The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-12-11
A DIZZY COLLAPSE.
THE HERALD,
Salt Lake City, Uta

Amore complete collapse in a Judicial
proceeding has seldom taken place than
that which occurred in the Zane-Dyer-
Williams-Peters affair yesterday. 1t
was a izzle, pure and simple, and Judge
Zane and those who stood back OF him
cannot but feel that they have been
acting like children. But whether or
not they regard it in this light the
pubIic will be apt to conclude that in
the modern classics, the ex-judge bit
off more than he could mastlcate.
When Judge Zane instituted the pro-
ceedings, the quite general belief was
that he knew what he was about; that
he was in earnest; that there was
foundation for the attack which he
had made and that the proof would be
forthcoming. The popular estimate OF
Judge Zane was that he was a
yerv clever, shrewd and earnest
lawyer and gentleman, and that
being above petty spite and narrow
mindedness, and being learned ia the
law he would proceed in manner to
command respect and to prove,
whether or not he established his asser-
tions, that there were reasonable
grounds for The investigation which he
solicited the privilege of making. 1t
was an open charoe of official wrong
doing, to use mild term, which Judge
Zane preferred against Mr.. Dyer as re-
ceiver in the church suits, and to es-
tablish the truth of the accusation, he
puts Mr.. Dyer on the stand and under
takes to question him as 10 the manner
in which he conducted the United
States marshal's office. Judge Zane is
too good lawyer to believe he would
be permitted to proceed in that way.
AS well might he undertake to bring
out Mr.. Dyer's knowledge of Greek
roots by questioning Mr.. Dyer as to
the manner in which he used to trans
port ore from Crescent Hill to Park Citys
The question was not as to
whether Mr.. Dyer, as Marshall
had purchased supplies fol the Peniten-
tiary from this firm or that one, or
whether potatoes grown in the PeniteD-
tiary ground were up to the standard of
the proud Utah tuber in size and deli
cacy of flavor; it was whether or net
Mr.. Dyer, as receiver of the property
cOnfscated from the Mormon Church,
had been faithful, capable and homes.
Being blocked in his attempt to go into
q general and unauthorized invesiga-
tion of the United States Marshal's Of
fee, the complainants denounce the
proceedings before the Examiner as
farce, and assuming a dignity which it
is doubted that they felt, retired in sp-
parent disgust. Truly, the whole
business now has the appearance of
farce, and very broad one, with some
thing of malice in the plot. If per-
sonal dislike of Mr.. Dyer had not more
to do with the Intervention of Judge
Zane and the institution of the inVestl
CATION than any desire to save the fund,
then yesterdays developments were
misleading and the sudden collapse OF
the affair must have been due to former
or present ignorance on the part of
somebody.
1t is now to be hoped that the fund
will not be raided for the fees and ex-
penses of the faIcical interposition
which has come to such a sudden and
cemicaI termination. If hate were at
the bottom of the business, let spite and
not the church money pay the bills,