LETTER FROM SALT LAKE.
[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
LAKE CITY, August 26th, 1873.
An Unseemly Squabble.
The immediate termination to the latest sen-sation in the shape of the divorce suit of Ann Eliza Webb Young vs. Brigham Young, is an unseemly newspaper quarrel between Rev. C. C. Stratton, Methodist minister, on the one hand, and Judges Frank Tilford and F. M. Smith, counsel for Mrs. Young, on the other. The legal gentlemen were accused of speaking in a defamatory manner of Stratton and of their own client, and the circumstantial evi-dence that they did so is very strong. A re-puted conversation between Hagan, one of the lady's three counselors, and a correspondent of the New York Sun, appeared in that journal, was commented on by the Chicago Tribune, and those comments were reproduced in the Salt Lake Herald. At this point Stratton be-gan to feel that he could keep silence no longer. His motives for interfering in the divorce case were impugned, his personal morality was covertly attacked, and dark hints were thrown out of some deep and damning scandal at a previous period of his history, which was to be unearthed and exposed to the unfeeling gaze of a censorious world. He rushed into print in self-defense, and on Friday last his statement appeared in the Herald. In brief substance it was that he had become interested in Mrs. Young's case out of a ministerial desire to see a brand plucked from the burning, and one polygamic wife less. He had not advised her to go to the Walker House, but she had gone there on the advice of her counsel, contrary to his opinion of the proper course. The lady's lawyers had, after suit was commenced, taken a paper to her for her signature, by which she requested them to undertake her cause and agreed to let them have, in addition to the fee of $20,000 demanded and which they expected Brigham would be required to pay, one-half of the monthly allowance of $1,000 sought, and one-half of the full amount of alimony decreed by the court. This Stratton recommended her not to sign—it had the ebony hue of black-mailing. He told how this precious document was obtained from him—it having been left in his care—by misrepresentation and a false use of Mrs. Young's name; and published a note from one of the Walker House proprietors, over the lady's signature, forbidding his deliv-ering it, which was received a few minutes after Tilford had said Mrs. Young instructed him to obtain it. Then he entered into a de-fense of his private character; dared them to rip open his prior history; said he had been cleared from every stain which the "devil scan-dal" sought to affix, by both the ecclesiastical and civil courts; and was fully prepared to weigh reputations with them.
This authoritative statement regarding cir-cumstances connected with the case of which the public had only heard hints previously, created a decided sensation; and the more so as Stratton plainly said he had not moved in the matter of compromise until he had evidence of the attempt at blackmailing. A few hours alter his statement appeared
Judge Emerson's Decision
in the case was rendered, which added to the interest. It was brief and plain. He held that the District Court, under the statute, had not original jurisdiction in the case, which should have been brought in the Probate Court, whence it could have been appealed to the District Court. The decision created no surprise among lawyers, who did not see how he could rule any other way without disregarding the law. Still, it has been no unusual thing here for courts to find or make law to suit themselves, and hence there were not wanting some who were aston-ished and chagrined, having brought them-selves to think that in any case where Brigham Young was defendant a Federal Court must de-cide against him, law or no law. One individ-ual, a member of the "carpetbag ring," said to me he didn't know what the law in the mat-ter was, and he didn't care, but the decision annoyed him. Yet he did not dare to openly find fault with Emerson, whose judicial course in this district has won the warmest encomiums from the members of the bar, who regretfully parted with him on Saturday, when he adjourned the court sine die, there being for the first time in two years a clear calendar.
The Lawyers' Reply.
