The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-02
THE ONEIDA DITCH swINDLE.

The Tribune has been printing the
| last few days Il report of a conscience
less swindlc in Idaho, perpetratcd by
| Mormon church officials on their con
fding people IT was so gross cheat
that even the most devoted OF inc
faithful who know the ease arc shocked
at it, and those who were deceived
and robbed have lost not only their
money but their trust.
We gave a faithful report of the case
| from day to day, as il progressed al
| Maad Yesterday morning an Idaho
attorney who was IN attendance at
the trial furnished us 2 succinct resume
Of the case, showing precisely what
was proved; that the prlestly manlpu-
lators of the rasholity used the com
pany's money for their own private
deals, making personal profits IN large
amounts, and utterly Ignoring the law.
| The styIe of crime committed Is pccn-
liarly characteristic of priestly methods.
which have notoriously been 10 use the
common funds for private ends, and
when profit was made the priests took
it: but where there was less, the com
munity had to suffer it.
The Idaho irrigation law is good and
easy to follow The people there are
proud of it, AS laying sure tounda
tion for developments, Bnt in tins If
rination enterprise. the Oneida lrr'
CATION Company, of which President
Geo c. Parkinson, of that church stake
of Zion, was the leading rascal, there
were no records kept for three years,
there was no stock book, and although
1t was public corporation, all lis
transactions were in the dark, The
motive for this secrecy became appa.
rent AS the roguery developed. 1t was
necessary to disobey The law in order
that the managers of the company
could rob their trusting brethren.
When these dishonest officers of this
irrigation concern sold It's bonds, they
gave great, big premium for the sale
of same; $1,000 was the sum mentioned
IS commission for the sale OF these
bonds. The law contcmplatcs no such
thing; yet one thing is certain the
this city got 10 per cent. of that COM
mission, whether il was paid to Parkln-
son or Hart This irrigation district
has lost that S6500. and the State lands
of Idaho under this irrigation system
must bear it's portion of the burden of
this loss. The transaction is entitled
to this deduction. Had this commission
money not been paid out illegally. the
church could not have received its 1.-THE!
And George c. Parkinson still reigns
as President of the Oneida Stake of
Zion,
They stole this money, and along with
il they stole the confidence of their
own neighbors who had placed them at
the head of a public trust on the pre-
sumption of their worthincss AS At
torney Richards said to the unrc-
sponsive jury, GLOW long can com
munity last founded on such men7"
Hart took this district money and
bought a ranch. He started in TO specu-
late on it. In the transaction be decided
TO a Mr.. Henderson a l60-acre piece of
the Armstrong land. He did this TO fool
his associates whom he and Parkinson
sought to deceive, In deciding TO Hen
derson, Hart was secure. for there is
another bond Of fidelity between these
two men; for Hart is living with and
raising a family by daughter of Hen
derson s, as Il plural wife.
Parkinson was the strong character
l.
servile tool Parkinson made Hart do
the dirty work, but always got back
from his periodical missions of a
religious, business or political character
in time to get his share of the graft -
BY his own hang-dog testimony, given
as thief always looks. conscious of
guilt, he put So of his own money in
the Armstrong ranch and drew out of
the deal which Hart made and held up
by Oneida Irrigation Company money,
$3.50. Nobody denied this, and be
cause of their community feeling for
him jury of his peers, unfaithful to
law but faithful to Mormonism, let him
pass back to Preston. to the scenes of
his official theft, unwhipped Of justice.
The jury disappointed the people
most in that they refused to set their
brand of disapproval on the acts of
thievery II was the morals of the
case which amounted TO the most. The
dollars and cents were secondary. By
the verdict Mormon treachery of law,
dishonesty, and betrayal Of a public
trust are all placed above a law so dear
to American-hearted people of the re.
mainder of irrigated Idaho.
Parkinson raised his right hand and
sworc to obey the irrigation district law
of Idaho. For three years he violated
his oath, and now that he is exposed,
even though cleared. he should become
the object Of scorn, hatred and pity of
every man, woman and child in and
about Preston, and for most of them, he
will
For his dishonesty in this irrigation
district matter Governor Gooding re.
moved him as a member of the Board