1839 – 26 October, p. 4 – Those religious outbreaks called Revivals, are spreading among many of the sects in the Northern States—Methodists, Presbyterians, Moravians, and Mormons. The last-named sect having been making a great display at the town of Patterson, in New Jersey. They stopped before the first tavern in the place, and thus chanted their main song:

Who’s a going ‘long with us,
Up to Jordan, up to Jordan?
Who’s a going ‘long with us,
Hallelujah! Over!”

They then prayed and preached, and exhorted, and went through the town proclaiming the near approach of the day of the Lord. No one molested them, and all seemed to listen with interest, if none were edified. The Mormons stopped in turn before every tavern, every factory, and every corner of a street, and went through their evolutions and religious exercises. When they had got through, they adjourned to a small bar room, to take a drink all round. After this, they left the town for the woods, followed by about 500 factory girls, and held a bush meeting all that afternoon and night; and many returned the next morning much improved in piety, but not at all improved in their personal appearance.

1841 – 21 August, p. 4 – Mormons Again. Last Sunday, in a private house filled with curious hearers, Mr. H. Herringshaw, an elder of the church of Latter-day Saints, in America, visiting Louth, was inspired to give an “utterance” to the new-fangled doctrines of Mormonism—a tissue of the sturdiest Campbellism, the rankest Irvingism, and the wildest Millenarianism; not, as would have been most apposite in the new tongue with which the elder is gifted, accompanied with an inspired translation, for a sign to unbelievers, but in his native dialect. After bespeaking the candor of his hearers, and proposing to answer any reasonable objections at the close, Mr. Herringshaw detailed the rhapsodies of Joe Smith, whom he styled “the long-predicted prophet, seer, revelator, and translator!” These were listened to without interruption to the close, when the speaker observed so much time had elapsed that it would not be convenient to discuss the subject as proposed. This was generally assented to; Mr. Brown, one of the hearers observed that an early evening should be devoted to that purpose, and before the departure of Mr. Herringshaw for America, that objectors might not be accused of unfairness in attacking the principles of Mormonism behind his back. No time was fixed for the discussion.

1844 – 3 August, p. 4 – Joe Smith, the Mormon prophet, has been shot dead, in an attempt to escape from custody.

1844 – 17 August, p. 1 – Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet. This extraordinary personage, who was shot in attempting to escape from custody, was born in the year 1806, in Manchester, New York. From an early age he attended a dissenting chapel, and when 17 years of age, it is said that an angel appeared to him, telling his sins were forgiven, and that he was chosen to translate the sacred Book of Mormon, which was written in the Egyptian language on the hill of Cumorah, in the New York territory. It was not, however, until four years after that he received the plates from the angel. The translation was conducted in a most singular manner: having prevailed upon a person named Harris, who resided in Palmyra, to assist him, Smith dictated from behind a screen, while Harris transcribed. Harris having had some misgivings in consequence of not being permitted to see the plates, withdrew from the sect after it had cost him 10,000 dollars; he was succeeded by a person named Cowdery, by whose assistance the translation was published in 1830; in the fall of the year his followers amounted to about eighty persons; but in the following spring they numbered above 1000, when they removed to Kirtland, in Ohio, where the first temple was built. In 1838, having been threatened by the myrmidons of the law, in consequence of having incurred debts to a considerable amount, they fled to Independence, Jackson County, Missouri; here they were shamefully treated by the Lynch lawyers, their houses levelled with ground, 30 killed, and 15,000 banished by the governor. The party then emigrated to Illinois, and in the western wilds built the city of Nauvoo, all the inhabitants of which are Mormons. It was estimated in the beginning of 1841 that there were nearly 100,000 of the sect in the United States. The Book of Mormon has been proved to be a novel, written by a person named Spaulding, since dead, transcribed by Smith and interpolated with portions of Scripture, the whole being intended to show that a great number of Israelites, on the dispersion of the tribes, emigrated to America, and in 420 A. D. were cut off by the Indians, with the exception of Moroni, who escaped and hid the book.

With regard to the Mormons, a correspondent of the New York Express, writing from Nauvoo, June 30, says, “The Mormons, greatly to their credit, submit to the loss of their leaders in silence. Not the slightest disturbance has occurred. The prophet and his brother were buried, yesterday, without parade, and in secrecy. Many of them believe that the prophet will rise again on the third day (tomorrow). A new prophet, it is whispered, has been selected, a Dr. Richards, formerly of Berkshire county, in Massachusetts. He is said to be a man of considerable talent, with a good deal of shrewdness and tact. The announcement would be made in a few days.”

1844 – 7 September, p. 2 – Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet.

