The Washington times., 1922-01-15
CLAIM GIRL IS
HELD CAPTIVE
by ZION CHIEFS
Independents" Charge Secre-
tary Of Former Apostle Forced
to Undergo "Third Degree"
FORMER EPISCOPAL RECTOR
De vona, Man Accused, Was
Once Tried by Ecclesiastic
Court.

ZlON ClI1, H., Jan. IT, Inue-
pcndents" of Zion City, comprising
the faction opposed to the Church OF
Zion, plan to appeal to States At
torney Smith in their efforts 70 rescue
Miss Gertrude de Manuelson. whom
they charge Is being held captive by
the Zionists.
Miss Manuelson, secretary to the
Rev. 8. r. De Vona, a former apostle
of Zion, In undergoing "the worst
form of third degree" in an attempt
to wiring from her a confession that
she has violated certain church laws,
according to an affidavit made by Rev.
Thomas III. Nelson, of the Anti-Zioniss
Grace Mission.
He says the girl is bordering on mad.
ness from the treatment accorded her.
De Vona, the former apostle, recently
was communicated by Wilbur Glenn
Voliva, head Of Zion.
d. 8. r. De Vona had the distinction
Of having the only ecclesiastical trial
ever held in the Episcopal diocese OF
Michigan. 1t was an outgrowth OF a
series of events in st. Clair, where he
was for several years rector Of the
Episcopal church. ..
Never Tested in Court.
DR.. James w. Inches, now Detroit
police commissioner. was senior wac
den Of the church at that time and
was the prime mover in the attempt to
Gust DR.. De Vona. His charges
against the minister were never tested
In court, but resulted In the local
church Diminishing its rector. He re-
fused to leave, and when ordered to
do SO by Bishop Charles d. Williams
continued to hold services in his home.
DR.. Inches would not let the matter
rest there. but went to England to look
into the mans history. According TO
his charges, DR.. De Vona had pur-
ported to be q former Roman Catholic
priest who had left the church, but
DR.. Inches asserted he had disproved
this. At any rate, his ordination into
the Episcopal priesthood was based on
letters showing him to have been a
former priest.
Ministers Form Court.
The fractional trouble in st. Clair
continued for several years and
finally, in 1915, Bishop Williams pre-.
ferred formal charges of insubordi-
nation against DR.. DeVona. The trial
took place In the church house OF
st. Paul's Cathedral and a court OF
i've black-robed ministers heard the
testimony. Attempts were made to
bring out the past history of the
man, but because the charge dealt
only with characterization, DeVonar
who conducted his own defence. was
able to prevent anything of sensa
tonal nature being brought out.
The result of the trial was a con
viction, voted unanimously. but De
Vona appeared and won his case in
the higher ecclesiastical court. He
then gave UP his activities in St
Clair for the first time and nothing
was heard Of him for several years
when II was announced he had
Joined the Zion City colony of Dow
ieites.
Devona is q small man, wearing
. Van Dyke beard. He speaks with
precision, and those who attended
his trial were impressed with the
extent Of vocabulary. When he
took the witness stand in his own
defence, instead of merely telling
the story. he questioned himself
and then replied to his own ques-
tons, preceding each statement with
the word question" or answer"
His wife attended all sessions OF
the trial.