Ernest Parke

Ernest Parke (26 February 1860–21 June 1944) was a political writer, editor, newspaper proprietor and local politician.

[3] He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1860, the youngest of four sons of Anne née Hall (1824–1902) and Fenning Plowman Parke (1826–1902), an Excise Officer.

[5] In 1888, on the recommendation of John Richard Robinson, editor manager of The Daily News, he accepted from T. P. O'Connor the position of sub-editor of the newly formed The Star.

[8] In the 31 August 1888 edition he suggested that Jack the Ripper, who had just murdered Mary Ann Nichols, was a single killer.

His journalistic curiosity aroused, Parke discovered that the young male prostitutes had named leading members of the aristocracy as their patrons.

[11] On 16 November 1889 he published a further piece which named Henry James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston, in "an indescribably loathsome scandal in Cleveland Street".

He had known for a week that he was likely be arrested and argued in his defence that he intentionally stayed in the country to accept the possibility of being charged with libel.

He meanwhile formed his defense team, consisting of Frank Lockwood, QC, and H. H. Asquith, who would later become Prime Minister during World War I.

He paid an admission charge of a sovereign but upon entering he said he was appalled to discover the "improper" nature of the place and promptly left.

[17] The last witness for the defence was John Saul, a male prostitute who previously had been involved in another homosexual scandal, this time at Dublin Castle.

[18] Delivering his testimony in a manner described as "brazen effrontery", Saul admitted to earning his living by leading an "immoral life" and "practising criminality", and detailed his alleged sexual encounters with Euston at the house.

[19] On 16 January 1890, the jury found Parke guilty of 'Maliciously publishing a false and defamatory libel'[16] and the judge sentenced him to twelve months without hard labour in Millbank Prison.

[20][21] Following representations by other journalists on his behalf to the Home Secretary Henry Matthews[2] Parke was released from prison on 7 July 1890, having served half his sentence.