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11 - Art of Cross-Examination by Francis Wellman · Art of Cross-Examination

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  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven of the Art of cross Examination by Francis Wellman.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain Chapter eleven
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  Speaker 1: the cross examination of Richard Piggott by Sir Charles Russell
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  Speaker 1: before the Parnell Commission. The modern method of studying any
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  Speaker 1: subject or acquiring any art is the inductive method. This
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  Speaker 1: is illustrated in our law schools, where to a large extent,
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  Speaker 1: actual cases are studied to get at the principles of law,
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  Speaker 1: instead of acquiring those principles solely through the a priori
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  Speaker 1: method of the study of text books. As already indicated,
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  Speaker 1: this method is also the only way to become a
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  Speaker 1: master of the art of cross examination, and in addition
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  Speaker 1: to actual personal experience, it is important to study the
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  Speaker 1: methods of great cross examiners, or those whose extended experience
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  Speaker 1: makes them safe guides to follow. Hence, the writer believes
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  Speaker 1: it would be decidedly helpful to the students of the
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  Speaker 1: art of cross examination to have placed before them in
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  Speaker 1: a convenient and somewhat condensed form some good illustrations of
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  Speaker 1: the methods of well known cross examiners, as exhibited in
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  Speaker 1: actual practice in the cross examination of important witnesses in
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  Speaker 1: famous trials. For these reasons and the further fact that
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  Speaker 1: such examples are interesting as a study of human nature,
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  Speaker 1: I have in the following pages introduced the cross examination
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  Speaker 1: of some important witnesses in several well known cases. Probably
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  Speaker 1: one of the most dramatic and successful of the more
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  Speaker 1: celebrated cross examinations in the history of the English courts
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  Speaker 1: is Russell's cross examination of Pigott, the chief witness in
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  Speaker 1: the investigation growing out of the attack upon Charles S.
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  Speaker 1: Parnell and sixty five Irish members of Parliament by name
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  Speaker 1: for belonging to a lawless and even murderous organization whose
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  Speaker 1: aim was the overthrow of English rule. The principal charge
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  Speaker 1: against Parnell, and the only one that interests us in
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  Speaker 1: the cross examination of the witness Pigot, was the writing
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  Speaker 1: of a letter by Parnell which The Times claimed to
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  Speaker 1: have obtained and published in facsimile, in which he excused
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  Speaker 1: the murderer of Lord Frederick Cavendish, Chief Secretary for Ireland,
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  Speaker 1: and of mister Burke, Under Secretary in Phoenix Park, Dublin,
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  Speaker 1: on May sixth, eighteen eighty two. One particular sentence in
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  Speaker 1: the letter read quote, I cannot refuse to admit that
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  Speaker 1: Burke got no more than his deserts. The publication of
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  Speaker 1: this letter naturally made a great stir in Parliament and
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  Speaker 1: in the country at large. Parnell stated in the House
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  Speaker 1: of Commons that the letter was a forgery, and later
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  Speaker 1: asked for the appointment of a select committee to inquire
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  Speaker 1: whether the facsimile letter was a forgery. The Government refused
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  Speaker 1: this request, but appointed a special committee composed of three
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  Speaker 1: judges to investigate all the charges made by the Times.
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  Speaker 1: The writer is indebted again to Russell's biographer mister O'Brien
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  Speaker 1: for the details of this celebrated case. Seldom has any
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  Speaker 1: legal controversy been so graphically described as this one. One
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  Speaker 1: seems to be living with Russell, and indeed with mister
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  Speaker 1: O'Brien himself, throughout those eventful months. We must content ourselves, however,
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  Speaker 1: with a reproduction of the cross examination of Pigott as
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  Speaker 1: it comes from the stenographer's minutes of the trial, enlightened
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  Speaker 1: by the pen of Russell's facile biographer mister O'Brien speaks
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  Speaker 1: of it as quote the event in the life of Russell.
