Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-09-18
P. L. WILLIAMS TEsTIFIEs.
lie Tells Absut the Receivers Pur-
suit Of Properly.

Office Of the Salt Lake City Gas
d COMPANY. T.. /. Williams, Judge
u Judd and Arthur Brown, the three
attorneys for The ex-receiver, and r.
:. Richards, attorney for the
Church, were present, bat the gov
{ eminent was not represented by
: counsel.
Mr.. Williams was placed upon the
stand and testified at great lesgth IN
behalf OF the receiver. Neatly all
the ground he went over was old.
and made familiar 10 the public by
testimony been heretofore published.
The witness said: In my scquaini-
ance here in the past I have known
Of properties reputet 90 belong 1.-THE
Church, and have known Of its
reputed wealth, and convensed on
these matters with Mr.. Dyer; the
possession Of personal property by
the Church, l regarded IS s1fii-
cient evidence Of owner. hip and
steps were taken 70 recerer cii per-
sonal property that could he found.
The witness described what per-
sonal property, account books, etc.
had been seized, and stated that ac.
( count books dating Iriur 10 IssT
could not be found.
The teams used about the tith'nr Z
Office in this city were claimed by I
the salt Lake stake, and a demand /
| by the receiver for them was met
I with a refusal. believed these teams,
etc, could be recovered II P.ops steps 1
were taken, and filed au application 4
/ for a writ Of assistance which was /
I granted, and under il the receiver
! took possession Of the property. The
title was contested vigorously by /
the parties claiming ownership, and /
at ieEsth the claimants paid for IL.
The witness detailed at great
length investigations which had
been made in the pursuit Of Church
Property. He had understood that
the Constitution lot had been owneG
by Brigham Young, bct had been
turned over 10 the Church by his
executors in liquidation Of alleged
Indebtedness TO the Church. JohR
Taylor, rs trIIstee-in-trust, conveyed
the whole Of the lotto II :. Eldredge
and witness believed that II. :
Eldredge would swear that he
owned il absolutely and dld not az
first deem il wise 20 plant suit. One
man whc had ground lease os-
tensibly from Eldredge, tcld witness
that he paid his rem. 10 one Roster,
understood 70 be n Church agent;
later data were obtained to warrant
the filing Of complaint the names
OF the defendants We're cblairei
from the business signs on the
property, and TIE result Of the suit
was, 10 the Judgment OF witness,
very doubtful.
Witness gave the particulars re-
lating to a piece OF land west Of the
Lion House, which was included in
the compromise, told about the
lkcst-U, and the reason why suit a,
was not planted to recover il, which
was basel on the fact that the
Church had parted with its stock in II
the Theatre company before the
disincorporatirg law was passed.
BY inquiry OF persons friendly to l
the receiver, and 10y various other
means, investigations were pushed I
looking % the recovery Of property, Z
rial and personal, and gas stock,
street railway stock ard ether prop
erty were recovered. The witness I
gave The details OF several l
such transactions. With the
exception OF the suit planted 70 l
receive the property near the Lion :
House, witness regarded all the :
suits IS doubtful, for the reason 9
that the facts were in the custody CT )
persons hostile 70 the receiver. the :
reasons why parties who claimed I
Church property AZ length weak a
sncd was, Ia the opinion Of the I
thei- fe T OF pro est on I
for perjury, ana he believed that the Z
reason why the representatives % h
he Church 4. length agreed % a d
Of all its property FOR the C.
purpose OF 4 final decree was he {.
,ause they Eel. something akin 10 Il
Il
In the opinion OF the witness, IL a
would have been an impossi1ility | i
o have recovered = single specific q
liece Of the personal property FOR r,
which sd. rlj was accepted. Wit :.
ICES said. Il considered that when / l.
hat sum was offered by the Church <
Ind fiEaily settled upon, IL was n I
'lsar gain to the fund. for | don't Z,
Ielieve fifty cents worth OF the pro- :
lertyin lien Of which it was paid
,Ouli have ever been recovered. b
Marshall d R1yle endorsed this set h
cement" u
In relation TO the real estate suits, D.
he witness gave I. as his opinion AZ n
ne time confirmed since, that the n
ece;vgr would have lost every one a
/ them except the one planted for
he property west Of the Lion e.
louise. o.
Witnessed expressed to Mr.. Peters
heOpiuiou that the MOrmon Church Il
al not abandoned the teaching o. iii
racticc Of p0lygamy. This was in II
with the settlement for o,
be final decree, and vas designed "
D influence the government attor- "a
ey in respect TO that settlement. Il
Witness testified concerning in
cstigatiens la regard 10 Temple O.
nd Tithing properties in various
arts OF the Territory, by agents OF
he receiver, and 10y himself. He Il,
es-ribei the nature and objects OF =,
ne corporation which holds the title
} the Logan Temple, as stated in its D.,
harteT, and gave the history OF that
tie as disclosed by the records. He N
ls0 gave the history Of the titles OF +,
sveral tithiDg properties in Cache a,
luuty. He treated al length upon
take and ward corporations, and n,
ieir o gneTship OF property. An in a.,
estigation Of the title Of the tilhing a,
roperty in Brigham city disclosed ~
nat it vested in Brigham Young.
mis- was surprise 10 the people =,
lsre, who insisted that il had n
zen used and controlled by 4,
ZEN locally for tithing pur-
Oses, long before his death, aud
nat It belonged 70 them. Brigham
'oung's executors made no claim
IL, and the people had p1ssessory -
tie which witness believed was
God.
Witness testified concerning
TashalIie Farm, on which a co..
ly Of Mormon Indians were To- l.,
stei: il was worth from $1,000 T.
200, and the title was in John a.
aylOr. trustee-in-trust. Witness c.
-iieved that the title to this prop in
-ty could not be conveyed, and -,
lat no harm would come OF allow
Y 1t to remain as it was. Witness -
.stified concerning certain proper
Is in Ogden, used for tithing or re-
gious purposes; he thought possibly -.
ie tithing property might be traced "
lck through different Ostensible ri
Yners 10 the Church, as it had
ways been ussd for tithing pur- on
lses. A suit for this property is
ending: also for the Tabernacle
NJ FOR the properly used as n resi- n
snce by J.. w. Shurtliff; the latter m
claimed as a parsonage. ,
The witness was never party 10 OF
~ agreement 70 dismiss those sc