The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-28
THE M'C0SKRY SCANDAL.
MRS BINISTER's STORr or HER RELl-
IIONS JO THE BISHOP.
She Protc.ta Bcfore God thnt She Il nm Inno-
cent Momnn-.And Says that the Uishop's
Letters were High Toned and VI oral.


Fog ne Cii,ag, TiLu,
Introducing myself rs n newspaper per-
son. | found Mrs. Banister indisposcd to talk on
the suhict unless in the presence Of her hus-
band. who had cnoincd her to silence. especial
" toward members Of the prcss. / told her that
| came I'm tho character of II friend. who did not
believe that she was the vii" creature that she
had been painted. My object. | said. wns TO
learn whether she had received n telegram from
the Bishop In response TO the one she had sent
him calling upon him TO return and defend her
character. She declared that she had heard
from the Bishop. who was very III ut Dr. Mnson's
i'm New York. hut who would return and face
ih". charges. Then she took II little cry to her
self
Mrs. Banisicr," said, " understand you
DENY all oi thrsr charges ~
Yes. do she replied, emphatically; !" they
Have. YOU any objection to stating your rcla-
tions with the Bishop z"
would rather my husband were here. ms no
hadn't time to waii Tor Mr.. Banistcr. so
pressed her. and elected the following inforna-
iiuu from her:
Mrs. Banistcr claims to have been born in
England. Her father was a.large boot aud shoe
manufacturer at 3 Old Wonlwich road. and
near the star and Garter Trafalgar square.
London. For short titur lie repre-
scnted Greenwich in the House Of Com
mons. Shortly before his death. which was
caused 10y consumption. hr encountered
heavy losses. and his estate went into thr ad-
ministraion OF his brother. When wound IN.
cirnt to support his widow and child. was left.
Mrs Richards determined upon emigrnting 10
Canada where sh" ilnd some iriendr ana
where the present Chief 1ustice Richards ot the
supreme Court. Sir William Buell. Richards. a
relative. Of her husband. then Judge 81 The
Court of Common Pleas of Toronto. was likely
TO render her assistance. She took with her
letters Of Introduction 10 Bishop McCoskry.
whom her husband had met and formed
fYt.a .l-lf N. tln luftn stfta
attending conmcmorntion at Oxford, and
when she determined. finally. To- set
i!e In Detroit. she made application
ancr. She wus received with Kindness. and. nt
her request. the Bishop assumed the relation of
guardian to her daughicr. the present Mrs
Bauister. then child of less than II years oi
agr. kcmiitnnccs were regularly sent from
England for the SUPPORT of the Richards family
uni these the Bishop received, and applied IL
the purpose ot maintaining Fanny and her
mother tpto the present time. Mrs BanistrT
claims money is regularly received by her and
her mother from England. ami th"wholr rhhrs.
Of her education and support was betrayed out
OF IN" little property remaining after the W nd
ing up of her fathers ".iat". Her inih"r had
while the Bishop was in England. rendered llu
services OF valuable character' and the form
which his gratitude took WIS in making tho
life uf the daughter and the widow ot MS friend
a. Agreeable and comfortable rs possible.
" II Is alleged that IN" Bishop provided ior
You bOuntiiully with money SAID the reporter
" II isn't So she replied with Neh"mcn"e
He mover gave me anything hut what was my
own. except. perhaps now ANA ,then. wheh
was going To party or picnic. he would xiv,
| me fifty cents or dollar for pocket money.
| don't think he ever gave me more than twenty
| dollars since | have known him, and always N
| trihing sums. The story that ] wis dram
upon his purse that prevented him from pay
| i'm: his Just debts is n wicked lie. The Bishof
! gave away in charity the best part OF his in
come and don't seem 10 know what money l.
| but he never spent money on me. ] dlcn
spend money on myself. either. Tor hadn
more than enough 10 dress myself, and mother
| WIS. obliged TO wor H.
| " You do not deny that you received letter;
;" No. have had four or five, but they were
all Just such letters as good Christian minis
ter might write t. girl Of fifteen under hi-
charge. lIe never wrote me letter he didn't
! si.n. and they were all noble and pure in their
/ language The Bishop was not adirty person
nor did he write without cause. or for the SAX.
OF hearing from me- Here Mrs. BaniStrr bros,
completely. and sobbed for good twenty min
| utrs.
" protcs, before God" she said. recovering
| " that am an innocent woman. and the victim
| Of a great scandal Ny relations with the BishoI
| were always those 81 the most hohorahle char
| actcr. My husband knows that cam" 10 him
| pure woman. and he will assert II before th'
| world The stories that have got into the paper:
are lies from beginning TO end, and they have
! been invented 10y that wrctchod fellow. George
| Mcconnell. whom did 50 much for. and whom
! | thought so much OF until found MIN NEAR
| sneak tibet who stole my letters from my writ
| lng desk. and actually picked my pocket oi one
| rot thar fellow employment on the IoSt dp'
| Tribune through the Bishops influence. an
| tried 10 do all | could Tor him. but he was
mean fellow. and when gave him up he swor'
! he would have revenge.
" lie says took him to Niagara with the Bish
| ops money, and that wc had a round OF inlmora
! diss sipation there. ! did 90 ON an eNcursion L
! Niagara with him. but II was this way: Mothrl
| aud planned 20 20 on cheap trip, and hough
two tickets with our own money, When the dal
| came. mother WAS taken sick and,as j wanted I,
50. thought might use her ticket.and 80 oiirr
ed Il to George II he would escort me. There w"r'
lots ofpeople going that wa, ,acquanted with
| and thought II was n harm. We wrnt.but here
| are dozens Of people | can name who will bea
| witness that my conduct was that OF properly
| trained, decent girl. and any one who saws th'
| contrary Is a stOry-teer. But, even II Ia,
! done wrong, what "A miserable fellow this NJ
| COnnell must be 10 glory in hetraying wha
| would have been his shame a. much as mine
| But he is Il mean, Vengrtul liar. He stole m
| letters. and then. with the bishops hand
writing 10 copy he forged disraeeindi let
Banister fS' he sWore S@% he woad Would BE- FcVens@d @
and said he would put up n, lo2 on th
| nice young man, and said ne would make me
good husband. Thought 50 toe once. til
| found him out. and then told the Bishop abou
! the letters. The Bishop was annoyed md spoN
! to Mcconnell about il. telling him that he hal
| acted like u thiel. who should be punished
| Then 1t was. suppose, that Mcconnell dcpos
tied the letters in a safe. and cleared out of DE
troit and went TO Birmingham; Mich. where h
now prints a paper called the POST"
Do understand you to say that the Bishol
| know of his letters To YOU having been stolen 2
Yes; but there was nothing in those letter
| that any one could take exception to. The
were high-loned, moral letters, such as IN n
lister might be supposed to write 10 giddy glr
needing advice. have not seen them sine
| they were stolen from me. have not seen thos
| which are alleged to have been written by th
| Bishop TO me, and to be full Of immortality
| Those who have made the charges which are al
| abroad now and have blasted my name, dldn
| have the manlness to ask me If acknowledged
| having received these letters. They came from
n thief. and he who could steal tho real letter
could be guilty OF iabricatinG the forged ones
| Fighting brooklyn Truckmen.