The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-21
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ABSOLUTELY PURE
DIED In A BAR ROOM.
Sad End of John NJ. Parks, Once a
Wealthy Man and Trusted
City Official.

-
John M. Parks, ex-City Treasurer. As.
SCISSOR aud Keeper at Snake Hill. died
at about half past five O'Clock last nigh,
unattended by relatives or friends ana
with nobody to witness his death but n
bartender and a stranger. There was n
tlms when Parks wal wealthy and ON
OF hudson County s foremost politicians
put he took to drinking and ten
years ago ne became SO addicted
10 liquor That his wife refused Co live
with him Since then he has not lived
with his family. although when his ell
DER daughters were living at home he
Used to call upo them occasionally !.
For two years. however, he has
visited his family but once, on the coca
siou CT the funeral OF one Of his daurh-
ters. He has always been friendly TO.
wards his children when he has me:
them. but this has been so seldom that
ne was almost an entire stranger to them.
He leaves one son and a daughter. Dur
ing the ten years that he has been sepa-
rated from his family he has gradually
sunk !ower ana lower In the social scale
until at the time Of his death he was
nothing but a poor druukard with NO
home but the barroom and no one TO care
Tor HIM unless It was a few companion S
who had sunk just as low as he mad.
NO HOME BUT H sALooN.
For the last live or six months be has
known no home, but Tom Bradey,s
spent most of his time there drinking
and talking over old times with the
habitues of the place. He was also a
we'll known character about the car
stables although few of the people who
saw him hanging around there knew that
he was the man who had once held the
most responsible position in the city.
AT four O'Clock yesterday Parks
entered Bradey's saloon. He tooK
q chair and chaJted for a while.
Mrs. Bradley asked him to 90 n little err
rand for her. and then for the first time
he complained of not feeling we'll. He
said that he would be glad TO do it, but
was unable to as he was not feeling like
himself. A few minutes later he called
for q glass OF water, and not long after
that he stepped up to the bar and asked
Bradley for u glass Of whisKey. He drank
1t. and then took a chair into the yard
and sat there among the unfinished mon
uments in the stone cutters yard
which adjoins the saloon. He
minutes when a passer by saw him top
pie over the arm of the chair. He called
Bradley and he rushed out to him, but
just as he reached him he gave a groan
and died.
REJECTED BY HIS WIFE.
AAo posiCS Oh the seventh pre-
clnct were notified ana the body was
removed 60 the morgue. Mrs. Parks was
notified, but she refused to take charge
oil the body. His relatives are wealthy,
and hold high social positions. They
will probably take charge of the body. il
Tor no other reason than to avoid scandal.
Ii. however, they should decline 10 claim :
the body. it will devolve upon the city TO
do the last honors TO one who served it
faithfully for many years in various
ca pacities.
Mr.. Parks was ffty-two years old. He
was appointed assessor of the Fifth dis
trict by the Finance board Ia 1877, and
served four years. Other ass essors ut the
same time were Michael Kilca nfey in the
First district, since a detective ut head
quarters; Dennis Mclaughlin now the
County Clerk, in the Second district;
Hugan Dugad, in the Third disteict, new
County Collector; Martin Logan, now
out of politics in the Fourth district;
James e. Clarke, now Tax Commits
sioner, in the Sixth district.
MIR. Parks came OF a wealthy and very
respectable family aud was considered u
very promising young man. He was
bright and amiable, but his career was
biighted by unfortunate habits.