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  Speaker 1: The defense of Parnell in order to undertake this defense,
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  Speaker 1: Russell returned to the Times the retainer he had enjoyed
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  Speaker 1: from them for many previous years. It was known that
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  Speaker 1: the Times had bought the letter from mister Houston, the
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  Speaker 1: secretary of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union, and that
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  Speaker 1: mister Houston had bought it from Pigot. But how did
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  Speaker 1: Piggott come by it? That was the question of the hour,
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  Speaker 1: and people looked forward to the day when Piggott should
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  Speaker 1: go into the box to tell his story, and when
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  Speaker 1: Sir Charles Russell should rise to cross examine him. Mister
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  Speaker 1: O'Brien Wright's quote Piggott's evidence in chief, so far as
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  Speaker 1: the letter was concerned, came practically to this. He had
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  Speaker 1: been employed by the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union to
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  Speaker 1: hunt up documents that might incriminate Parnell, and he had
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  Speaker 1: bought the fact simile letter with other letters in Paris
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  Speaker 1: from an agent of the Clanagael, who had no objection
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  Speaker 1: to injuring Parnell for a valuable consideration. During the whole
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  Speaker 1: week or more, Russell had looked pale, worn, anxious, nervous, distressed.
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  Speaker 1: He was impatient, irritable at times disagreeable even at luncheon
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  Speaker 1: half an hour before. He seemed to be thoroughly out
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  Speaker 1: of sorts, and gave you the idea rather of a
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  Speaker 1: young junior with his first brief, than of the most
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  Speaker 1: formidable advocate at the bar. Now all was changed. As
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  Speaker 1: he stood facing Piggott, he was a picture of calmness,
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  Speaker 1: self possession, strength. There was no sign of impatience or irritability,
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  Speaker 1: not a trace of illness, anxiety or care. A slight
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  Speaker 1: tinge of color lighted up the face, the eyes sparkled,
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  Speaker 1: and a pleasant smile played around the mouth. The whole
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  Speaker 1: bearing and manner of the man as he proudly turned
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  Speaker 1: his head toward the box, showed courage, resolution, confidence, addressing
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  Speaker 1: the witness with much courtesy, while a profound silence fell
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  Speaker 1: upon the crowded court, He began, mister Piggott, would you
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  Speaker 1: be so good enough, with my Lord's permission to write
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  Speaker 1: some words on that sheet of paper for me? Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: you will sit down in order to do so. A
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  Speaker 1: sheet of paper was then handed to the witness, I thought.
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  Speaker 1: He looked for a moment, surprised this clearly was not
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  Speaker 1: the beginning that he had expected. He hesitated, seemed confused.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps Russell observed it at all events, He added quickly,
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  Speaker 1: would you like to sit down? Oh no, thanks, replied Piggot,
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  Speaker 1: a little flurried the president, Well, I think it is
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  Speaker 1: better that you should sit down. Here is a table
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  Speaker 1: on which you can write in the ordinary way. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: you always pursue. Piggott sat down and seemed to recover
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  Speaker 1: his equilibrium. Russell, will you write the word livelihood, Piggot wrote, Russell,
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  Speaker 1: just leave a space. Will you write the word likelihood?
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  Speaker 1: Piggot wrote, Russell, will you write your own name? Will
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  Speaker 1: you write the word proselytism? And finally, I think I
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  Speaker 1: will not trouble you at present with any more Patrick
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  Speaker 1: Egan and p Egan. He uttered these last words with emphasis,
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  Speaker 1: as if they imported something of great importance. Then, when
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  Speaker 1: Pigot had written, he added carelessly, there is one word
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  Speaker 1: I had forgotten. Lower down, Please, leaving space, write the
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  Speaker 1: word hesitancy. Then, as Piggot was about to write, he added,
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  Speaker 1: as if this were the vital point. With a small age.
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  Speaker 1: Piggot wrote and looked relieved, Russell, will you kindly give
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  Speaker 1: me the sheet? Piggott took up a bit of blotting
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  Speaker 1: paper to lay on the sheet, when Russell, with a
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  Speaker 1: sharp ring in his voice, said rapidly, don't blot it please.
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  Speaker 1: It seemed to me that the sharp ring in Russell's
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  Speaker 1: voice startled Piggot while writing. He had looked composed. Now again,
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  Speaker 1: he looked flurried, and nervously handed back the sheet. The
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  Speaker 1: Attorney General looked keenly at it, and then said, with
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  Speaker 1: the air of a man who had himself scored my
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  Speaker 1: lords I suggest that had better be photographed, if your
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  Speaker 1: lordship's see no objection, Russell, turning sharply toward the Attorney General,
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  Speaker 1: and with an angry glance and an ulster accent which
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  Speaker 1: sometimes broke out when he felt irritated, do not interrupt
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  Speaker 1: my cross examination with that request. Little did the Attorney
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  Speaker 1: General at that moment know that in the ten minutes
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  Speaker 1: or quarter of an hour which it had taken to
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  Speaker 1: ask these questions, Russell had gained a decisive advantage. Piggott had,
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  Speaker 1: in one of his letters to pat Egan, spelt hesitancy
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  Speaker 1: Thus hesitancy h E s T E n c Y.