This extraordinary personage, who was shot in attempting to escape from custody, was born in the year 1806, in Manchester, New York. From an early age he attended a dissenting chapel, and when seventeen years of age it is said that an angel appeared to him, telling him his sins were forgiven, and that he was chosen to translate the sacred book of Mormon, which was written in the Egyptian language on plates of gold, and had been hid for 1423 years in a box, on the hill of Cumorah, in the New York territory. It was not, however, until four years after, that he received the plates from the angel. The translation was conducted in a most singular manner. Having prevailed upon a person named Harris, who resided in Palmyra, to assist him, Smith dictated from behind a screen, while Harris transcribed. Harris having had some misgivings, in consequence of not being permitted to see the plates, withdrew from the sect, after it cost him 10,000 dollars; he was succeeded by a person named Cowdry, by whose assistance the translation was published in 1830. In the fall of the year his followers amounted to about eighty persons; but in the following spring they numbered above 1,000, when they removed to Kirkland, in Ohio, where the first temple was built. In 1838, having been threatened by the myrmidons of the law, in consequence of having incurred debts to a considerable amount, they fled to Independence, Jackson county, Missouri; here they were shamefully treated by the Lynch-lawers, their houses levelled with the ground, 30 killed, and 15,000 banished by the governor. The party then emigrated to Illinois, and in the western wilds built the city of Nauvoo, all the inhabitants of which are Mormons. It was estimated in the beginning of 1843, that there were nearly 100,000 of the sect in United States. The Book of Mormon has been proved to be a novel, written by a person named Spaulding, since dead, transcribed by Smith, and interpolated with portions of Scripture, the whole being intended to show that a great number of Israelites, on the dispersion of the tribe, emigrated to America, and in A.D. 420 were cut off by the Indians, with the exception of Moroni, who escaped and hid the book.—Sun.

1844 – 21 September, p. 3 – Mormonism. As some of those bedlamite saints were, on Sunday evening last, returning in company with their prophet from Rhymney, where they had been seeking the New Jerusalem, they suddenly and unawares found a pit’s dark and hideous jaws ready to devour them up. Whether this pit leads to the lower regions or not, is now a matter of uncertainty; but the manner of their becoming acquainted with it, was thus: -- Inspired by the inward spirit, which they had imbibed at Rhymney, they returned home, chaunting some heavenly hymns; but while their thoughts were bent upon the celestial abodes, their lower extremities took a fancy to stray on one side of the public road, and snugly deposited their owners in a dark and dirty pit, where they remained for nearly eight hours, till some miners relieved them from a Dowlais Pandemonium. One of the brethren dislocated his arm, and, as the last “unkindest cut of all,” the holy prophet broke his leg.

1845 – 1 November, p. 4 – The Mormon troubles had subsided, but not until an effectual demonstration had been made by the local authorities, who were prepared to put them down by force, by the strong arm of the law. Lynch law, according to the papers, had been put into requisition in the case of some Mormons near St. Louisville.

1845 – 20 December, p. 4 – Mormonism. The disciples of this faith at Girvan have received great encouragement by one of their number acquiring the power of speaking in unknown tongues—reckoned a great feat. She had for some time back been very anxious for this gift, and having fasted the whole of last Sabbath, she on Tuesday morning was gifted with the power—and that with a vengeance—alarming the whole neighborhood with the most unearthly screams and jabbering—a most decidedly unknown tongue. This she has continued to mutter, only for her own private benefit, ever since. We could recommend a lunatic asylum for such prophetesses. Ayr Advertiser.

1846 – 18 July, p. 1 – The Mormon War Renewed. The Mormons having nearly all abandoned Illinois, and taken up their march for the Pacific coast, public tranquility was restored in the vicinity of Nauvoo. Unfortunately, however, it was not to continue long. No sooner had the Mormon Priests got into the wilderness, than they began issuing blasphemous “revelations from Heaven,” proclaiming to all the faithful that after sojourning in the wilderness for a certain number of generations, the Mormon Church will be called back to occupy the lands of its persecutors, take possession of the United States, and rebuild the Holy City. Intelligence to this effect having been communicated to the new settlers at Nauvoo, by Mormons making pilgrimages to the Temple, it has been resolved to destroy that building, and obliterate all evidences of Mormonism from the vicinity. We wish that our country could be saved from the disgrace of this act of Vandalism, but we fear that, for Mormonism, like Mohammedanism, has shown itself to be so thoroughly a religion of the sword, that the fearful alternative will be resorted to. The Mormon Priests have directed their course to California or Vancouver’s Island, it is not known which. Their system is now almost a mere imitation of Mohammedanism. A plurality of wives has been granted by a late “revelation,” yet they have thoroughly guarded against the evils of licentiousness by regulations intended to ensure the most rapid development of a large and powerful commonwealth. They number about twenty thousand souls, having two thousand fighting men, and seventeen pieces of artillery. These Mormons are all Anglo-Saxons, many of them Englishmen, and were it not for their very convenient belief in constant revelations from Heaven, which some “gentile” may yet take advantage of, they might become a formidable people. There has been a division in the “Camp of Israel” already. We would not be astonished in the “Camp of Israel” already. We would not be astonished to hear that they had received a “revelation” to march into Mexico next month. The St. Louis New Era, of the 12^th inst., says: “A report reached here yesterday, by the steamer St. Croix, that preparations were said to be making at Nauvoo when she left, to blow up the Holy Temple of the Mormons with gun powder.” The rumor is not confirmed by later advices.

