St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-08
ROASTED PARKHURST.
Supt. Byrnes Reveals the Cause of
the Reformcr's Interest in
Exposing Vice.
DIR. Parkhurst Indignant That He
Should Be Charged With
Insincerity.

New YORK, Dec. 7.-According to
Superintendent of Police Byrnes, Rev.
DR.. Parkhurst's deep-seated interest in
exposing vice originated in an effort he
made months ago to aid the daughter of
one of his wealthy parishionerS in Sc
curing eliminating evidence against her
husband that she might get divorce.
The superintendent said:
"rhe testimony of the plaintiff COM
pretended proof that her husband
maintained woman in an evil resort,
and member of the police force won
the ill-will of DR.. Parkhurst by refuS-
ing to swear to certain facts to suit the
case. The mother of the plaintiff was
equally bitter against the stubborn
police official, and to get revenge she
and DR.. ParkhurSt began a system of
prosecutions against the house in which
the defendant in the divorce case lost
his marital honor, and in this revenge
full recreation Dr.. Parkhurst and his
parlShiOner acquired taste for perSe-
cutIOn and planned to encompass the
ruin of the police department and city
officials.
The mother of the plaintiff in the
divorce suit" Mr.. ByrneS said, "had
friend, woman of character, in whom
she thought she could trust, and this
woman called on her in reply to note
which is in the possession of Mr.
Byrnes. What occurred at that inter-
view was written out by the woman
who was summoned. She was sent by
the parishioner to DR.. Parkhurst, and
as soon as she was able she recorded
what was said then. This woman ap-
peared to DR.. Parkhurst and the mother
of the divorced girl to be willing to do
their bidding, but a few hours after she
had left them she eaSed her conscience
by going to Supt. Byrnes, and she has
been his silly ever since, although there
are twenty letters at police headquarters
to prove that Dr.. Parkhurst and his
paIishiOner believed that she was fur
thering their ends"
What these ends were is vaguely
sketched by Mr.. Byrnes. IL have this
correspondence in my pOSSeSSIOn," he
said, "and they show that Dr.. Park
hurst and certain members OF his con-
gregation have resorted to everything
that was diShonorable to get evidence of
any and every kind of clue to com
promise the chief magistrate of this
city, the judges of the courts, the
magistrates, the district attorney,
myself and high officials, eleven
persons in all. There are twenty letters
emanating from DR.. Parkhurst'S par
iShionerS, and each was followed by an
interview or interviews, all of which
were faithfully recorded. and the inter-
views are so near the context of the let
terS that | do not suppose they will
be contradicted. The letters will show
what instructions DR.. Parkhurst left
when he went to Europe, and everything
in the way of playing the spy on and
debauch OF the persons TO whom | have
alluded up to two OF three days ago. At
some later day | will talk further on the
subject, which is so interesting that l
have an idea of giving it out in sections.
las to DR.. ParkhurSt, | have taken
the trouble to gather some evidence of
his methods outside of this episode of
his parishioner and the go-between who
gave me the correspondence. One in
stance of his unscrupulouSneSS hinges
on the case Of Hattie Adams. Dr. Park
hurst told his pariShionerS that when he
appeared in court he would be embar
rassed if called upon to describe the
actions of the women who gave the en-
tertainment and wanted some indecent
French pictures to illustrate what he
saw.
1.-The parishioner, the mother of the di-
vorced girl, procured set OF such pict-
ures, but DIR. Parkhurst bethought him
that the question, How did you come
by these pictures? would be an awk
ward one, and at his suggestion they
were taken away and sent to him
anonymously by the post, and lie was
prepared to say that he had received
them from an unknown source"
The substance OF Supt. Byrnes' re-
port was told to Rev. DR.. Parkhurst at
his home, 133 East Thirty-tifth steeet,
last night. He smiled at first and
then. as he discussed it. he grew
indignant, and used some forcible
English referring to the superin-
tendent and the police department. DR..
Parkhurst said he knew of the divorce
case of which the superintendent had
spoken, and he intimated that some of
the information which had been secured
as evidence in that suit had been used
in the work the society of which he
is president had been carrying on. He
said he would not give the names of the
parties to the divorce, but added: ut
is an interesting case" DR.. Parkhurst
did not know who it was who had given
the letters. of which Supt. Byrnes had
spoken, to the police. He was indig-
nant that he should be charged with
lnsincerity in the crusade which he has
been carrying on.