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Show Oneida Ditch Scandal Involves Many Churchmen Taken and considered carofully, the report of Judge H. H. Rolapp, chief church auditor, and others of tho committee com-mittee appointod to look into tho roport of Oscar Hummel on tho Oneida Ditch scandal, Is a terrible arraignment of President George C. Parkinson, Arthur W. Hart, and President A. C. Henderson. Tho committee attempts to oliminato tho criminal features of tho practices of tho ditch officers, hut iu doing do-ing so thoy not only blundor misorably but show that they labored much against their natural inclinations. The roport which was printed In Wednesday's Tribune, and In tho News of tho evening before, la ono of the most startling documonts over given to tho people of tho lntormountaln country. It -was tho result of an examination made by a special auditor into tho criminal transactions of officers of the Oneida Ditch company, of Preston, Idaho. Tlio fanners living along tho ditch had boon robbed of over $50,000 by mon they trusted, and had been victimized furthor by extravagances that would make Boss Tweed sit up in wonderment. Auditor Rummol's roport, it is Btatcd was chock full of irrcgularitios, embezzlements, conspiracies and sharp practices that wore so stunning, that tho church auditor was made tho head of a committoo to go into tho report and make a statement of facts. Georgo O. Parkinson -is the presidont of tho Oneida stake of Zion, with headquarters at Preston. Ho onco represented rep-resented Studobakor thoro, and is alleged to have boon dismissed for crookod work. He is charged with the deliberate de-liberate stealing of ditch funds, and was made to disgorgo S10.000 of tho amount ho unlawfully appropriated to Ills uso. Arthur W. Hart, another officor, who was secretary of tho company, is charged with appropriating about $13,000 to his uso unlawfully. Ho is tho prosidont of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement association, and in 1003 was married in polygamy by Apostlo Morrill to a daughter of A. D. Hondorson, of Preston. Henderson is tho president of the Onolda Ditch company and is accused of putting up $27,300 in ditch bonds, on which ho borrowed that sum from the local bank. Tho bank, by Judgo Rolapp's committoo, is commanded to return re-turn the bonds to tho corporation. Young Miss Henderson was the company's stenographer and she is now gouerally accepted as Hart's plural wifo at Preston, Georgo M. Cannon of Salt Lake is drawn into the scandal. He is Bald to havo agreed to float $333,000 of tho ditch bonds at par, and his proposal is of record. Tho ditch officers paid him 10 por cent to do so, and he is now being held for $33,000 alleged to have been illegally procured. Cannon is accusod of unloading $100,000 of the bonds on tho Zion's Savings bank, of which ho was cashier. It is now stated that lie was asked to retiro from tho bank when it becamo known ho had received 10 per cont commission on this transaction. Those who claim to know tho facts say Prosidont Joseph F. Smith, a. .o tho bank prosidont, would not stand for Cannon's transactions. Now it is reported the validity of tho bond issue will bo attacked, and that it can bo shown that the bonds were illegally sold. Tho scandal has become so widespread that thoro is a likolihood President Parkinson will bo removed as president of tho Oneida stake. His crimos otherwise will be condonod. ne was rcmovod as regent of tho Idaho State University because of theso things. Ho is denounced by his neighbors in the severest fashion, and the won-dor won-dor is that ho is permitted his freedom and is unshorn of his ecclosiastical office. i |