1847 – 7 August, p. 1 – It is stated in an Illinois journal, that the famous Mormon Temple, at Nauvoo, has been sold for a Roman Catholic church for the large price of 75,000 dollars.

1847 – 13 November, p. 4 – A Mormon Miracle. The prophet Stacey [Strang] lately persuaded some of the saints to help him to erect a house, declaring that if they did, he would work a miracle in their favor. The house was built, and they claimed the miracle. He collected them in a room and made them go through a variety of ablutions, and then turning them into a dark room anointed their heads with some ointment, and instantly their heads shone with a supernatural brightness. An incredulous saint, however, abstracted the ointment, analyzed it, and found it to be oil and phosphorus. The unbeliever exposed the trick, and Stacey [Strang] now owns the fact, and declares all miracles were effected by natural means.

1848 – 1 January, p. 3 – Latter-day or Mormon Preacher has been taken into custody at Bronfre, near Llanayron, on the charge of stealing a Welsh dictionary from the Crown public house, Llandewi-Sherath [Aberarth]. His Reverence, who, we are ashamed to confess, is a printer, was preparing his sermon at the time he was apprehended with the book about him.

1848 – 22 January, p. 3 – Abersychan. “The Latter-day Saints” have been playing some curious vagaries here. On Sunday last they held a very numerous meeting. A respectable-looking woman, named D--, said she was very ill, and had sent for the elders to put their hands on her shoulders; which being done, and being told that her faith had cured her, she said she felt as fresh as a lark, which her husband said was a fib. The chief Mormon at the top of his voice, told D—not to interrupt, or he might be popped into—not Paradise. Mr. D—then went to the Sun Inn, to solace himself with a glass of good beer; and as he had the key of the house with him, his wife followed and asked him for it, but he refused, saying that as she and the saints could do such miraculous things, she had better try her hand without a key; so she went, but returned, down in the mouth with disappointment, and said she would wash her hands of the saints, elders, and all, since they could not give her the power of opening the door without the key, and that she would not be frightened at Collins’ black pig any longer, a consummation which has given much satisfaction to her husband. A Correspondent.

1848 – 30 September, p. 3 – Extraordinary Occurrence. During the night of Friday last, between the hours of eleven and twelve, a very extraordinary occurrence took place in this town. A young man named Reuben Brinkworth was, in 1843, at Bermuda, on board the Terror, Commodore Franklin, in the Arctic expedition, when in the midst of a storm of thunder and lightning, he was suddenly deprived of both hearing and speech; and in this deplorable condition returned to Stroud, in England, of which place he was a native. He has since been residing with Mr. Naish, basket maker, Market Street, in this town, who, with several other persons in Newport, is attached to the community of people known as “Mormons.” Persons of this denomination have been able to communicate their doctrines to Brinkworth by means of writing, signs, and the finger alphabet. His sad condition, they allege excited their sympathy for his spiritual as well as temporal welfare; and their doctrines made very considerable impression upon him—perhaps more especially because their creed was that God did perform miracles in these days as He did in the days of old, and a miracle might be wrought in his favor. On Friday night last, at the time we have mentioned, the young man was suddenly seized with a kind of fit, in which he continued some time; and on his recovery he was called upon by sight to believe in the Savior, that the healing power of God might be exercised in his behalf. He was, moreover, earnestly entreated to be baptized; but this was very strongly opposed by a person in the room. The deaf and dumb man, however, signified his acquiescence—he was taken to the canal and baptized in the name of our Savior; and immediately on coming up out of the water he cried out, “Thank the Lord, I can speak and hear again, as well as any of you!” He now speaks fluently and hears distinctly; which marvelous circumstance is attributed to the power of Providence by the friends of the young man who called at our office with him, and gave us the details. We have heard from another source that this happy change in the young man’s condition is supposed to have been produced by the action upon him of the electric fluid during the thunder storm of Friday night. We shall not take upon ourselves to decide the matter.

