Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-24


but they grind exceeding small"
The gentleman who repeated this fa-
miliar quotation was tall and sparely
built, with delicately chiseled features
and OF decidedly clerical aspect. He has
been among the steadiest of attendants
at the court proceedings by which Sidney
Bell is trying to secure new trial, not
because OF sympathy with the convicted
murderer, but to ascertain to what ex-
tent the testimony daily produced in
wolves Rev. I. Chalmers Easton, pastor
of Calvary church, in the mass of
bribery, con spiracy and perjury per-
meaiing that now notorious case.
The man is the Rev. John w. Ellis,
who few months ago was deposed from
the pastorate of the Central Presbyte-
rian church at Golden Gate avenue and
Polk street by the presbytery of San
Francisco on various charges, alike re-
hecting upon his integrity as man and
conduct as minister, and whose case is
now on appeal to the general assembly
OF the Presbyterian church of the United
States, which meets in Portland, Ore,
in May next.
pr, Ellis hes been for the past few
weeks freely commenting upon some
singular occurrences in connection with
some of the principal witnesses against
DR.. Ellis at his trial, which they are
pleased to term ''divine retribution."
DR.. Ellis, when asked if the rumors
about misfortunes having overtaken his
prosecutors We're trde, said, after some
hesitation, that they were. AS he rap
idly ran over the list Of the principals on
his fingers he said:
"One of them is now in the insane
asylum.
'Another died within six weeks of
pneumonia.
IA third has been charged with EN-.
bezzlement.
ga fourth lost his favorite son by
death.
GA fifth was crushed in street-car
disaster.
"A sixth resigned his pastorate and
resorted to secular pursuits.
"a seventh lost his standing in the
presbytery, which refused to send him
as commissioner to the general assembly.
"And the eighth is now involved in
the Sidney Bell case, and by several
affidavits, as we'll as his own, he is made
to appear as aiding conspiracy and brib-
cry. ,
''In addition to all this, as direct re-
suit of the persecution against me, the
presbytery has been divided and the
presbytery OF Oakland constituted and
taken out of it, and what is left is go
rumpled that it is but the skeleton of a
metropolitan presbytery.
When asked to give the names of the
witnesses against him who had been
overtaken by misfortune since his trial,
DR.. Ellis mentioned HI. G. Wilmer, the
Los Angeles banker, as the first on the
list.
''It was he who started the investiga-
tion," said Mr.. Ellis. II had property
while in charge of a church at Los An
geles worth 100000, for which Wilmer
held trust deed to secure q mortgage
of $4,000. Ny real interest in the
property was worth $35 900, but lost it
through Winners Vaccinations, and
then he wrote to this city afterward,
upon hearing of statements made by me
concerning the manner in which was
defrauded out OF my property, making
various charges, which were untrue,
against me. AT the time of the eccesi-
astical trial, in April last, l offered to
produce affidavits that Wilmer was in
sane, but the presby terry would not lis
ten to me or allow me to produce the
proof. Now mark what followed.
Eight months later-to be precise as to
date, on December 20, l891-upon a
complaint sworn to by his brother in
law, Samuel j. Lewis, and after due in
vestigation, Wilmer was committed to
the insane asylum. In their certificate
the physicians stated that the evidence
showed the form of insanity was mania,
and at times he was deeply impressed
by some business matter, the nature ol
which he refused to reveal l think
know the nature of the business which
so depressed and made him insane, and
can see in it the retributive hand Of
Providence"
Another of the witnesses against DR..
Ellis was George Van Dyke, clerk in
the office of Thomas Magee, the real
estate dealer
evan Dyke, to whom the note was
assigned, died of pneumonia was DR..
Ellis comment.
"Another one of those who took an
active part in the prosecution against
me was Monroe Greenwood, one of the
most active men IN the Young Mems
Christian association, who short time
| ago donated building on Fell street fol-
| a street-railroad branch of the associa'
tion," resumed DR.. Ellis. HE has al
ways been regarded as devout Chris
tian. Now, what are the facts that
have been recently disclosed about him Z
have here clipping from newspa-
per which shows that for more than
fourteen years he retained $532 collected
by him and belonging to the American
District Telegraph company, of which
he was treasurer, and by the accident
OF testimony in court on another pro-
ceeding the fact was disclosed and Mr.
Greenwood was forced to make restitu-
ton.
with regard to Henry Hafschmidt,
president of the board of trustees, and
Hugh Fraser, the treasurer OF the
church, both of whom took an active
and bitter part in the prosecution against
me, was to say that not long ago the
former was crushed in a car accident
and seriously injured and the latter
since the trial has lost his favorite son
by death. Ii that is not retribution
don't know what it is.
REV. Al. j. Kerr was the prosecutor
against me at my trial before the pres
bytery. At the meeting of the San FraE-
cisco presbytery some weeks ago ne
should have been selected as a comn1is-
6iOner to the general assembly. That