| Show SUIT FOR THE TEMPLE BLOCK IN MISSOURI A very interesting and important examination has been in progress in this thin city during a week past coming to a termination on wednesday evening alt has been conducted at rooms moms la in the templeton hotel before an examiner appointed by the united states circuit court for the western division of the state of missouri the caw case is a suit ault brought by the reorganized church commonly called josephites against the church of christ commonly called Hedric kites 21 to obtain possession and title to a piece of land in independence missouri known as the temple block about four years yeara ago agoa a notice was served on mr richard hill who was then president of the hedrick Hedric bites tes 11 1 1 but la Is now their bishop that if the land was not vacated and possession given to the josephites Josephi tep suit would be brought to claim it the Josep josephites Josephl bItes tes bought a piece of ground across the street facing the temple block and it was given out among their people at a distance that they held title to the temple block itself when it was discovered that this was not corretta cor recta pressure was brought to bear to remove the cloud to the titled a title that had no exist ence and instructions were given at af the josephlee Josephl te conference of april A april 1891 to bishop kelley to commence proceedings for the purpose in the following september suit was entered by the reorganized church as a corporation in iowa having its headquarters at lamoni The grounds for the suit were a quit claim claff deed from maria lou louise too johnsona surviving sur vivin 9 descendant of oliver cowdery whose three children now dead were alleged to have received a deed to the land from edward partridge bishop of the original church founded by the prophet joseph joeeph smith who purchased the property in his own name the reorganization also claim a title in equity to this land as successor to the original church of jesus christ of latter day sainte the Hedrick itea have held possession of the property or part of it for twenty years and A of it for fifteen years J granville Granvi Jle As edrick was a member of the church in its early days after the death of the prophet joseph he formed a church which be believed to be after the first pattern called it the church of christ 22 received the book of mormon and revelations up to 1884 as genuine and repudiated all after that date which he considered conflicted with them at blooming ton illinois in 1864 he predicted that the way would open up for his bis followers to go to independence in 1867 in that year they went numbering num numbering berin 9 about fifty soul sou sand leand commenced to get title litle to the land now in question their claim is that edward partridge purchased the land in his own name in 1832 his wife and three daughters executed a quit claim deed to janaes james pool W which iob was duly recorded this covered a tract of 63 acres which was conveyed in parcels to different parties the land became divided into lots of feet each and the Hedrick itee iten purchased from time to time and obtained title by warranty deeds to eight of them which they have surrounded with a fence and on which they have a small meetinghouse Irla in ghouse bouse the the defendant defail organization filed n answer in thirty days after suit was enter entered td after this thin the plaintiffs madean made an amended complaint having to J pay the costs of this and the new ani an i ewer oi of defendants defendant which was duly filed and finally an examiner was appointed merely to take teo testimony in the case but not with powers as a court A stipulation between the parties was made to this effect in january of the present year and in february testimony was commenced to be given at independence missouri if the equity claim of the Joeeph josephites ites should be established establish edit it would place in J jeopardy the whole of the 63 acres pur chased by edward partridge on which houses bouses have been built and occupied for many years the temple jots iota only being vacant and also about 1600 acres south mouth of kansas city which bishop edward partridge entered when he be went to missouri for the church in that equity claim ap involves the question of which is the church of jesus christ of latter day saints the josephites claim that theirs is the sue cessor to that church that it became disorganized at the death of the Prophet joseph smith and that the church of jesus christ of latter day saints in utah is apostate teaching and polygamy an and dother other doctrines not net taught by the prophet joseph jeseph and contrary to the tenets of the original church on this question testimony was taken in independence mo in february I 1 the ibe witnesses witness being james whitehead william B smith joseph smith WW blair H A stebbins john brackenbury and others of the reorganized church mr treaver of kansas city mind and P P E kelley of the josephites 21 appearing for that body and mr C A hall president of the Hedric Hedrick kites itea and mr J N sothern forthe for the defense the examination here commenced on monday march bishop E L kelley aud and attorney P P kelley for the josephites joseph itee 12 C A hall and james A hedrick for the defense assisted by attorney R H cabell of this city it 1 has been very clearly established I 1 that the prophet et joseph and b bis Is brother hyrum taught and practiced practised plural marriage that wm B smith did the same that it was taught to the twelve wid and others in nauvoo that the secret spiritual wife system of john cbennett which was denounced by SL a number of persons over their signatures and published in the IMAM and seasons was essentially different from the system of celestial including plural marriage taught by joseph smith that the endowments given in nauvoo were the same as those given in Uta hand that revelations to the church were given at different times which were not made public till afterwards mears hall and hedrick with their attorney have conducted themselves like gentlemen and have had the good wishes of all with whom they have met during their stay the kelleys kellems have acted like pettifog gers exhibiting neither a christian spirit nor that courtesy that Is usual among civilized people they have insulted and browbeaten aged and infirm ladies and gentlemen and exhibited that bearing that might be expected from persons persona engaged in a scheme to obtain the property of others in law and in reason the land in dispute belongs belong sto to the people who have bought and possessed it so long and who hold it sacred for the purpose designed subject to the voice of the lord unto auto them as to its final disposition if there Is an equitable title to it anywhere else by virtue of a trust to bishop edward partridge then it vests in this church of jesus jesue christ of latter day saints which has never been disorganized but has continued from april 6 1830 to the prom present day and which will never seek to steal that which it cannot obtain by lawful and proper methods |