1848 – 2 December, p. 3 – Pious Fraud. Three Mormon Prophets. A few evenings since, three persons called at a house in the locality of the Newport Cattle Market, and one of them requested lodgings for the night. He was accommodated, and the other two gentlemen, seeing their friend in comfortable quarters, took their leave. The lodger retired to bed about ten o’clock; but not making his appearance downstairs by ten o’clock next morning, the landlady supposed he might be ill, and gently rapped at his room door; but receiving no reply, she though he had perhaps been over fatigued on the previous day, and therefore slept late and soundly. A couple of hours more elapsed without the lodger appearing; and the good woman again went up, but this time peeped through the keyhole, when to her great alarm she saw her lodger stretched upon the bed apparently lifeless. She called up her husband, who went into the room, and without hesitation pronounced their lodger to be a corpse! At this critical moment, there came a loud knocking at the street door; on opening it the woman saw the same two men who had brought their lodger the night before. As soon as they saw her, they said, “You have a dead man in the house!” The woman said it was so, but asked how they knew it? “Oh, it hath been revealed unto us by the Angel of the Lord!” said the prophets. The husband, who appears to have been more wide awake than the wife, and who had been quietly listening to this, then said, “Oh, I see, I see!” and fetching a moderate sized walking stick, he ran up to the corpse, to which he applied his stick so effectually that the corpse sprang out of bed with one bound, huddled on its clothes with as little deliberation, and darting down stairs, joined his brother prophets, and the three decamped with the least possible delay. A similar “dodge” to this is reported in the “Travels in California,” which book is worth reading, because of its exposure of many similar tricks.

1848 – 16 December, p. 3 – The gang of burglars, which was captured at Cardiff by Sergeant Trewartha, (see our fourth page) was committed for trial on Thursday. James Rodd, one of the prisoners, had been a Mormon prophet.

1849 – 13 January, p. 1 – The Land of Gold. Every mail from the New World brings additional information respecting the discovery of gold in California, and confirms the exaggerated and dream-like stories which had been reaching the shores of the Old World for some months past. There is no longer any uncertainty about the matter—it must be no longer regarded as a fable or a dream, but as a “great fact,” which has, at length, roused the attention of gold hunters in every quarter of the globe, and awakened legislative measures in the Senate House of the States. The first discovery of this El Dorado thus occurred. In the spring of 1848, some settlers were excavating a millrace in the neighborhood of the Sacramento, a river about thirty miles to the north of San Francisco, having its rise in the Californian mountains, and navigable for boats about one hundred miles. It falls into the sea in the bay of San Pablo, as do also two other rivers, the San Joachim and Jesu Maria. In the course of their work they met with several pieces of heavy yellow-colored metal, which, being of a sufficiently peculiar nature to excite curiosity, were speedily discovered to be gold of great purity. For some time, they preserved the secret, and are supposed to have gathered a very considerable quantity before it transpired. At length, an Indian surprised them while occupied in searching, and although they endeavored to divert his attention, and detained him for some time, he acquainted his tribe, by whose means it soon became known in the country. Such unheard-of circumstance caused great surprise and some curiosity, but a few having tried for themselves, and having become most satisfactorily convinced of its truth, all other pursuits were abandoned, and all hands hastened to the “diggings”—the expressive, but inelegant name given to the gold country. Of this extraordinary matter, a letter from New York says, “Thousands of people here are going all but mad for gold—gold—gold! Scores of expeditions are fitting out for San Francisco, in California; some to go round Cape Horn; some to Chagres, and so across the Isthmus of Panama; and others by land, from Missouri to the Pacific. Besides these, there are societies forming at Pittsburg, Louisville, Cincinnati, Albany, and many other towns, and within one short month it is believed that nearly 10,000 men will be en route for the modern El Dorado. The gold washings are from the lofty Sierra Nevada and the ‘Coast Range’ of mountains, which, with the same geological features, extend for 600 or 800 miles: it is believed, nay, partially known, that the golden sands, lumps, scales, and debritic, extend more or less richly over the valleys and plains for that entire length, and from two or three to twenty miles or more in breadth. The people of California have assembled in public meetings, and have memorialized Congress for a territorial Government; also for the establishments of a United States’ mint to coin the gold-dust; and they have adopted resolutions to the effect, that it shall pass from hand to hand, as legal currency, at 16 dollars an ounce; whereas, from the scarcity of goods, and the difficulty of converting it into coined money, it does not now bring more than 10 dollars. But the worst feature at present is, that the Mormons—several thousand strong, and about 1,000 fighting men—claim the whole region! There will, then, be conflict and war. When was abundance of gold among men unaccompanied by bloodshed?”—English papers begin to send forth paragraphs, announcing the departure of bands of men to the gold country. Although there can be no doubt that it is a most pleasant thing to have possession of gold, we would advise none of our countrymen to go out in search of the precious metal.

