The sun., 1903-10-15
MINISTER CAUGHT PEEPING.
WAS WATCHING Mr.. AND MRS.
ODONNELL IN THEIR HOME.
Saw IAght In the Rsom - He Was Passing
and Thought He'd Take . Lssk just
Because He Had been Fascinated ~
the Woman's 6inginG--Nleaat No Wreng

Because He Had Beon Fascinated ~
the WOman's 6inging-Meant No Wrong
John 8. Diven. who says he 10 minister
Of the Lutheran Church, but who WORKS 40
a clerk in Brooklyn stationery and book
store, stopped too long on Tuesday night In
front of Mrs. Helen O'Donnells homo. at
2lS Franklin avenue. Brooklyn. 1t hap
pened to be Diven's 8 ill-luck that two Brook
lyn detectives, Brady and McClusky' had
to pass the house on their way home. IL
was clock. end Brooklyn sleuths mako
1t a point to be abed early.
Brady stopped McClusky and pointed to
the basement OF the O'Donnell hous, A
man was on his knees with his eye. giGeo
to the window. The blind was raised about
three inches and the man was peer1ng
through this opening.
According to the detectives. who mo
behind the stoop, the man crept out 70 Inc
curb and put his face on t. level with tne
sidewalk. He stayed there moment ana
then walked up the stoop and into the arms
Of the sleuths, who thought they had
burglar. Their prisoner was Diven.
While this was going on Mrs. ODonnell
and her husband, Bernard. were In the
basement. Mrs O'Donnell Is a singer
and lectures on Irish music. Her husband
is q musician. Mrs. O'Donnell Is we'll known
In Brooklyn. For the last three years she
has lectured at the free lectures In the
Brooklyn schools.
Diven told the detectives that he was
going to make Il social call They sum
moned Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnel, who said
they had never seen Diven before. Mr..
O'Donnell said things when the detectives
told him that they thought Diven had been
peeping 1t his wiEe.
He had heard Mrs. O'Donnen sing and
admired her very much, he said. He was
sure that he liked MIR O'Donnell very much,
too He wanted " find out something
about their domestic life, and when he hap
pened to pass their house and see light
in the window he thought he'd look In.
There was nothing wrong in It. oh. no!
qua arters and locked up. Mr.. O'Donnell
intended to appear against him. but changed
his mind 80 Diven was discharged yester-
day in the Adams street police court.
bven was selling ten-cent box OF rubber
bands to two boys when SUN reporter
found hin, in Cooper Sons stationery store,
at 1918 Bedford avenue. yesterday afternoon.
-This has all been very much exagger-
ated, he said. ~You know these detectives
are officious persons. But am not criticis-
ing them. or course, the whole thing might
be very easily misunderstood.
Il had no sinister motives at all ! had
no intention Of harming any one. just
stopped there few nome nts, 1t seemed TO
me. The detectives said they watched him
for five minutes. Why l stopped don't
know Ny route takes me to and fro past
tho house.
.How did I know Mrs ODonnell Hved
there? Well. originally. think, found
out from one Of their circulars You know
they send around circulars. / don't know
them at all-never met them, in fact.
heard Mrs. O'Donnell sing and admired
her very much. You might say was fss-
cina ted"
.The detectives say you got on your knees
on the curb TO get q better view through
the window"
The street il torn up in front Of the house
and maybe had to put my knee on the
curb to get Up on the sidewalk. That il
all there was to that.
People living near tho O'Donnell homo
saw small boys step from the torn-up street
to the sidewalk all yesterday afternoon
without stretching their legs.
Mrs. O'Donnell made light OF the incident
Yesterday. She didn't think that Diven
had meant my harm.
We were having little dinner party
downstairs" she said "and we didn't even
know he was outside until the detectives
rang the bell He told Mr., O'Donnell that
he had met him before. but Mr.. O'Donnell
doesn't remember it,"
) Diven has been living in furnished room
at l73 Spencer street He saws he is q gradu-
ate Of the Lutheran Seminary at Gettys-
burg, Pa, ard that his wife and two children
are now living at Atchison, Pa. His last
charge was at Olney, III. but the congrega-
ton was disrupted. He has license from
Mayor Low to preach in the streets. He
WIS asked Yesterday II he intended to
preach again. and said:
Il have an opening in view view ! DOM
Do your"