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  Speaker 1: In one of those incriminatory letters, hesitancy was so spelt,
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  Speaker 1: and in the sheet now handed back to Russell, Piggott
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  Speaker 1: had written h E s it t E n c
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  Speaker 1: y two. In fact, it was Piggot's spelling of this
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  Speaker 1: word that had put the Irish members on his scent.
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  Speaker 1: Pat Egan, seeing the words spelt with an e in
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  Speaker 1: one of the p reminitory letters, had written to Parnell, saying,
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  Speaker 1: in effect, Piggott is the forger. In the letter ascribed
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  Speaker 1: to you, hesitancy is spelled h E s T E
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  Speaker 1: n c y. That is the way Piggott always spells
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  Speaker 1: the word. These things were not dreamt of in the
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  Speaker 1: philosophy of the Attorney General. When he interrupted Russell's cross
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  Speaker 1: examination with the request that the sheet had better be photographed,
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  Speaker 1: so closed the first round of the combat. Russell went
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  Speaker 1: on in his former courteous manner, and Piggott, who had
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  Speaker 1: now completely recovered confidence, looked once more like a man
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  Speaker 1: determined to stand to his guns. Russell, having disposed of
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  Speaker 1: some preliminary points at length, and after he had been
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  Speaker 1: perhaps about half an hour on his feet, closed with
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  Speaker 1: the witness Russell. The first publication of the articles Parnellism
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  Speaker 1: and Crime was on the seventh March eighteen eighty seven,
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  Speaker 1: Piggot sturdily, I do not know, Russell amiably, well, you
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  Speaker 1: may assume that is the date, Pigot carelessly. I suppose so.
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  Speaker 1: Russell and you were aware of the intended publication of
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  Speaker 1: the correspondence the incriminatory letters. Pigot firmly, no, I was
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  Speaker 1: not at all aware of it. Russell sharply, and with
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  Speaker 1: the Ulster ring in his voice, what, Pigot boldly, No,
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  Speaker 1: certainly not, Russell. Were you not aware that there were
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  Speaker 1: grave charges to be made against mister Parnell and the
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  Speaker 1: leading members of the Land League. Pigot positively, I was
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  Speaker 1: not aware of it until they actually commenced, Russell again,
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  Speaker 1: with the Ulster ring. What, Pigot, defiantly, I was not
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  Speaker 1: aware of it until the publication actually commenced. Russell, pausing
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  Speaker 1: and looking straight at the witness. Do you swear that,
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  Speaker 1: Pigot aggressively, I do, Russell, making a gesture with both
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  Speaker 1: hands and looking toward the bench. Very good, There is
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  Speaker 1: no mistake about that. Then there was a pause. Russell
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  Speaker 1: placed his hands beneath the shelf in front of him,
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  Speaker 1: and drew from it some papers. Pigott, the Attorney General,
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  Speaker 1: the judges, every one in court, looking intently at him
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  Speaker 1: the while there was not a breath, not a movement.
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  Speaker 1: I think it was the most dramatic scene in the
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  Speaker 1: whole cross examination, abounding as it did in dramatic scenes.
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  Speaker 1: Then handing Piggott a letter, Russell said, calmly, is that
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  Speaker 1: your letter? Do not trouble to read it? Tell me
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  Speaker 1: if it is your letter. Piggott took the letter and
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  Speaker 1: held it close to his eyes as if reading it.
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  Speaker 1: Russell sharply, do not trouble to read it. Piggot, Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I think it is, Russell with a frown. Have you
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  Speaker 1: any doubt of it? Pigot, No, Russell, addressing the judges,
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  Speaker 1: My lords, it is from Anderton's hotel, and it is
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  Speaker 1: addressed by the witness to Archbishop Walsh. The date, my lords,
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  Speaker 1: is the fourth of March, three days before the first
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  Speaker 1: appearance of the first of the articles Parnellism and Crime.
