Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-14
SOMETHING ABOUT
JAMES II. WALLIS SR.

A leading feature Of the Smoot IN
vestigation yesterday, was the testl-
mony OF j. II. Wallis, ST., who, accord
ing to the report, said that he had par
ticlpated IN the endowment cere-
mony'' 20 times, ana further that he
considered the VOWS Of the service TO De
merely Jokes.
Investigations made today, attempt
ing 10 loo9te the wltpess' home in salt
Lake, developed the fact that he Is a
shoemaker, with a shop az Az Fifth
East, and that he Is about 65 years old.
Once he was a member Of the Nor
mon Church, and lost his standing IN
H. through drink, II Is said For the
past six or eight years he has not been
an active participant in Church affairs,
although prior 10 that period ne Sc
cured a recommendation from his Blsh-
op to visit the Temple and on this
recommendation worked there for some
time,
AN INCIDENT,
William Langton, superintendent Of
the Peoples Cash Store, when seen
this morning and asked whether he
knew ]. II. Wallis said well / should
think that ] do. My experience with
that man Is one Of the bitterest Of my
life.
one night following the fire we had
I'm the store Wallis entered the place
and asked for me- / came down to the
front and asked him what he wanted,
He told me that he wanted to see me
I'm private and insisted that we retire
To the office. Once inside he said, Mr.
Iangton, unless you call my back rent
owing for the last ten months, square
and give me $1,000 before midnight /
will have you arrested for arson" |
was horrorstricken and asked him what
he meant. ~ have Just left the bed
side Of Brother Arrowsmith, your book
keeper who is dying, he said ana ne
made q dying confession to me that ne
saw you set fire TO the store
II was amazed said Ny. Langton.
II did not lose a minute, but rushed
down into the store and called my part
ner. Mr.. Mott, and told him what Wal
lis had said. i do not believe IT, SAID
| he, have him arrested for blackmall' l
then went down as fast as l could 10
Mr.. Arrowsmth's residence and saw
| his wife. She told me that Wallis had
been there, but that her husband was
unable to talk. and she had been In the
room during the whole time that Wal
| lis was there then went 20 Bishop
Keslor OF the Sixteenth ward and
found that Wallis had told him the
same story. After talking with, the
Bishop he implored me TO take no ac-
ton against Wallis II was one Of the
hardest trials Of my life to live under
the suspicious started by that scoun-
drel Wallis. but / agreed for bishop
| Keslers sake to be silent. The I'M
! pleasant notoriety that followed was
| the outcome OF this scandalous story
| but / was acquitted OF any connection
with the matter.
"Arrowsmith eventually recovered
and Is now In Denver In the employ OF
| the auditors department OF the Dem
| yer & Rio Grande railroad company.
| His wife Is in Salt Lake City az the
present time | believe. When Mr. Ar
rowsmlth recovered he emrhatIcally de-
MED the story IN toto and furthermore
Wallis admitted that he He'd both to
Mr.. Arrowsmith and myself, subse-
| quenty.
Now that Wallis has left the Church
| ana gone over TO her traducers | think
| am justified in telling this story TO
warn the public against this man.
| Otherwise IN response TO my promise,
| would have kept silent on the mat
ter"
A PECULIAR OLD MAN
Wallis is described as a peculiar old
man, OF strong opinions and radical IN
his ideas. lie would not let HIS sons
name be mentioned In his presence and
| claimed 20 be grossly insulted when
ever the name was spoken before him,
lie lived In the Sixteenth ecclesiastical
| ward for many years.and removed from
there to the Fifteenth ward two and a
half years ago, without securing a
transfer OF his certificate OF member
ship In the Church. He has lived at ms
present address about IS months. Be-
fore leaving for Washington Il was
known that he was a find" Of Charles
Mostyn owens and could be induced "a
tell all the terrible secrets Of the
Temple ceremonies.
His son. whose name Is so offensive
TO him, Is j. II. Wallis, Jr., and q
prominent resident Of Sugar City, Ida,
where he edits the Times. The father IL
also addicted 10 writing At birthday
celebration OF Bishop Kesler he once
furnished poem In which the Bishops
name was worked into an acrostlc
htrhlty complimentary IN nature.