This decision, defeating the lawyers having Mrs. Young's case in hand, and compelling them to relinquish or appeal it to the Supreme Court of the Territory, coming so soon after Stratton's public charges, was a little more than legal flesh and blood could quietly bear. They immediately determined to carry the case up. If defeated in the Territorial Supreme Court they can take it to the Supreme Court of the United States, yet will hardly do so; but if McKean and Boreman should decide contrary to Emerson, the other side will undoubtedly take an appeal to the tribunal of last resort. In no very amiable mood Tilford and Smith pre-pared the reply, Hagan being gone to San Fran-cisco. They did not dispute the principal charges, admitted the existence of the document which had been presented to the lady for her signature, sneered at Stratton, said that when he charged them with defaming their client he uttered "an infamous, wicked and deliberate lie," called him
"A Canting Hypocrite,"
and used other language of a forcible charac-ter to express, in unmistakable guise, the warmth of their feelings. This appeared Sun-day morning, and gave Stratton an opportuni-ty to think it over between sermons; ponder on it between meals, and make it subject for reflection in the intermediate spaces between the times when thought will switch off from the most absorbing subject. He resolved to fight it out. His veracity had been impugned in re-gard to a reported conversation in which Gen-eral Maxwell, the "next friend" to Mrs. Young, had expressed himself strongly relative to rascality and the course of the attorneys; he had been designated a wicked, infamous liar and a canting hypocrite. He could not bear this—he would not bear it; and so came an-other card, published this morning, carefully written, but sharp-pointed enough to pierce the legal armor with every thrust. He embodied in it a note from Maxwell substantiating his (Stratton's) version of the remarks made by Maxwell. For "canting hypocrite" he inti-mated that he might retort with "shyster," and altogether made out a better case than his antagonists had done. General Maxwell also appears in a card this morning, over his own signature, giving the conversation between him-self, Stratton and Mrs. Young, which confirms the report made of it by Stratton in his first card. It is understood this evening that the legal gentlemen will not reply again; seeming-ly, it would have been as well for their reputa-tions if they had maintained a similar silence from the first. And so, in the meantime, ter-minates this sensational case. The
High Morality
which, it was supposed, had prompted it, has disappeared, and in its place we have a Metho-dist clergyman struggling for a proselyte; a woman dissatisfied with her condition, but who was willing to cover all the enormities of polygamy, so far as she understood any thing about them, for a respectable sum as compro-mise money, and a decided case of attempted blackmailing on the part of three gentlemen with previously high reputations at the Bar and in the world. The woman says that the lawyers promised to see that her board was paid at the hotel, satisfied they would make the amount out of Brigham, but that they never afterwards did anything in relation to the matter; and she is now, with her means run low, all but dependent on the hotel proprietors. The lawyers say she attempted to take the case out of their hands, and compromise it so as to leave them without fees. Stratton says be never interfered in the matter of a compromise until the lawyers with-drew from the case in consequence of their at-tempt at blackmailing their client proving a failure. And mutual recrimination is indulged in all accusing the others, directly or indirectly, of falsehood. The only person who has seemed to act honorably and honestly in the affair is Maxwell. He thought the woman was entitled to relief from a court; he had never met her, but permitted his name to be used as her "next friend" to aid her. Subsequently he got the idea that the whole thing was a ruse to secure legislation, and he denounced any such attempt, declaring that he would not be a party to ras-cality on any side. And so ends chapter one of the celebrated Young vs. Young divorce case.
Will Demand Investigation.
George C. Bates has gone East. He proposes delivering some lectures on Utah affairs; and his list of charges, having been widely pub-lished, has created a feeling that Congress ought to grant an investigation. His charges are being supplemented by actual facts weekly. Mail robberies are of frequent occurrence, but no steps are taken to discover the perpetrators. Sloanmaker, who was sent out West to look after mail matters, might employ his time to much better advantage in his legitimate du-ties than in stumping California for Stanford & Co. But being a politician, sold body and soul to his masters, he must do their bidding regard-less of how the public service suffers. The public timber continues to be destroyed, and nothing is done to punish those who are guilty of the offense. And in other ways Government officers act as if they disregarded public opinion or any influence that might be directed against them. I learned to-day, from a gentleman holding a high posi-tion under Government, and himself one whose reputation is untainted, that Judge McKean will demand from Congress an investigation, so far as he is personally concerned. Congress should grant it; and the same commission should thoroughly probe the charges of bribery made against the Mormons last Winter. Every lover of right and justice will demand that this entire Utah business be completely ventilated, so that the accusations and counter accusations of fraud and corruption by Federal officers and members of Congress may be proved or dis-proved, for they have become multitudinous enough here to shock the sense of propriety of even a Tammany politician.
The Courts.