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  Speaker 1: He then read private and confidential, My lord. The importance
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  Speaker 1: of the matter about which I will write will doubtless
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  Speaker 1: excuse this intrusion on your Grace's attention. Briefly, I wish
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  Speaker 1: to say that I have been made aware of the
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  Speaker 1: details of certain proceedings that are in preparation with the
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  Speaker 1: object of destroying the influence of the Parnellite party in Parliament.
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  Speaker 1: Having read this much, Russell turned to Pigot and said,
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  Speaker 1: what were the certain proceedings that were in preparation? Pigot,
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  Speaker 1: I do not recollect. Russell resolutely turn to my lords
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  Speaker 1: and repeat the answer. Pigot, I do not recollect, Russell.
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  Speaker 1: You swear that writing on the fourth of March less
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  Speaker 1: than two years ago. Pigot, Yes, Russell, you do not
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  Speaker 1: know what that referred to, Pigot, I do not, really, Russell.
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  Speaker 1: May I suggest to you Pigot, Yes, you may, Russell.
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  Speaker 1: Did it refer to the incriminatory letters among other things?
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  Speaker 1: Pigot oh, at that date? No, the letters had not
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  Speaker 1: been obtained. I think at that date had they two
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  Speaker 1: years ago? Russell quietly and courteously, I do not want
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  Speaker 1: to confuse you at all, mister Piggott. Pigot, would you
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  Speaker 1: mind giving me the date of that letter? Russell? The
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  Speaker 1: fourth of March, Pigot, the fourth of March. Russell. Is
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  Speaker 1: it your impression that the letters had not been obtained
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  Speaker 1: at that date? Pigot, Oh, Yes, some of the letters
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  Speaker 1: had been obtained before that date, Russell, then, reminding you
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  Speaker 1: that some of the letters had been obtained before that date.
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  Speaker 1: Did the passage that I read to you in that
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  Speaker 1: letter refer to these letters among other things? Pigot, No,
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  Speaker 1: I rather fancy they had reference to the forthcoming articles
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  Speaker 1: in the Times. Russell, glancing keenly at the witness, I
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  Speaker 1: thought you told us you did not know anything about
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  Speaker 1: the forthcoming articles, Piggott, looking confused, Yes, I did. I
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  Speaker 1: find now I am mistaken that I must have heard
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  Speaker 1: something about them, Russell severely. Then try not to make
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  Speaker 1: the same mistake again, mister Piggott, Now you go on,
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  Speaker 1: continuing to read from Piggott's letter to the Archbishop, I
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  Speaker 1: cannot enter more fully into details than to state that
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  Speaker 1: the proceedings referred to consist in the publication of certain
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  Speaker 1: statements purporting to prove the complicity of mister Parnell himself
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  Speaker 1: and some of his supporters with murders and outrages in Ireland,
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  Speaker 1: to be followed in all probability by the institution of
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  Speaker 1: criminal proceedings against these parties by the Government. Having finished
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  Speaker 1: the reading, Russell laid down the letter and said, turning
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  Speaker 1: to the witness, told you that Pigot. I have no
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  Speaker 1: idea Russell striking the paper energetically with his fingers. But
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  Speaker 1: that refers, among other things, to the incriminatory letters. Pigot.
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  Speaker 1: I do not recollect that it did, Brussell with energy.
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  Speaker 1: Do you swear that it did not? Pigot. I will
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  Speaker 1: not swear that it did not, Russell. Do you think
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  Speaker 1: it did, Pigot? No, I do not think it did. Russell.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think that these letters, if genuine, would prove
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  Speaker 1: or would not prove Parnell's complicity and crime? Pigot I
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  Speaker 1: thought they would be very likely to prove it. Russell.
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  Speaker 1: Now reminding you of that opinion, I ask you whether
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  Speaker 1: you did not intend to refer, not solely I suggest,
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  Speaker 1: but among other things, to the letters as being the
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  Speaker 1: matter which would prove complicity or purport to prove complicit Pigot. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: I may have had that in my mind. Russell. You
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  Speaker 1: could have hardly any doubt that you had Pigot. I
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  Speaker 1: suppose so, Russell, you suppose you may have had Pigot. Yes, Russell,
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  Speaker 1: there is the letter and the statement. Reading. Your grace
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  Speaker 1: may be assured that I speak with full knowledge, am,
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  Speaker 1: and in a position to prove beyond all doubt and
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  Speaker 1: question the truth of what I say, what was true? Pigot,
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  Speaker 1: It could hardly be true? Russell. Then did you write
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  Speaker 1: that which was false? Pigot, I suppose it was in
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  Speaker 1: order to give strength to what I said. I do
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  Speaker 1: not think it was warranted by what I knew, Russell.