We find it stated in the United States journals that the year’s cotton crop was worth 65 million dollars, and that the labor necessary to work up that raw material would cost 110 million dollars.

1849 – 3 February, p. 1 – The California Gold Mines. Letters from California state that further discoveries had been made in the gold region, which yield even a more abundant supply than the previous diggings. According to the latest accounts, the gathering amounted on an average to about 100,000 dollars daily, and was constantly increasing, without apparently an exhaustion or any limit to the supply. There was a great amount of distress among the diggers from the want of the common necessaries of life, and attended with very extensive sickness and mortality. Men loaded with gold appeared like haggard vagabonds, clothed in filthy garments of the meanest kind. To show the value at which liquors are estimated, it is stated that one man had two barrels of brandy, and sold them at the mines by the small wine glass at rates which realized him 14,000 dollars in gold. Articles of food and raiment were at most unheard-of prices; for gold was so plentiful in the possession of every one, that it seemed to have lost its value. Daily, additions are being made to the numbers employed in digging. No portion of the vast flood of emigration from the United States had arrived. A party of Mormons had collected large quantities of gold in the neighborhood of the Salt Lake; while on the journey one of them lost a mule with 1,280 dollars’ worth of gold on its back. The animal being frightened ran off in the midst of a vast plain and was irretrievably lost. A person lately returned from the “diggings,” and states that cattle were plentiful in the country, vegetables generally scarce, and very little fruit. There was a considerable quantity of flour at Sutter’s Fort, and very much was pouring in. He also says that he had read no account that at all exaggerated either the quantity or quality of the gold. He further states that gold is found in dry ravines as well as those covered with water. Persons who collect with any kind of system amass three times the quantity of dust and ore than those who go digging anywhere.

1849 – 3 February, p. 2 – The Mormons in Wales. On December 31 and New Year’s Day, the “Latter-day Saints” held their half yearly association in the hall of the White Lion, Merthyr. It was soon found that the hall, then containing 1,500 persons, was inadequate for many who were outside seeking for admission; officers were therefore sent to meet those who were not able to get in, at the Alfred’s Arms Hall, George Town. The platform contained from 60 to 100 “officers.” The chair was taken by “Captain Dan Jones” when the following particulars relative to the society in Wales were stated: -- 10 conferences; baptized during the last six months, 1,001; total baptized in the year, 1,932 (very few excluded); 73 branches, 156 elders, 180 priests, 147 teachers, 67 deacons—in all, 550 officers. The Swansea Herald, which reports the meeting, adds—“The thousands of Mormons in Wales appear to have great affection for, and confidence in, Captain Dan Jones, who intends returning in February to the valley of the Salt Lake in California. About 360 saints intend emigrating with him.”

1849 – 17 February, p. 3 – The fanatic Mormons, about 1,200 in number, first discovered the precious metal during their march, and are said to have extracted an immense quantity before it became known. Governor Mason, in his report of August last, says, from all he has learned he believes 13,000,000 dolls. worth had been extracted to that date.

