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The Curious Case of Dr. Adamson B. Newkirk
By Carol Bradford
Adamson Bentley Newkirk, M.D. and his wife, Lucy M., probably
came to Hyde Park in 1873. He was 54 years of age at the time,
and she was 48. They joined the Hyde Park Presbyterian Church
by letter of transfer from First Congregational Church of Memphis,
Tennessee. Their oldest child, Clara Barker Newkirk also joined
transfer in early 1875. Three children: Jennie C., John N., and
Adamson B., Jr., joined by profession of faith in January 1877.
A son, Joseph T., joined by profession in March 1880, and the
youngest child, Malvina A., joined and was baptized in August
1881. Common practice at the time was for children to become
full members of the church at about age 12.
The Newkirk family may have been related to the Barker family,
who were already members of the church. Joseph N. Barker and
his wife, Frances, had joined the Hyde Park church in February,
1872, by transfer from First Presbyterian of Chicago, which was
located downtown at that time. (Note that this move occurred
shortly after The Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, at which
time many Chicago residents migrated to the suburb of Hyde Park.)
Joseph served as an elder of the Hyde Park church from July 1872
until his death in May 1902. He was the Sunday School Superintendent
from 1875 to 1878. Mrs. Barker was active as an officer of the
Women's Foreign and Home Missionary Societies. The Barkers lived
at first on Lake Park Avenue, and then in the mid-1880s built
a house at 5000 South Greenwood, which still stands. A relationship
between the two families is suggested by the middle name, Barker,
being given to the Newark's first child, and by the fact that
both families had a daughter named Malvina A. In addition, Dr.
and Mrs. Newkirk are buried in the Barker family plot at Oak
Woods Cemetery.
The eldest son, John, was apparently the first to leave home,
transferring his church membership to Sedalia, Missouri in September
1879. The following spring, Adamson, Jr. transferred to First
Presbyterian of Falls City, Nebraska. In November 1882 Jennie
also transferred to Falls City, a town now of about 5000 people
located in the far southwest corner of the state. Just a month
later, on December 18, 1882 their mother, Lucy Newkirk, died
of pneumonia and was buried in the lot owned by Joseph N. Barker
at Oak Woods.
The Session (governing body) Records of the church show that
at a meeting held on April 14, 1883 "Mr. Ferdinand Mayers
appeared before the session and preferred charges against Adamson
B. Newkirk of taking improper liberties with girls. His statement
was supported by letters from other partiesThe Committee on Dr.
Newkirk's case reported that he admitted improper conduct, but
said that nothing criminal was intended; Elder [Joseph N.] Barker
said that Dr. Newkirk consented to waive formalities and expressed
a desire to proceed at any time the session chose." They
scheduled a meeting for two weeks later to further consider the
charges.
The Session was operating in this matter under the Rules of Discipline
of the Presbyterian Church, which have remained basically unchanged
since their origin in Scotland in the early years of the Reformation
Era of the 16th Century. In those days, the church, rather than
the civil government, was the guardian of moral behavior, and
it was not uncommon for allegations of immoral conduct to be
brought to the attention of the elders of the church for actual
trial, determination of guilt or innocence, and punishment. The
censures available are rebuke, temporary exclusion (from office,
membership, and participation in the sacraments), and removal.
In the late 19th Century church membership was an essential part
of one's personal and social life. To be barred from the sacraments
was a very visible act which would immediately identify a person
as not being in good standing in the church. The community might
easily make the assumption that such a person had been found
guilty of immoral conduct.
Dr. Newkirk did not appear at the meeting held on April 27, 1883,
having given his consent for the Session to proceed without him.
"A communication from Dr. Newkirk was then read; following
which each member of the session expressed his views at length.
The paper presented by Dr. Newkirk admits the offense charged
and offers some explanations designed to mitigate the gravity
of the offense." The Session decided that it could not determine
the gravity of the offense "without a careful examination
of witnesses. Such an examination would, in our judgment, be
of serious injury to the girls, and its evil effects would more
than counterbalance any good that might be expected to result.
It is the judgment of the session that Dr. Newkirk be suspended
from the privileges of the church until such time as the session
may deem it wise to restore him. It is not deemed wise to publish
this judgment farther than to the parties making complaint."
The members of the Session at the time were Pastor, Rev. E. C.
Ray, and Elders Hassan Hopkins, Homer N. Hibbard, Joseph N. Barker,
George Stewart, John C. Welling, and William Olmsted. All were
business and professional men who would probably be considered
part of the elite of Hyde Park.
When next we hear of Dr. Newkirk it is in a letter addressed
to the Session, written from Falls City, Nebraska on November
19, 1883. In it, Dr. Newkirk "respectfully and strenuously"
urged them to consider whether the time had not already come
for them to restore him to the privileges of the church and grant
a letter of dismissal to the First Presbyterian Church of Falls
City. He reminded them "that the only guilt-which I admitted
was 'playful improprieties,' without thought of committing an
offense.
"I sincerely repented and do repent of the wrong which I
thus unintentionally did and only realized through the above
charges and its attendant circumstances. Earnestly and humbly
did I ask forgiveness.
"When my sentence was realized by me I felt it to be exceedingly
severe; as time goes on I feel more and more strongly the severity
of my punishment. I have tried to bear it with Christian patience
and now after the endurance of it for over seven months, I am
impelled to urge you, for the sake of Christian charity-of Christian
justice to terminate my punishment."
After consideration, the Session voted to restore him and the
clerk was directed to inform Dr. Newkirk of the action.
Exactly one week later, on December 18, 1883, the first anniversary
of his wife's death, Adamson B. Newkirk died. The cemetery record
shows "accident-thrown from buggy" as cause of death.
He was buried on December 22, next to his wife in the Barker
plot at Oak Woods. It is doubtful that he had received notice
of his reinstatement by the Hyde Park church elders by that time.
One can only speculate whether his death was truly accidental.
EPILOGUE
About a year later, Clara and the two youngest children, Joseph
and Malvina, joined Jennie and Adamson Jr. in Falls City, transferring
church membership there in March 1885. Clara returned to Hyde
Park and rejoined Hyde Park Presbyterian on November 27, 1889.
Her name is listed in the church directory of 1900, residing
at 5313 Washington (now Blackstone) Avenue. In December 1903
she transferred her membership to First Presbyterian Church of
Los Angeles, California. Today there are no Newkirks listed in
the telephone directories of Hyde Park or Falls City.
REFERENCES:
All quotations are from the Session Records of the Hyde Park
Presbyterian Church, housed at the United Church of Hyde Park,
1448 East 53rd Street, Chicago, IL.
Jean Block: Hyde Park Houses, Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1978.
Book of Order Presbyterian Church (USA), Louisville: Office of
the General Assembly, 1988.
The author wishes to thank Soubretta Skyles for her assistance
in locating records at Oak Woods Cemetery of Chicago, and Robert
Worley, Chief Academic Officer at McCormick Theological Seminary
for sharing his knowledge of Presbyterian polity and practice. |
