Letter from Franklin Dewey Richards, Robert Taylor Burton, Seymour Bicknell Young, and John Jaques, 27 June 1895
Salt Lake City, .
To Presidents Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon,
& Joseph F. Smith.
Dear Brethren—Your committe have
considered the case of Alexander Black and
W. Henry Hurst against James Lees, appealed
from the High Council of Summit Stake.
We find that Brothers Black and Hurst and
Lees all had made some improvements on a piece
of R. R. land, and Brothers Black and Hurst had
used, cultivated, and claimed it for years and
before it was in the market, but that Brother
Lees eventually bought the land of the R. R. Com-
pany and secured the title thereto. Brothers
Black and Hurst, if they could not get any of the
land, wished to be reimbursed for their claims,
water right, and improvements, and various
offers and attempts at adjustment were made,
but without success. Finally Brother Lees
required Brothers Black and Hurst to take away
their moveable improvements (stables, corrals, &c.)
within 20 days or forfeit them. The case was
not tried by the Bishop's Court of Coalville East Ward,
because one of the Bishop's Councillors was related
to Brother Lees, and, to avoid prejudicing the
case, it went to the High Council of the Stake,
whose decision was adverse to Brother Lees, and
a committee of three was appointed by the High