1849 – 3 March, p. 3 – Pontypool. More Mormon Miracles Just Out. No. 1. A short time ago a poor woman living at Garnddiffaith, had a distress put into her house for rent, and some of the “latter day” worthies hearing of the circumstance called and covenanted with her, that the debt should be discharged by a miracle, if she joined their community, and had faith. A prayer meeting accordingly took place in the evening at the convert’s house, at which the bailiff was allowed to be present; and soon after she had declared that the light of faith was upon her, “a cat came mewing and malrowing into the premises, with a bag of money round its neck, just sufficient to pay the debt and costs!” No. 2. A few evenings after this amiable extrication of the poor lady’s sticks, a meeting was held in the same neighborhood, by the same parties, and during the loud extemporizing of one worthy, he requested (in a parenthesis) any person present, who had a crippled or deformed friend to bring him or her forward, and a miracle would be evidenced in the course of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour at farthest. A poor fellow with a waddling gait, and back like Richard the Third, made his appearance among the saints. The orator began the wondrous work, praying with a twenty-horse power, and rubbing him like a tin polisher; presently in goes a penknife into the hump; “feel that, my man?” says the Mormon; “not a bit on’t,” says Riquet with the tuft. A further penetration: “how now, my cherub?” “pretty comfortable.” Ditto third push—reply “I feel as sound as a brick and breathe better nor ever.” – “All right,” says Doctor Mormon, and resumed the rubbing, and squeezing the hump like a lemon, and down it goes, “small by degrees, and beautifully less,” till it came down from the size of a monster gourd to a “chany horonge.” “That will do,” said the wonder worker, “now cut, and tomorrow you will be as upright as any man on the garn.” The above I had from a very respectable man, a gaffer. Several of the men in one pit had joined the Mormons. Upon the gaffer’s going into this same pit one day, soon after the performance of the said miracles, he found, instead of the set of hard-working men he formerly had, nothing but a set of idle fellows, who were inclined to do nothing more than sit down and discuss the merits of their creed. He immediately gave them notice to cut the pit or the Mormons; they chose the latter, and at once explained how the miracles were performed. No. 1, in this way—A man during prayers walked off the woman’s cat; they subscribed a sum sufficient, tied it round grimalkin’s neck, and put her back into the house. In No. 2, they had a man (a stranger) ready with a blown bladder under his coat. After these were performed, a gentleman offered, if they would restore the sight of an old man on the Varteg, who had been blind many years, to build them a chapel, equal to any in the parish: but I have not heard that it is yet done.”

1849 – 7 July, p. 3 – Mormonist Miracles. – On Tuesday evening a follower of the notorious Joseph Smith, while haranguing a crowd, in Murray-street, adduced the fact, among sundry proofs of the blessings of Mormonism. That, on a true believer, poison would have no effect. One of his hearers, having a navvie’s exterior, challenged the preacher to a fair discussion, but thinking, no doubt, that he would come off only second best in the debate, the Mormonist endeavored to sneak away. This the crowd seemed not willing to allow, and, forming themselves into a circle around the preacher, gave him unequivocal warning that they were resolved to try his faith by a persona experiment. He was immediately presented with a few drops of prussic acid, at which he looked “unutterable things.” The crowd began to laugh, both at the preacher and his principles; but a policeman coming to his assistance, relieved him from the dilemma, by kindly becoming his counselor and conductor. – Montrose Review.

1849 – 21 July, p. 4 – A Mormon orator, while haranguing a crowd at Montrose, alleged that the blessings of his creed were so great that a true believer might swallow poison with impunity. The mob took him at his word, or rather resolved to test it; and some prussic acid having been produced, he was strong pressed to swallow a little. A policeman rescued the disconcerted boaster from his persecutors.

1849 – 15 December, p. 4 – The Mormons of Desert (Salt Lake), indulge in polygamy, and hold the doctrine that a man may have as many wives as he can support. It is said that some of the old men there have 20 wives, but that few of the young men have more than five.

1850 – 22 June, p. 4 – Item #1 – The Latter-day Saints. – These fanatics have again been introducing their vagaries into Cheltenham. On Sunday last, a part of them engaged the Town Hall, for a series of what they term religious services. The service in the morning was attended by a number of simple looking country people, who appeared as though they had walked from a considerable distance, and who were evidently the unconscious dupes of the Mormonite imposture; but in the evening, the affair having got wind, the hall was filled with a large number of the idle and the curious. The “saints,” and those who were congregated with them on the platform, were, during apportion of the day, regaling themselves with beer; and one of them, towards evening, offered a very apt illustration of Dicken’s “Brother Stiggins” and the pineapple rum. One of the “elders” declared that there never had been but one angel come down from heaven, and that was the one that came to Joseph Smith. The audience expressed their unbelief by hooting and hissing, and some by throwing dead cats and hands full of barley on the platform. The uproar could be distinctly heard in the Promenade. A person named Morris, who has recently become a convert to Mormonism, appeared to be the especial object of popular opprobrium. Every time the crowd caught sight of him, there were cries of “Who stole the cow’s head?” “How about the saddles?” and other epithets of derision. At last, the row became so continuous, that all the more respectable of the audience left the room; and a general rush being made at the elders, they beat a precipitate retreat, leaving poor Morris, and others of the deluded saints, to fight it out with the populace as best they could. The scene that followed, beggars description. Men lost their hats and coattails, and ladies the skirts of their dresses, in the general “scrimmage,” and altogether it was such a scene as has not been witnessed in Cheltenham, on a Sunday evening, for many a day.