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  Speaker 1: You added the untrue statement in order to add strength
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  Speaker 1: to what you said. Pigot, Yes, Russell, you believe these
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  Speaker 1: letters to be genuine, Pigot, I do, Russell, and did
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  Speaker 1: at this time, Pigot, Yes, Russell reading, and I will
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  Speaker 1: further assure your Grace that I am also able to
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  Speaker 1: point out how these designs may be successfully combated and
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  Speaker 1: finally defeated. How if these documents are genuine documents, and
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  Speaker 1: you believe them to be such, how were you able
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  Speaker 1: to assure His Grace that you were able to point
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  Speaker 1: out how the design might be successfully combated and finally defeated, Pigot. Well,
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  Speaker 1: as I say, I had not the letters actually in
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  Speaker 1: my mind at that time. So far as I can gather,
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  Speaker 1: I do not recollect the letter to Archbishop Walsh at all.
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  Speaker 1: My memory is really a blank on the circumstance Russell,
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  Speaker 1: you told me a moment ago, after great deliberation and consideration,
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  Speaker 1: you had both the incriminatory letters and the letter to
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  Speaker 1: Archbishop Walsh in your mind. Pigot, I said it was
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  Speaker 1: probable I did. But I say the thing has completely
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  Speaker 1: faded out of my mind, Russell resolutely. I must press you,
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  Speaker 1: assuming the letters to be genuine, what were the means
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  Speaker 1: by which you were able to assure His Grace that
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  Speaker 1: you could point out how the design might be successfully
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  Speaker 1: combated and finally defeated. Pigot helplessly, I cannot conceive, really, Russell, Oh, try,
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  Speaker 1: you must really, try, Pigot, in manifest confusion and distress,
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  Speaker 1: I cannot, Russell, looking fixedly at the witness, try Pigot.
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  Speaker 1: I cannot, Brussell, try, Pigot. It is no use, Russell emphatically.
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  Speaker 1: May I take it? Then? Your answer to my lords
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  Speaker 1: is that you cannot give any explanation, Pigot, I really cannot, absolutely, Russell, reading,
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  Speaker 1: I assure your Grace that I have no other motive
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  Speaker 1: except to respectfully suggest that your Grace would communicate the
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  Speaker 1: substance to someone or other of the parties concerned, to
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  Speaker 1: whom I could furnish details, exhibit proofs, and suggest how
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  Speaker 1: the coming blow might be effectually met. What do you
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  Speaker 1: say to that, mister Piggott? Pigot, I have nothing to
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  Speaker 1: say except that I do not recollect anything about it, absolutely, Russell?
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  Speaker 1: What was the coming blow? Pigot? I suppose the coming publication? Russell?
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  Speaker 1: How was it to be effectively met? Pigot? I have
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  Speaker 1: not the slightest idea Russell assuming the letters to be genuine.
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  Speaker 1: Does it not even now occur to your mind how
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  Speaker 1: it could be effectively met? Pigot? No. Piggott now looked
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  Speaker 1: like a man after the sixth round in a prize
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  Speaker 1: fight who had been knocked down in every round. But
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  Speaker 1: Russell showed him no mercy. I shall take another extract, Russell.
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  Speaker 1: Whatever the charges in Parnellism and Crime, including the letters, were,
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  Speaker 1: did you believe them to be true or not? Pigot?
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  Speaker 1: How can I say that? When I say I do
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  Speaker 1: not know what the charges were, I say I do
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  Speaker 1: not recollect that letter to the Archbishop at all, or
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  Speaker 1: any of the circumstances. It refers to Russell. First of all,
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  Speaker 1: you knew this, that you procured and paid for a
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  Speaker 1: number of letters. Yes, Brussell, which, if genuine you have
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  Speaker 1: already told me, would gravely implicate the parties from whom
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  Speaker 1: these were supposed to come. Pigot, Yes, gravely implicate Russell.
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  Speaker 1: You would regard that I suppose as a serious charge, Pigot, Yes, Brussell.
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  Speaker 1: Did you believe that charge to be true or false? Pigot?
