The Parnell Divorce Case.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 416, 13 February 1890, Page 3

The Parnell Divorce Case.

One of the London correspondents of the New York Herald sends to that journal the following above the signature “ A Member of Parliament” :— The news that Mr O’Shea has brought suit for divorce, making Mr Parnell corespondent, will not surprise those who have been behind tbe scenes during the past three or four years. Some such denouement as this has been impending for a long time past, and on several occasions the good offices of friends have been called into requisition with a view of averting a scandal. Mr or Captain O’Shea has threatened legal proceedings on several occasions, and many of the followers of Mr Parnell have been aware of the fact, and it has not tended to sweeten the intercourse between the uncrowned king and his more or leas obedient subjects. From time to time, however, the explosion has been smothered or postponed, and if it is to come at length, it is almost a matter of certainty that some awkward revelations must take place. In the Parliament of 1885 a well dressed and somewhat showy looking man made his appearance on tbe Irish benches. He generally wore a frock coat, with a flower in his button hole, and was altogether very unlike the careless and somewhat slipshod group who usually represent the Nationalists in the House and who are meant for use rather than for ornament. Who was the stranger thus attired as for a bridal party ’ It was Captain O'Shea. He had coveted the honor of a seat in Parliament, and Mr Parnell, being perhaps in an obliging humor just then, had found one for him, but it was not done without difficulty. The constituency siogled out for the honor had nor at first sight taken very k'ndly to O’Shoa. It had to be coaxed ; perhaps some pressure was brought to bear upon it. Several of the Irish members protested against their new colleague. The redoubtable “ Tim ” Healey was exceedingly wroth and made things very warm for O'Shea. He is a very ugly man to come across when he is angry, is “ Tim ” Healy. However, the seat was secured and the new member made his appearance as full of pride and delight as a young lady at her first ball. That was the opening of OShea’s Parliamentary experience. The close was not so pleasant, and it came a good deal sooner than the gallant optuin hud anticipated. Ho did not find him-elf am >:,g very congenial surroundings. His countrj’men did not take him to their hearts and shed tears of joy over him. On the contrary, he was treated to a very liberal allowance of cold shoulder and some very unkind remarks were made in his hearing, and when he went into the lobbies he was not entertained with agreeable conversation. There were frequent allusions to le mart complaisant, and the greet authority of the leader himself failed to protect his friend from a usage which no one need be particularly anxious to encounter. One day it. was announced that O’Shea had resigned. Why! For the same reason that he had entered Parliament—because he wanted to. Then O'Shea made his appearance as a witness on tbe Parnell Commission. Great revelations were expected, but nothing very wonderful came. It had been rumored that the captain had obtained from bls wife letters gravely compromising Parnell. Whether such are in existence or no it is impossible to eay. At any rate they were not produced before the three judges. Mr Parnell occasionally oast a piercing glsnos at O’Shea as he gave hie evidence, and tbe ex M.P, calmly returned it. Evidently there was no love lost between them. The captain’s evidence fell flat- Somehow or oilier that gun had missed Are and now ths little comedy, or drama, is to advance into another act. A divorce suit must at least be a source of great annoyance to Mr Parnell, to say nothing of the lady. Will it ba defended? That seems a curious question to ask about a divorce case, but the truth is that the whole affair is very curious. It has been the theme of conversation for several years. The “Elthara business’’ has Jong been talked of. One night a piece of paper waa picked up in the lobby of the House of Commons and opened by the finder. It was from the lady to the Irish leader. Some people said it waa shown to Captain O’Shea. However that may be, it was talked about all over tbe place in less than half an hour. But there may have been nothing in the bit of paper after all, ot perhaps only an address or an invitation. Yet such incidents as this set people talking, and now they talk still more. Who is innocent and who is guilty ? It would be very rash indeed to predict, but we may expect some of tbe Nationalist papers to speak out their minde freely about O'Shea, now that be has cast off all disguise and entered boldly upon the war-path. There will be a smash and the great Eltbam mystery wilt be cleared up after many false alarms. Irishmen in this city (says the New York Herald) were not at all surprised when the news reached them that Captain O'Shea, exmember of Parliament, had filed a petition for a divorce from his wife on the ground of adultery with Mr Parnell. The Irish leader's friendship for Mrs O'Shea has long been an open secret, and there are few Irishmen of prominence in New York who have not beard of it. Nowand again a hint of it appeared in the public press and Parnell's friends in New York became uneasy. They evidently distrusted Captain O'Shea, and the captain's present action seems to prove that this distrust was justified. What effect, if any, Captain O'Shea's action will have on Parnell's political adherents is not an easy question to answer. I tried to interview several prominent Irishmen on this point, but all declined to express an opinion. It may safely be said, however, that among the Irish leader's friends a strong suspicion pre. vails that the Irish people, and especially such uncompromising Catholics as W ra - O'Brien, member of Parliament, will henceforth less respect for Charles Stewart Parnell, unless he can dear himself of this trouble, than they have had heretofore.

And yet it is said on good authority that however much or little Mr Parnell may have sinned, no one can accuse him of cold blooded profligacy. He has for years been Mrs O'Shea’s most intimate friend, and for tbis friendship there are said to be most cogent reasons. The story goes that a dozen years ago Parnell fell deeply in love with Captain O'Shea's younger sister, who was q handsome vivacious girl and unusually intellectual. She responded gladly to her lover’s affection and the two plighted troth and agreed to become one efter some months of happy courtship had passed. The wedding day was almost at band, when suddenly the young girl's health began to fail rapidly, Tbe marriage was ot course postponed, and everything possible was done to restore the prospective bride's health. Soon, however, it became clear that she was doomed. Dqy by day she wasted away pintil' finally the last hour of her young life came. Then, it is said, she whispered her lest words to her lover, as be knelt heartbroken.by her bedside, and Implored him by his great love for her to promise ber then and there that ha would ever protect, and befriend ber darling brother. Mr Per. nell gave the required promise and she so.jj afterwards passed away, How Mr Parnell hqa kept his promise all the tj’orld Mows, Through thick and thin, ata' the face of almoat overwhelming opposition, he baa stood by bis dead swAtUeart'a brother, Captain O’Shea, and when the captain married Sir Evelyn Wood's sister, Mr Parnell, etill true to his promise, became her good friend also, and as time went on came to be regarded by her e n 'd ber hueband qs png of their dwn fsmily. In this' tnqnnar is explained the Irish leader's friendship for tbe O'Shee family, That Captain O'Shea proved himself worthy ot such friendship few Irishman believe, and the general opinion seems to be that Parnell erred greatly in countenancing and supnnrting him for so many years, As for Mrs O'Shea all that can ba said is that Mr Parnell became her friend primarily and solely because she waa his dead sweetheart's sister-in-law. Whether he ever trangreued the legitimate bounds of friendchip with bar is a* question that can only-tie answared 'in- the Londop Utoorge Court,