1850 – 22 June, p. 4 – Item #2 – The Baptism of Mormonites. The London papers say that on Sunday evening, at dusk, the inhabitants of Pentonville-hill were somewhat astonished at seeing two carriages drive up to the Pentonville Swimming Baths, containing ladies, attired in the most fashionable manner. The ladies were observed to go into the boxes, and begin to undress themselves. In the meantime the Rev. Mr. Cook, of the Pickering Street Mormonite or Latter-day Saints’ place of worship, had addressed the auditory. He plunged into the water, his dress being made of Mackintosh’s waterproof cloth, and there awaited the arrival of the ladies about to be baptized. He gave out a hymn, in the singing of which all present joined. After a short interval the ladies made their appearance in bathing dresses, and, after having plunged about the water for some minutes, they were immersed three times, after which the rev. gentleman blessed them, and the ceremony of baptism, according to the rites of the Latter-day Saints’ religion, was terminated. The singing of a hymn closed the proceedings. It was stated that the ladies were suddenly struck with the ideas of the Mormonites relative to baptism, and at once consented to become followers of them. Their names did not transpire, though their equipages proved that they belonged to the higher orders of society.

1850 – 27 July, p. 3 – Latter-day Saints. A correspondent says, “This body of people, who regard their common designation, ‘Mormons,’ as a term of reproach, have established a pretty considerable connection in Newport; and having procured a large tent, capable of seating several hundred persons, commenced operations beneath it on Sunday afternoon last, on the Marshes of the burgesses. The gathering was great; and it might be observed, that a fair spirit of toleration was exhibited, the congregation appearing to listen with calm interest, as if to form the more correctly, a basis on which afterwards to raise opinions of the extraordinary doctrines inculcated. Captain Wheelock was the lecturer on the occasion. He seemed a true-born inhabitant of the “model republic,” and probably a good disciple of Joe Smith. He wore gay apparel, with a turn-down shirt collar, sported a massive ring on one of his fingers, and displayed his guard-chain and seal in no saintly style, but

“More for ornament than use.”

His pronunciation was of the thorough nasal twang. Of the “matter” propounded and expounded by the lecturer, we have but one remark to make—that it appeared peculiarly delightful to the Latter-day Saints, but to the uninitiated seemed an “ignis fatuus.” A second lecture was delivered by the captain in the evening, and collections were made after each service, to meet current expenses; but whether they were as good as expected, “this deponent sayeth not.”

1850 – 10 August, p. 3 – The Latter-day Saints. For the last few days our town has been placarded with the announcement that a discussion would take place at the British School Roots, between Mr. R. Hill, a Wesleyan local preacher, and Capt. Wheelock, an elder of the Mormonite body, on Tuesday evening last. Long before the time for commencing, numbers hastened to secure seats, as it was anticipated the attendance would be large. In this there was no disappointment; for the room was crammed, and numbers listened outside. After some hindrance, occasioned by the disagreement of the opposing parties relative to the appointment of the chairman (one urging the necessity of three chairmen, which was objected to by the other) the meeting selected Mr. Havard, grocer, to preside. He explained the rules to be observed during the discussion, and stated that each speaker would be permitted to occupy first three-quarters of an hour each, and then, to reply, half an hour: and after soliciting for both gentlemen a patient and candid hearing, introduced the captain to the meeting. The bills specified that he would establish from the history of their sect, and from miracles, that their teachers were inspired men, and that the Book of Mormons was a revelation from heaven. Some misunderstanding arose, in consequence of the captain’s asserting that the points he was expected to establish were unknown to him until he saw them specified in the placards. Mr. Hill offered an explanation to the effect that the arrangement was come to with the cognizance and consent of his opponent. Captain Wheelock was attempting to reply, when the meeting desired that that the discussion should be commenced. The gentleman then proceeded. To follow his line of remark would be no less a difficulty than it would be unprofitable. His notions of inspiration were peculiar. Every good man was inspired in the same sense, though not to have the same degree, as were the apostles: all of his sect had received the Holy Spirit at their baptism, which empowered them to perform mighty works, and the sayings of some of the Latter-day Saints and the ancient apostles and disciples were placed on a par. To demonstrate the truth of his theory of inspiration, he appealed to the experience of some of his friends who occupied the platform; they stood up, and readily testified to the correctness of his doctrine: and thus showed from the history (it should have been experience) of their sect at home and abroad, that among them were inspired men, in the number placing himself. As to the evidence furnished by miracles, he did not seem to value it much; it is true, when he came to that part of his subject, his was very limited. He related some extraordinary occurrences, and said that when his infant child was ill, he prayed over it, anointed it with oil, etc., and it was restored to health. It being intimated that the allotted time had elapsed, he resumed his seat. Mr. Hill rose and read passages from the Book of Mormon, pointing to several contradictory statements, for the purpose of invalidating its claim to inspiration; he strongly animadverted on the character, private and public, of “Joe Smith,” and his colleagues, contrasting it with that of the saints of scripture. In his reply, Capt. Wheelock did not refute the arguments and states of Mr. Hill, but tried to deprive of their force the charges against his founder, by alleging that many persons mentioned in scripture were equally bad. Mr. Hill related some amusing anecdotes respecting the kind of miracles performed by these men, illustrative of their wild notions and extreme gullibility. Among others he told the audience that the saints had engaged to remove from a man’s back a “hump,” which had been there for some time. The hump, it seems, turned out to be, not a “bottle of smoke,” but a bladder of wind, the size of which by the aid of a pin, became “small by degrees and beautifully less,” until speedily the protuberance disappeared. Some little disturbance was heard at the bottom of the room, and it was soon publicly announced that a woman had something to say to the meeting. She mounted on a form, and soon grew warm in her address, which was to the effect that for the last three years, she had every day (Sundays excepted) washed the back of the so-called hunchback, and that there was nothing the matter with it: this, with other circumstances she had made known to several parties, and to Mr. Arthur, an elder; to this, however, no reply was made—doubtless it was too truthful to be set aside. The discussion, which was listened to very attentively throughout, then terminated—the feelings of the audience being strongly opposed to Mormonism. This gathering, we think, yielded no harvest to the saints. Thanks were presented to the chairman, the speakers shook hands, and the meeting broke up. – We understand the Rev. Thomas Thomas, president of Baptist College, intends delivering a lecture on the Book of Mormon in the course of the ensuing fortnight. – Correspondent.

