The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-10-31
PASTORS TYPE W RITTER.
Why Mr.. Griffin Leaves the Park
Reformed ehurch-Nothlng
Wrong.

People in this city will be surprised to
learn that the name of the Rev Walter
formed Church, is connected with tnat OF
Miss Graves. who for seven years has
been his typewriter and member of his
family, in a very unpleasant way. The
Rev. Mr.. Griffin succeeded the Rev. j.
Howard Suydain as pastor of the Park
Reformed Church last fall. He will in
turn be succeeded next Wednesday by
| the Rev. ]. Francis Morgan.
Before Mr.. Griffin took charge of the
church. he had been for seven years pas
tor of the Bedford Reformed Church at
Madison street and Bedford avenue
While he was filing that position in 1888,
Miss Graves. an invalid, became menu
bar of his family. 1t was said that his
affording her shelter WAS purely phil-
anthropic, ana that he created the post
| tion Of typewriter in his household for
| her. Mr.. Griffin soon after this had
| trouble with his head. and he was adj
vised to so abroad. He secured appoint
| meDt to the position of United States
| Commercial Agent at Limoges, France,
| ford Reformed Church.
| Miss Graves went to France with Mr..
| Griffin, but his wife and thirteen year
| old daughter remained in this country
| for several months when Mr.. Griffin
crossed the ocean for them. After brief
stay in Limoges Mrs. Griffin apd her
daughter abruptly returned to relatives
in this country.
Mr.. Griffin and Miss Graves remained
in Limoges and became very much inter-
ested in competing for a prize of $780, 600
tffered by the French Government for
he d iscovery of q method that would de-
stroy the phylloxera, the pest of the vine
growers. They made a discovery, which
it is said was complete and very valuable,
but which did not secure the reward Mr.
Griffin told his friends that they would
nave received the prize had they been
French subjects. He wrote To friends
here that he had given up his Govern
ment position and would like to return
to preaching.
DIR. sUYDAM's SUCCESSOR.
There was an element in the Jersey
City church that believed the Rev. Dr.
Suydam had outlived his usefulness in
that particular field. They wanted a
younger man, and DR.. Suydam sent in
his resignation, closed up his house, at
No. 2i2 Fifth street. and went TO Rhine
beck. The Rev. Mr.. Griffin presented
himself as candidate for the vacant pull
pit about a year ago. He was recon-
mended by DR.. Suydam. by DR.. Doolittle,
of Rutgers College, aud by Jere Johnson !,
the Brooklyn real estate man. His
preaehinC made decided hit. He was a
very bright man, highly educated, nd
he made host of friends in Jers ey
City. Last winter he delivered a
lecture before the Union League Club on
1.-The Condition of Labor in Russia" I"
which was very well received. The ParK
Reformed Church gave him "call''
which he accepted. His salary was SO, $50
a year and he stipulated for three months
vacation to setLle up some business in
Europe. A young divinity student filled
tue pulpit in his absence. Mr.. Griffin, it
is said, had never resigned his Govern
ment position aud he did his work at
Limoges during the vacation aud then
got furlongh from the department and
returned to his Jersey City pulpit. Mrs.
Griffin rejoined her husband on his re-
turn. and hey went to housekeeping at
No. 30015 Pavonia avenue. Miss Graves
did not We in the house. sbut had room
in a boarding house on Jersey avenue.
She tok her meals with the Griffins, and
her work as private secretary frequently
kent her at The parsonage all day.
Then the church people began to gos-
sip. They noticed that Mrs. Griffin did
not speak to Miss Graves aud they omit
ted the private secretary when they sent
out invitations that included the pastors
wife.
CONSTANT GOSSIP.
sit was never scandal," said D. J.
Hnlsbizer, OF No. 1881 Pavonia avenue,
last night, "only there was constant gos-
sip aad talk. We noticed hat Mrs. Grif-
flu did not speak to Miss Graves. and so
we did not recognize her socially to any
great extent Mrs. Griffin was always
welcome, however, to all our houses.
Although we had extended call to Mr..
Giiffiu, he was never installed We kept
putting it off aud putting 1t off, hoping
that ne would be crowded out gently. At
last he had to resign because the situs-
ton was getting so unpleasant, aud the
Consistory promptly accepted mis- resg-
nation.
Il never saw reason to make me think
that there was anything improper in the
relations between Mr. Griffin aud Miss
Graves. 1t might have been simply the
stubbornness OF the man. He is very
strong-willed. and when he saw his wife
did not like Miss Graves's presence ne
perhaps made up his mind to force her
10 like it. don't know anYthing about
that. 1t was enough for me to know that
gentlemen were talking about the matter
and that the church was suffering
so l used my efforts to get Mr..
Griffin out. He went away ABOUT May
/. Then we learned how be had pulled
the wool over our eyes by taking salary
from us and keeping his Government
position too. He and Miss Graves have
gone back to France. Mrs. Griffin aud
tho little girl went to Heath. Ulster
county, where they have relatives. One
of Mrs. Griffin's brothers is the Rev.
Asher Anderson of Meritlen. Conn.,"
NOTHING WRONG.
A reporter saw tine Rev. Asher Ander-
son, pastor OF the First Congregational
Church at Meridep. Conn.,, last night. lie
said
'There are no good schools at Limoges.
and MIR Gritfins daughter was subjected
to considerable annoyance at the village
school, which she attended for a short
time This determined Mrs. Griffin upon
leaving the country for the beuefit of
her child. She came to this city last May
and placed her daughter in one of The
schools here, and lived ut my house until
the middle of September. Sne Is now at
the home of her father-in-law in New
York State. where provision has been
made for The education of her daughter.
Mics Graves remains with Mr.. Griffin in
France, with the full consent of Mrs.