Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-08-01
REV. WATT TO CLERK pARvI8.

Inc FORMER EEiuta n AHttat htoat 80"
Latter, and with Few Comments
Washes His Hands Of the CONTROVERSY.
Editor Gazette. The subjoined
letter will explain itself. 1t is given
verbatim:
Dover, June 20 1896 Rev. Robt Watt
DEAR StR: Your letter at hand and care
fully read. am sorry to say before your
letter was received. received a conmlni-
cation from H. T. Price, city editor Of the
Mornihg Netcs, saying that you had In your
sermon on Sunday evening. June 23d.
charged me with receiving and refusing 10
enroll the bill In reference to houses of ill
fame. thereby preventing from becoming
a law, and ii | bad anything to say in
reply they would gladly publish the same.
And feeling somewhat irritable over the
matter, without waiting for your reply to
my letter to you. | wrote letter to the
Morning NeOs which was published on
June 25th. On the arrival Of the northern
mail ut Milford I received letter from
you, stating you had done me an in.
justice, and that you and Rev. Howard
would set the matter straight from
your pulpit. ] could not ask or
expect anything more, and no one
regrets more than the publication which
appeared in the Morning Ners over my
signature, and / willingly and cheerfully
will retract anything said in the above
mentioned communication that was de-
famatory to your character as a Christian
gentleman. After receiving your letter
and reading the same am due you an
apology for hastily running into print,
andam exceedingly sorry If lhaye incurred
your displeasure, or for any injustice |
may have done you, and hope you will
forgive me as charitable as l have you.
The facts stated to you in my previous
letter about the bill will, hope, convince
you | never had thing TO do with that
bill. II You have any doubt of my truth
fuiness in the matter write to Mr.. j.
Chambers of Dover, Del, who was the en-
rolling clerk of the House, and he can
give you all the evidence you desire. You
ask me If know woman at 203 Orange
street. Am frank to say do, and that
woman and the inmates of that house
asked me divers of times about the bill
and / invariably would answer, tue bill
would never pass, or the bill was locked
up, and would never see the light
OF day or some other like expression. and
at the same time knew no more about the
bill or what its fate would be than YOU
did. As you have had the manly courage
to right wrong you will not find me
wanting in the same manly courage and
stand ready and willing to do you full and
complete justice. Hoping to hear from
you remain yours respectfully,
w. L. Jarvis.
A few words of explanation would
seem necessary. In my note to Mr..
Parvis this sentence occurred al pre-
sumo you remember 1903 Orange street."
l had in nay possession facts which con-
nected him with the keeper of that
house. Those facts he admits in the
letter printed above. "That woman"
her character and the nature of her
business are a matter of record in the
municipal court of this city. She was
deeply interested in the fate of that bill,
as Mr.. Parvis previously admits. The
facts herein mentioned were in my
possession weeks before publicly con-
nected Mr.. Paryis with that bill. When
l learned that the bill in question had
not been enrolled the inference was that
Clerk Parvis had made good his boasts
to the woman aforesaid.
The state OF the case would seem to
be this: A trusted public officer gave
certain assurances to the keeper of dis
reputable house, and the inmates
thereof, concerning abill then pending
in the Legislature. The public can pro-
nounce its own judgment on such con-
duct. But Mr.. Parvis now confesses
not only that he gave such assurances
to those people, bat that he deliberately
deceived them. That is. he was anxious
that they believe him, though he him
self admits that what ne said was false.
| refrain from comment, the facts speak
for themselves.
In closing it may interest the public
to know that the above letter is pub
lished in response to the authors de,
mand. And further that as result Of
this agitation the now famous bill has
been enrolled and will be published
among the laws of our State. For this
all good citizens will be thankful. With
this statement of the case beg to wash
my hands of this controversy. I
ROBERT Watt.
WILMINGToN, July 25th, 1895.