The Third District Court adjourned sine die on Saturday, but the regular September term will commence Monday week, September 9th, when Judge McKean will again resume his seat on the bench. Judge Emerson opened the First District Court at Provo this morning. A dis-patch received this afternoon says an order has issued for a venire for a grand jury, returnable September 9th. This is the first grand jury in that district in a year and a half. Motion will be made before McKean for a similar order, but I have no idea that he will grant it. The Pro-bate Court of this county is in session, and its grand jury is presenting indictments against criminals. These cases will go to trial; where guilt is proved there will undoubtedly be convictions, followed by sentences; and then the Federal judges may possibly step in, as in the past, and release the criminals on writs of habeas corpus; so that the county can enjoy the amusement of paying all the expenses of a court, while crim-inals convicted by it, who can raise 120 to fee a police court lawyer, can be set at liberty, and thus enjoy almost an immunity on crime, no District Court grand jury being impaneled to find indictments.
The Justice's Court, with Clinton, the some-what famous Salt Lake City Police Judge, pre-siding, has been occupied for some days' with another perjury case—by the by, this sort of criminal charge is rather recklessly made now-adays, or there is much more reason for mak-ing it than formerly. Colonel E. A. Wall had J. W. Haskin of Vallejo, California, arrested on a charge of perjury in connection with what are called the Great Eastern and Great Western mining locations, Little Cottonwood, and the alleged altering of the records. Haskin was duly held to bail by Judge McKean, to appear for trial. In return, Haskin has had Wall ar-rested on a like charge, and there is a proba-bility of his also being held to bail for trial. The evidence is all in, the arguments concluded and the decision is reserved until to-morrow.
Business
continues unusually dull for the season. There is a large amount of ore being shipped; the mills and smelters are at work; crops are ex-cellent and are being safely harvested, but money is scarce. So anxious were holders of mining property to sell out for large sums, that mines of paying value are being mostly worked for the benefit of boards of directors at a distance, with occasionally a small dividend for shareholders; while the actual amount of money spent in the Territory is small com-pared with the aggregate value of the ore ex-tracted.
Mining Matters.
Cornucopia District, Nevada, has attracted a few miners from Utah, but the number is lim-ited, when the glowing reports from that "horn of plenty" region are considered. "Plenty in a horn" is how certain old stagers put it. Just now the Tintic district, seventy odd miles southwest of this city, is manifesting reawak-ened enterprise, and with railroad facilities would make itself more widely known. The Shoebridge company have nearly completed a new stamp-mill, which is being built with an Aiken furnance under the personal direction of Aiken, and a smelting furnace. Good results are expected from them, and the company, in addition to the Shoebridge mine, have pur-chased the Dragon claim, in Dragon Hollow, a property, which shows very excellent pros-pects.
In Camp Floyd District the Camp Floyd Company's mill has started up again, and there are hopes that the stock of this company, which had got down in the London market al-most to nil, will take a start upward. Now would be an excellent time for some judicious "bulling."
The Little Cottonwood Railroad is completed two and a half miles up the canyon, taking it within some nine miles of Emma Hill. It is questionable yet whether the company will carry it up the canyon on trestle work, endeavor to build it with the grade of the canyon, or build an elevated tramway for a distance, of eight miles to connect with the railroad. The trestlework plan is most in favor now.
Track-laying has commenced on the Salt Lake, Sevier Valley and Pioche Railroad, which will shortly connect the mines of East Canyon with this city; and track-laying is about to commence on the Bingham Canyon and Camp Floyd line, the grading of which is done to Bingham. This road can be completed to the last named camp in thirty days, with energy, and will be worth a vast amount to the owners of the large deposits of low-grade ores in that canyon.
General.
We are to have another newspaper here, as the Utah Mining Gazette, an illustrated weekly, is to commence publication on Saturday. The editors and publishers are Perry, Salisbury & Isaacs, formerly of the Tribune.
Last week was the most peculiar in a climatic view that has been experienced here in the past ten years. It was a succession of thunder-storms and rains, which should excite the at-tention of meteorologists as to the causes pro-ductive of such phenomena in these regions as a continued succession of such storms.
The local excitement to-day is a grand cricket match to be played Thursday, between eleven English and eleven of the Salt Lake Cricket Club. All the Britishers are interested; but the average American can see nothing specially attractive in the game; base ball is the thing.
U.
