THE PARNELL INQUIRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9264, 18 January 1889, Page 5

THE PARNELL INQUIRY.

INVINCIBLES IN THE WITNESS BOX.

EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE.

THE PHCENIX PARK MURDERS.

SANCTIONED BY THE LEAGUE. Press Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyright,

London, January 16. Patrick Delaney, a convict connected with the Phoenix Park murders, giving evidence before the Commission, swore that the Invincibles received enormous sums of money from the Land League, besides expensive arms. He was personally sworn to the murder of the Earl Spencer. Viceroy of Ireland, Lord Cavendish, and all obnoxious officials. Witness stated that during two fruitless attempts to murder Mr. W. E. Forster, and also during the Phcenix Park tragedy, his special orders were to shoot all intruders who might interfere with the assassins at their work. At another time he was ordered to murder Judge Lawson, who would have been killed if witness had not warned a detective. Frank Byrne told the murderers that they need not be afraid of having to stop work for the want of money.

Tynan was the real "Number 1." Witness took the oath to murder the Dublin Executive, and received orders to shoot Judge Lawson and Mr. Burke after Mr. Forster had been disposed of. It was arranged to shoot Mr. Forster in Brunswick-street on one occasion, but the plan failed in consequence of that gentleman proceeding to his home by another route. Molloy was deputed to murder Anderson, Crown Solicitor.

Witness stated that he was present when Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr Burke were murdered in Phoenix Park, but he did not assist in the murders beyond keeping watch. He confessed, and was sentenced to death by the Special Commission which tried the Phcenix Park murderers, but his sentence had since been commuted.

Evidence was yesterday adduced before the Times-Parnell Commission to show complicity of the Irish members in the Phoenix Park murders. Patrick Delaney stated that in 1879 he several times attended joint meetings of members of the Land League and the Fenian organisation, which were held at Dublin, and that Messrs. Michael Davitt, Parnell, Daniel Egan, Joseph Biggar, John Dillon, Brennan, and Harris were present on these occasions.

The witness named seventeen Invincibles, including Brennan, Egan, Sheridan, Tynan (the alleged mysterious No. 1), and Byrne, who were regarded as leaders of the Fenians, to which party witness afterwards belonged.

The Central Administration of the Fenian party issued orders that members of the organisation were not to oppose the wishes or decisions of the Land League.

Egan and Byrne supplied them with money at different times, the Fenians sometimes receiving as much as £400 at one time, and Mrs. Byrne pi-ovided them with the knives and revolvers intended to be used in the murder of Castle officials.

The plan of the murders was discussed by the Invincibles , Council, who ordered Joseph Brady and Timothy Kelly to shoot " Buckshot" Forster.

The witness Delaney on the oocasion of the Phoenix Park murders, was posted at a certain spot, with instructions to kill anyone crossing King's Bridge while the murder was proceeding.

Repeated efforts were made to kill Mr. Forster, who had several very narrow escapes ; but they all miscarried.

The Invincibles Council also gave orders to murder Mr. Burke, and others several times. The officials were "shadowed" with the view of carrying out this intention, but something turned up each time which caused the failure of the plans, until at last Sir Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke fell victims in Phoenix Park.

Immediately after the murders, a committee meeting of the Invincibles was held, at which Byrne produced hush-money, and more daggers and revolvers. Brady suggested at this meeting that the Dublin detectives should also be killed, but Byrne objected to this proposal, unless they had the authority of Egan. Byrne said he preferred that Earl Spencer should be killed.

The witness identified the handwriting of a number of the letters as that of Egan. Several of these letters show that Parnell was being consulted. In the course of his evidence before the Times-Parnell Commission, the witness Delaney said that he undertook to murder Judge Lawson, but hig movements exciting the attention of detectives who were protecting the Judge, he -was arrested and sentenced to ten years' penal servitude. The witness swore that Michael Davitt was on most intimate terms with Sheridan and Egan, with whom he had important relations. London, January 16. The Parnell Commission has accepted an apologetic statement from Mr. O'Brien, in reference to the disparaging article of the Commission in his newspaper, United Ireland.