The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-07
THE RELIGIOUS SPY.
How DR.. Parkhurst Came to Be.
gin Social Purity Work.
HOW HE "FIxED" A WITNESS.
Preacher Whose Chief Lieuten-
ant Is In Jail for Eiackmaii.

NEW YORK. Dec. 6-Acco-6ing to ~superin.
tendeut of Police Byrnes. Rev. Dr.. Parkhurs,'s
dcep-seated interest in exposing vice
originated in the etfor; he made months ago TO
aid tho daughter OF one of his wealthy
Pensioners In securing eliminating evidence
against her husband. that she might get e
divorce. The superintendent said:
The testimony Of plaintiff comprehended
proof that her husband maintained a woman in
an evil resort, and n member of the police force
won the i'll win OF DR.. Parkhurst by refusing to
swear to. certain facts to suit the case.
II o, mother Of the plaintiff was equal
man, aud, failing to get revenge, che and Dr..
Parknurst began a series of prosecutions against
the house in which the defendant in the divorce
case was said to have lost his marital honor.
aud III this revelgetul recreation DR.. Parkhurst
and his psrishioner acquired a taste for perse-
cution and planned to encompass the ruin of
the police department and the city officials.
The mother OF the p aintiff in the divorce suit,
Byrnes said, had fixed n woman of loose
character whona she thought she could trust,
and this woman called on her in reply to g note.
which is in the possession OF Byraes. What
occurred at that interview was written out
by the woman who was ANN She was
sent by the parishioner to DIR. Psrkhurst, and as
soon rs she was able she recorded what was
said then. This woman called on DR.. Park
hurst. and in the matter of the divorced girl
appeared to be willing to do their bidding.
1t was but a few hours after she left them
-'S '"S tSt al-s ~ Eoilfs ~
superintendent Byrnes. and She has been his
ally ever since. although there are twenty let
tiers at police headquarters TO prove that Park
hurst and his parishioners believed she was fur
thering their ends. What these ends were is
vaguely sketchet by Byrnes. He said:
have this correspondence In my possession,
and they show that Parkhurst and certain
member. Of his congregation resorted to every
snlnE adj dishono:sols to get evidence OF
chiet magistrate of this city. the
judges OF the court. the district
sons IN all. There are twenty letters emanating
from Par&hurst's parishouers, and each was fol-
lowed by an interview or Interviews, all of
views were SO far corroborative of the letters
tha = do not suppose they Will be coutra6icted.
The letters will show the instructions that DIR.
ParF urst left when he went to Europe and
ever thing in the way of planning the spy on
nio debauch the persons TO whom ! have
alluded. At Some later day 1 will talk further
Oh the subject. which is SO interesting, l have
an idea OF giving 1t out in sections.
The substance OF Byrnes' report was told Rev.
Dr. Parkhurst at his home, No. lSS East Thirty
filth street, tonight. lie smiled at first. and
then, as he discussed 1t, he grew indignant and
used some torcibie English in reference to the
superintendent of the police department DR..
Parhhurst said lie knew of the divorce case OF
which the superintendent spoke. and ntimase
that some of the Information secured as evil
dence In that suit had been used in
the work which the society which he
was president had been carrying on. He said
he would not give the names of the parties
to the divorce, hut added that sit is an interest
ing case" DR.. Parkhurst did not know who il
was who had given the letters of which Super
intendent Byrnes had spoken to the police. He
was indignant that he should be charged with
insincerity il the struggle he had been carry
ing on.
Charles w Gardner, chief Of Rev. Parkhurst's
staff OF detectives, and who accompanied the
doctor on his visit TO the evil resorts of New
York, was today held in the court of general
sessions in the sum of s, 800 for extorting money
from fallen women. Not being able to secure
bondsmen he was rernauded to prison.