The sun., 1897-01-12

B.ptist Church's Salt Comes 90
for Trial.

The action brought by the Tabernacle Baptist
Church. through tho Rev. DIR. Daniel G. Potter,
against John ID. Rockefeller and the Fifth Ave.
nue. Baptist Church. as trustee of the fund in
volvsd In the suit. came on for trial before JUS
tice Pryor OF the Supreme Court yesterday.
The action is 10 compel Mr.. Rockefeller to pay
the accrued interest on fund Of $4,000. tho
income Of which did not materialize through
depreciation Of the bonds given to establish the
fund. and also to have the fund restored by MIR.
Rockefeller, go that an income OF $4,000 year
is assured. Mr.. Rockefeller and Mr.. Potter
were both In court.
About six years ago the plaintiff church. II Is
said. at the request of Mr.. Rockefeller, secured
n 10o-year lease OF the property adjoining the
church and at the northeast corner OF second
avenue and Tenth street from its owner. the
ST. Marks Church corporation. A committee,
consisting Of DIR. Potter. George w. Murray.
and John ID. Rockefeller. was appointed to re-
move the buildings upon the property and erect
. new one to be called the Laura House, after
the name Of Mrs. Rockefeller. 1t was to be .
home for young women. MIR. Rockefeller re-
signed from the committee. and his private
secretary. George ID. Rogers, was appointed in
his place. subsequently,. IL Is averred, Mr..
Rock efeller tired Of the project and suggested
TO the church that II the property were turned
over TO persons he would name. he would give
or he would put $50. 900 in railroad bonds With
tho Fifth Avenue Baptist church . trustee
and the plaintiff could permanently draw ths
income. Mr.. Potter says tuat be advised that the
rent Of the property be taken for ten years bus
that he gave way when Mr.. Rockefeller
urged that the bonds be taken. Tho bonds
| taken were Northern Pacific Railway consolt-
dated land grant and mortgage bonds. Interest
was paid on them for eighteen months down to
June, 1898. when the Interest ceased. Mr..
| Rockefeller has continued TO pay the ground
that he carried out bis agreement as the rail-
road bonds wero accepted by the church and
were then 4 paying Investment. Henry L Row
land and George W. Murray represe nted hr,
Rock kefeller yesterday and Frank Harvey Field
| appeared for the Tabernacle Baptist Church.
| Mr.. Potter was tho only witness examined. He
| said that he had known Mr.. Rockefeller since
| 1880: that Mr.. Rockefeller had beenantorested
| in the work OF the church before tnat time and
had been one OF Its trustees. The witness gave
| the version. as here stated. OF the agreement
! number of letters of Mr.. Rockefeller were put
In evidence. In one dated Nov. l6. 1891, he
! wrote TO Potter:
II am your friend. aud will continue to stand
| by you and the work"
! Dr. Potter testified that he had been in the
! habit of calling on Mr.. Rockefeller aud cons
y-rsing with him and his wife about the church
| work. The case went over till to-day.
The motion to make permanent the tempo
| rary injunction secured by Julia Ross. mAtron
| OF the Young women's Home at l62 Second
| Society from interfering with her in the use Of
| the premises, came up before Justice Beach yes
terday, but at the request Of the society was Ad-
\ Iuurned a week.