Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-03-11
Church Property i'm Dispute.
BIOTHER BROWNS ACCOMMoDATIN

BROTHER BROWNS ACCOMMODATING
SPIRIT.
To-day, Messrs. Bradley and Duvall filed
bill in equity for James III. Hin and others,
trustees of EbeneZer Colored Station OF the
Conference, against W. III. Brown to remove
cloud on title, &c. The bill states that the
cOmplainants with the defendant constitute
the beard of trustees of the station; that for
enjoyed the full and uninterrupted use and
occupation of that parcel of land known as
lot 5. square 800, claiming title to the same,
which they inclOsed as an appurtenance To
lot 4, on which the church edifice stands; that
both lots were assessed in the name of Ebe-
neZer Church in the year 1855, and so stood
until 1914; that some time in 1855 the trustees
received notice from the Tax Collectors
Office that each of said lots had been assessed
with special taxes for pavement and curbing
OF 4th street-lot 4 with tax of S114.21,
which was paid May Sth, 1856, and lot for
So 20. The church and trustees being pressed
Dy other demands OF pecuDiary character,
We're not in funds to paw the last-named tax,
and the defendant being then, as now,
trustee and fully cOnV ersant with the facts,
voluntarily offered TO advance the necessary
amount of money in order that they might pay
said tax ON lot 8, which proposition was ac-
cepted, and the said trustees accordingly, on
the Sth of May paid the amount, 5000, from
the money loaned by Brown. That, at the
quarterly conference held in May, 1856, il
was distinctly agreed and understood that,
in order to reimburse and secure him, he
might use and occupy the lot until the money
said agreement he secured possession and
continues i'm possession, using the same for
stabliDg and gardening purposes. That they
believed that he would surrender when pos
session should be properly demanded, but in
February last, when they invited the defend
ant TO make known his claim by q commit
tee. he uneQuivocally disclaimed any and all
interest in title TO said lot, and his only
claim was for the money advanced and this
he subsequently stated to the meeting to
which the committee reported. That in the
same month duly authorized committee
waited upon him and rendered the amount
(which he had stated was SI5.7i), but
he refused TO receive IL, and they
then demanded possession, which he
refused to give, and In turn demanded that
plaintiffs should prove and establish their
prise they have been informed that on the
30th of September, 1873, the defendant pro-
cured from one Dennis HOrner a deed pur
porting TO convey said lot in fee simple to
him: and they aver and offer to prove Hor-
Der had no interest in said estate; that there
was no consideration passed for said deed
and defendant, by this means, was endeav-
ing to cheat and defraud the plaintiffs by
falsely clouding their title to said lot, and
hoped thereby to bolster up his UBIQUITOUS
and unjust claim to the same. That said
Homer expressly disclaims that at any time
he had any estate therein, and says he was
ignorant of the papers he was signing, and
was perfect stranger to the defendant, and
had no knowledge whatever of said lot, or
even OF Its location, and had never heard of
the same until he signed said deed; and that
when he signed the same he was informed by
the defendant and his aiders and abetters
that he (said HOrner) was merely formally
signing his name as witness TO a deed, and
being an unlettered man he believed ne was
so doing" They ask that the cause be re-
ferred to the auditor to state an account
that the pretended conveyance be adjudge1
and decreed to be fraudulent and void, and
defendant be decreed to surrender posses