The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-01
PARKHURST NOT SATISFIED.
TIE SUPERINTENDENT NOT INNOCENT.
The Greet Reformer Sounds the Note OF
Warning and Intimzies that HIS WORK
Has Only just Begun.

tonight made public the statement he
promised regarding the handling of Super
intendent Byrnes by the Lexow COM
m.,tee while that official was in the wit
ness chair.
The statement, which is very lengthy
begins with the reverend gentleman eN-
pressing appreciation for the work Of
the committee and its talented counsei
uo TO certain point.
Late in November" he continues the
indications were clear that the investga-
ton was not to be pushed to it's close
with the same energetic and unsparlng
manner that had been followed up to
that date.
"A good many days passed in which
cases were discussed which weared the
public. which had no substantial addl-
ton to the knowledge already gained.
We knew that the character OF the ponce
force was a reflection from the character
of its chief executive and his immediate
suboriinates. and that however many
captains might be besmirched, and how
ever many sergeants might be cashiered'
the general use of the matter would not
be reached until we had arrived at the
quality Of the five men who together coH-
stltute its executive headshfp.
"In view of all this we are justified IN
saving that, while the committee stood
up to the rack magnifcently through all
the earlier portions of the investigation,
they Ainched at the crisis.
THE BYRNIs INVESTIGATION.
AS long ago as when Mr. Moss at
tempted to adduce evidence against Mr'
Byrnes i'm the Marrett matter the invcsu-
eating committee sprang to Byrnes ue-
| fcnse. Now. that is not thing to be de-
bated Their attitude was instantly rec
| ognized by those i'm attendance ana lis
tinctlv stated I'm journals of the next
meeting, the pursuit of lines that might
| possibly have conduced TO the real in
wardness Of Byrnes' conduct ard charac-
! ter was discouraged as it had been dis
| couraged in the case of no other man.
| Now. there was another reason for
/ that We are not saying just yet that
| there was anything that could be proven
! against Mr.. Byrnes. We are saying that
! the committee are holding their support
! from methods shown that something
could be proven against Mr.. Byrnes. We
| are not saying that there was anything
] i'm the Marrett case that was discredita-
| BILE to the superintendent; but we are
! savrg that the committee was indispOsed
| TO rave the matter thoroughly ventilated
in order to discover whether there was
ANYTHING not discreditable 10 the super
| inter dent. "rne chairman Of the commit
tee will not dare TO deny that 1t is poll
I cy' d have used that word adytscdiy; he
will recognize what / refer to) that con-
| trolled him in his handling of MIR. Byrnes,
| and not q desire to act in view or al the
| probable or ascertainablc facts in Mr..
| Byrnes case.
NcT PRESUMABLY INNOCENT.
"Now. the presumption is on the side
| of the Superintendents being as criminal
as any other member of the force, 80 that
the hestancy 10 handle him az Williams
was handled could not proceed from any
conviction Of his innocence.
Wherever they have stuck in their FORK
they have found rot. and whether Byrnes
be rotten or not. he has been in rot for
thrty-one years. and has been the eXecu-
tive head of rot Tor the last two years.
The presumption, therefore. is against
him. so that the indisposition to handle
him thoroughly must have been grounded
IN other consideration than that of his
presumable innocence.
There are two ways in which Mr.
Rvrnes has put tho committee under ohli-
cations. He put them under obligations
| by consenLing TO help defeat Taminany
Hall. and It is 10 be remembered that
this committee is first and foremost an
tant-Tammany committee. and came down
here for anti-rammany purposes.
We are not saying that it was stipu-
! lated that II we would secure an honest
election il would be remembered in MS
behalf. but in the nature of the case favors
have to be reciprocated We are not goine
% discourage Mr ByTnes' good offices al
election. only It is TO be remembered that
he did nothing that he ought 10 have
done without being asked TO DO it, and
nothing more than he had the same au-
thority to do i'm previous elections.
"MoRrGAGED THE COMMITTEE
The second way ia which the committee
nut themselves under obligations TO him
was by taking him into their confidence
and allowing him to bring "A confederate
with them in breaking down the force.
To the degree i'm which they obtained
help from Mr.. Byrnes they put themselves
practically under obligations to protect
him.
Now | know the language that ne used
touching ths point, and when ] heard Il
| knew everything was up Their ac-
ceptance of it had mOrtgaged the commit
tee 10 that extent. and, one peculiarly OF
a mortgage. It has to be paid Oft In TINS
connection It ought to be stated that MI
| Moss declares that he rever knew on
I
ing information 20 the committee or q
counsel, and that II was well known th4i
he would no sanction such action.
"Mr. Byrnes has repeatedly attempte
10 Pay ne same game with the SOcieJ
, for the Prevention OF Crime, but we nav
refused 10 ally ourselves with a ma
that we believed 10 be more than an
ether responsible for the condition o
the department. II we had consented {
do what the investigating committee an
its counsel have done we should have sur
rendered our point OF vantage, sacrificed
our prestige, and the LeXow committe
never would have been heard or We ar
not charging the committee or its cOunst
with a dishonest interest. but they bun
dered. and blundered badly. Mr.. Byrne.
as component element OF the depart
ment. vas 10 that degree defendant
BY being taken into the confidence o
the prosecution he wound himself out O
the box and on the bench, where he coul
kick the men who were more the su0Jcc
OF Indictment than he was.
''INyoLvID DEAL"
I'VE are not saying there was any TN
| derstand.ng, or az least any written stipu
| lation, that If ne would tell what h
knew about other men in the departmen
that were criminals he should no b
| called 10 tine witness-stand. or II calle
, should be allowed to use the stand as a
| ourortunity for discriminating his 0wl
associates and celebrating his own per
sonal and official innocence; but, whethe
there was any such stipulation or not
| the acceptance OF his assistance practi
cally involved deal. and a committe
that came down from Albany with th
| exDress purpose OF investigating deal