has opened the case for the Times before the Parnell Commission. He promised the amplest evidence as to the general charges. Ho alleged that the expenses of Mr Parnell's American tour were paid by the League, and that numerous murders followed tho inciting speeches of Parnellites. Parnell's "No Rent Manifesto " was prompted by Ford and Egan. The Central League paid for carrying out boycotting. Egan's letter to Carey was found in the latter's house. Tho Times had purchased the Pavnell letters after the fullest test as to their authorship and genuineness. October 24. Sir R. Webster charged Parnell and his friends with approving a system of terrorism which absolutely necessitated murder. Parnell clearly was aware that Sheridan promoted outrages, while Egan supplied the fuuds and threatened to resign if the League's funds were devoted to the discovery of the Phoenix Park murderers. His clients were willing to disclose the source from which they received the letters if released from the pledge of secresy which had been given. One of the duties before the Commission was to elicit what had become of the missing books of the League. The money subscribed in America in aid of the Land League was withheld until Davitt could induce Parnell to approve of the violent irogramme drawn up. He produced the original of the famous letters, and proposed to call a witness to prove Parnell's repugnance to sign the manifesto condemming the Phoenix Park murders. He was in possession of certain documents supplied to a clerk, employed in the central o'fice of the National League, which would prove that the outrages were paid for, and that Mr Forster's name was mentioned. Sir R. Webster, in conclusion, stated that he intended to call persons convicted of the perpetration of outrages in Ireland, as witnesses before the Commission. Altogether, there are four hundred witnesses to be examined. The Pall Mall Gazette declares that the documents in the possession of the Attorney-General came from different sources, and that, whilst partly genuine, they are partly bogus productions. The Parnell defence fund amounts to £11,000. Proceedings have been opened in the action Parnell v. The Times, in the Court of Session, Edinburgh.