The evening world., 1893-12-29
PARKHURST SPEAKS.
His Opinion Of Police Commits
sioner Sheehan's 0vertures.
Reasons for Believing the Tam
many Official Was Sincere.
To-Day's Meeting of the Board
Likely to BE Interesting.

Rev. Or. Charles II. P~arkhurst, Presi-
dent Of the Society for the Prevention
Of Crime, contributes his chapter this
morning to the interesting story begun
exclusively In The Evening World "
yesterday, about the overtures made to
him by Police Commissioner John C.
Sheehan. He puts a widely different
construction upon the subject which is
agitating political circles. and While In
du' ging in no harsh language he leaves
but one inference to be drawn-that
John c. Sheehan was anxious to divulge
all he knew, to get in out OF the rain,
as 1t were. before the storm broke in
ell its fury.
In the statement given out by Mr..
sheehan and published in yesterdays
Evening World the Police Commits
sioner denied that he had any informa-
ton to give away and that such a thing
as telling tales out OF school was never
furthest from his thoughts. He only
wanted a little social chat" tust 10
convince DR.. Parkhurst that he was
wrong In forming such a bad opinion OF
the Police Commissloners-that the lat
ter were really angels in disguise who
had been very much abused.
He went further in a second statement
given out late last night, and denied
that Richard Croker, had anything to
say o his proposed visit to DR.. Park
hurst. he did no more. he said. than
every other Police Commissioner was
willing to do. Citizens generally, ire
statement with the proverbial grain OF
salt. DIR. Parkhurst evidently does not
believe 1t at all.
The rsyerend gentleman was found at
by an Evening WORLD reporter this
morning, having just finished perusing
Mr. Sheehan's latest. After greeting the
him TO be a little more %outspoken.
Il see" he went on, " that Commits
sioner sheehan has said all he had to say
on the matter. In fact, he has spoken
oblisations, implied or otherwise, upon
me to Keep silent have been removed. |
want TO tell lust what construction |
posed conference.
and am stlil. When heard that hs he was
shMioSs to abo sse me e, ! ers thought nothing
the matter serious consideration. / would
not have reached the conclusion did
to see him-had thought for a moment
that ne wanted merely to explain that
the Police Commissioners were not re-
sponsible for the corruption in the De-
partment, or to convince me of their good
81 certainly believed that his visit i'm
piled a good deal more than that. | was
that the many things which we
wanted to know would have been unfold
and 1t was in that spirit that | en-
tered into the affair. 1t scarcely seems
unreasonable to any man that ! would
have met him for any other purpose.
M. sheehan says in his statement
me that 1t was a voluntary action on his
part, no one being else behind him. That.
In Itself. Is sufficient to sustain the view
wanted to see me only for myself, what
could have been his purpose? DO not
think It was to tell how good all the
other Commissioner We're.
says he wanted to show me that
the Board of Police Commissioners
would be only too willing to cooperate
with me, Yet he says he came without
Notwithstanding the fact that the
same Board treated all our complaints
with d%isdain; ignored us altogether or
bloTked us with departmental Formally.
The fact. as he says, that he did
want to see me. and that without the
connivance of others, clearly demon
strated TO me that he was a man with
wanted TO get rid of it. II / did not
think so | would not have entered into
the negotiations at all.
Now. j want 1t understood that ]
never made. this matter public or
dropped the least clue OF it to any one.
He has made II public himself. l think,
however, that ] should be set right be-
fore the public. That Is all I have to
say at present about Mr.. Sheehan."
DR.: Parkhurst hopes within a very
short time to lay some startling facts
before the public about police %irregulari-
ties and alleged crookedness. A number
OF men are at work making out a report
OF the Society's work during the past
six months. It will show the number
or dlSnrIprlv hnlgal In rta ean,lA.
the reports made upon them and sent to
the various police officials. but no action
being taken. The report will also con
possibly statements under oath.
When Commissioner Sheehan said that
Boss" Richard Croker had not In
posed visit to Rev. DR.. Parkhurst sew
eral people who knew better smiled
broadly.
Wei, what do you want him to say?"
Evening World" reporter. DO you
think that he can admit 1t now? But It
Is true, just the same"
m MIR; she or dros shG mnk,I have suc g better
ments altogether. Already people are
asking II 1t was not a fact that the
real reason for Sheehan's seeking DR..
Parkhurst was to try and convince him
that Supt. Byrnes was really the one at
fault; that Mr.. Croker had been consult
ed, and that the scheme was art OF
the pot 10 Dust the superintendent.
Even though Mr.. Sheehan may deny
It, such is the fact. Lawyer Moss may
have been right after all In thinking
there was a plot.
DR.. Parkhurst also said this morning
that he would not appear before the
present Grand Jury again. All the evil
dence he felt justified In giving had been
submitted. Evidence. however, Is accu-
mulating. The latest document he re-
ceived was an affidavit from a witness
who saw money actually paid by the
proprietress of n disorderly house to a
certain police official.
Mayor Gilroy would not discuss to-day
the statement made by Police Commits
sioner Sheehan yesterday, but he re-
iterated his declaration of a few days
ago, that he would order an Investigation