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  Speaker 1: I believe that charge to be true, Russell. You believe
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  Speaker 1: that to be true, Pigot, I do, Russell. Now I
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  Speaker 1: will read this passage from Pigott's letter to the Archbishop.
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  Speaker 1: I need hardly add that did I consider the parties
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  Speaker 1: really guilty of the things charged against them? I should
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  Speaker 1: not dream of suggesting that your grace should take part
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  Speaker 1: in an effort to shield them. I only wish to
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  Speaker 1: impress on your grace that the evidence is apparently convincing
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  Speaker 1: and would probably be sufficient to secure conviction if submitted
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: to an English jury. What do you say to that,
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: mister Piggott? Piggott bewildered, I say nothing except that I
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: am sure I could not have had the letters in
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: my mind when I said that, because I do not
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: think the letters conveyed a sufficiently serious charge to cause
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: me to write in that way. Russell, but you know
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: that was the only part of the charge so far
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: as you have yet told us that you had anything
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: to do in getting up Piggott. Yes, that is what
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: I say. I must have had something else in my
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: mind which I cannot at present recollect. That I must
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: have had other charges, Russell, What charges, Piggott? I do
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: not know. That is what I cannot tell you. Russell. Well,
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: let me remind you that that particular part of the charges,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: the incriminatory letters, were letters that you yourself knew all
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: about Pigot. Yes, of course, Russell, reading from another letter
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: of Pigots to the Archbishop. I was somewhat disappointed in
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: not having a line from your Grace, as I ventured
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: to expect I might have been so far honored. I
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: can assure your Grace that I have no other motive
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: in writing, save to avert, if possible, a great danger
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: to people with whom your Grace is known to be
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: in strong sympathy. At the same time, should your Grace
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: not desire to interfere in the matter, or should you
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: consider that they would refuse me a hearing? I am
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: well content, having acquitted myself of what I conceived to
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: be my duty in the circumstances, I will not further
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: trouble your grace, save to again beg that you will
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: not allow my name to transpire, Seeing that to do
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: so would interfere injuriously with my prospects, without any compensating
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: advantage to anyone. I make the request all the more
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: confidently because I have had no part in what is
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: being done to the prejudice of the Parnell Light Party,
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: though I was enabled to become acquainted with all the details.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Pigot with a look of confusion and alarm. Yes, Russell,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: what do you say to that, Piggot? And it appears
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: to me clearly that I had not the letters in
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: my mind? Russell, Then if it appears to you clearly
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: that you had not the letters in your mind, what
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: had you in your mind? Pigot? It must have been
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: something far more serious, Russell? What was it? Pigot helplessly,
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: great beads of perspiration standing out on his forehead and
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: trickling down his face. I cannot tell you. I have
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: no idea, Russell. It must have been something far more
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: serious than the letters, Pigot, vacantly, far more serious, Russell, briskly,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: can you give my lords, any clue of the most
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: indirect kind to what it was, Pigot in despair, I
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: cannot Russell, or from whom you heard it Pigot, No, Russell,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: or when you heard it, Pigot, Or when I heard it, Russell?
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: Or where you heard it, Pigot, or where I heard it, Russell?
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: Have you ever mentioned this fearful matter, whatever it is,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: to anybody? Pigot No, Russell, still locked up hermetically sealed
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: in your own bosom, Pigot no, because it has gone away,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: out of my bosom, whatever it was. On receiving this answer,
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: Russell's smiled, looked at the bench and sat down. A
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: ripple of derisive laughter broke over the court, and a
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: buzz of many voices followed. The people standing around me
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: looked at each other and said splendid. The judges rose,
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: the great crowd melted away, and an irishman who mingled
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: in the throng expressed, I think the general sentiment in
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: a single word, smashed. Pigott's cross examination was finished the
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: following day, and the second day he disappeared entirely, and
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: later sent back from Paris a confession of his guilt,
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: admitting his perjury and giving the details of how he
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: had forged the alleged Parnell letter by tracing words and
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: phrases from genuine Parnell letters placed against the window pane,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: and admitting that he had sold the forged letter for
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: six hundred and five. After the confession was read, the
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: Commission found that it was a forgery, and the Times
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: withdrew the facsimile letter. A warrant was issued for Piggot's
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: arrest on the charge of perjury, but when he was
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: tracked by the police to a hotel in Madrid, he
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: asked to be given time enough to collect his belongings, and,
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: retiring to his room, blew out his brains end of
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: Chapter eleven.