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Show SfDRIES&iflia" AMERICliiiipl Religion, Libel and Law in Zion City ZION CITY, 111. "One cent and costs" was the tine assessed against Wilbur Glenn Vollvu, general overseer of Zion City, by Judge Jncob Hopkins In Criminal court, following the denial of a motion for a new trial on a charge of criminal libel for which the overseer was found 4 guilty several weeks ago. The Judgment was entered by the court at the end of three hours of heated arguments between Attorney Henry A. Berger, chief counsel for the defense, and State's Attorney A. V. Smith of Lake county, who hud charge of the prosecution. The court costs. It is said, will amount to about $3.W0. Vollva, nt Zion, refused to comment on the sentence, sen-tence, but previously he had said he would spend $50,000 to win his point. Vollva was found guilty by a jury before Judge Hopkins after a trial which lasted over three weeks. He was charged In the Indictment with having made libelous statements about the Rev. Thomas Nelson, pastor of Grace Missionary church In Zion. Some of the things he called the Rev. Mr. Nelson, according to the Indictment, Indict-ment, were "an old tomcat," "an old ram," "a big old blatherskite," and "a torn fool." "The outstanding feature In this case is that it Is a suit between two men," suld Judge Hopkins, when tho arguments were concluded. "The case Is unhue Inasmuch as two ministers of the gospel are Involved. They are supposed to be shining lights to lead the people to whom they preach on to higher things. "Instead of these men confining themselves to the regular activities of upbuilding and making better men and women, we find them at each other's throats. "Vollva apparently bud some provocation provo-cation for this publication. Hut before be-fore he did what he did he should have consulted the Scriptures. He should have lived what he preached. I haven't any particular sympathy for either of them. Nelson did wrong In attacking Vollva. The lati'er did wrong In replying. re-plying. If they had paid no attention to each other they would not have been In this difficulty. "I think this case should be brought to a close. I do not see any reason why I should allow a new trial and thereby cause the expenditure of thousands thou-sands of dollars to settle the differences differ-ences of two men. I will therefore deny the motion. "I feel that justice will be clone If I make a finding for the state. That Is as far as I am inclined to go, however, how-ever, and I will impose a fine of 1 cent and the costs of the trial." |