1850 – 17 August, p. 3 – Pontypool. A Mormon Miracle Interrupted. – On the 8^th instant, as Mr. H., one of the elders looked up to by the Latter-day Saints, was refreshing tired nature at a respectable inn at Abersychan, he met a person, named L., a widower, who chancing to make some allusions, with commendable sensibility, to departed worth, the elder friend gravely stated that he would bring the departed body up on “terra firma,” and mistake, for the small charge (considering such a vast benefit to the bereaved one), of fifty pounds. Mr. L., in the plenitude of connubial affection, closed the bargain, and the Mormon was just-a-going to begin the bring the lady “forrad,” when a third part came in, who, hearing of the compact, declared that the old Latter-day Saint was a gammoning the poor gentleman; upon which the would-be resuscitator discontinued some rumbling stomach prayers that he had begun, and pitched into the intruder, and a pugilistic encounter ensuing, the dead was left to rest. – A Correspondent.

1850 – 21 September, p. 3 – Emigration. A noble ship, the Sachem, has just left this port, with a cargo, and many emigrants, for the New World. Among the adventurers, we understand, is a “saint” and his family, of the Mormon persuasion, who are gone out to look for the New Jerusalem, having, it is said, forgotten, in his aspirations for a better land, to pay certain debts due by him in this port, previously to his departure.

1850 – 21 September, p. 4 – There was a disgraceful riot at the Mormon chapel, Spalding, last Sunday, one of “elders” having said in his discourse, that all in Spalding, except the “Saints” of the Mormon faith, were doomed to everlasting torments. The inhabitants severely punished the Mormon for the assertion.

1850 – 5 October, p. 3 – Lectures against Mormonism. A lecture was delivered at the Newport town-hall, last Tuesday evening, by Mr. Williams, carpenter, of Pillgwenlly, followed by another by Mr. French, late a student at the Carmarthen Presbyterian College. The subject was – The Evils and the Errors of Mormonism. The first-named gentleman did not adduce any particularly new or novel arguments against the creed of Joe Smith; but the lecture of Mr. French, delivered extemporaneously, was declared to be one of the most argumentative and eloquent addresses ever heard on a similar subject. There was some attempt at a reply by Captain Wheelock, the Mormon preacher; but the result was said to be a miserable failure. We understand that another “contest” was hinted at by the gallant captain, to come off at some indefinite period.

1850 – 5 October, p. 4 – A Mormon Pulpit Orator. During the whole of the previous proceedings in court, a short, thin, and cadaverous little man, with blue coat and woolen check shirt, lank visage, staring eyes, and long, straggling, wiry locks hanging over his slanting forehead, was observed stuck up in a corner behind the magistrates’ clerk, ever and soon appearing to be muttering something which, possibly, he fancied an opportunity would presently occur for his delivery. At length, just before the Rev. magistrates were leaving the bench, with the county members, two official-looking documents were thrust before the rev. gentlemen.

The Rev. Mr. Coles: Who are you, sir?

Applicant: My name is William Williams, sure; and I do want you to sign them papers.

Mr. Coles: What are you, sir?

Applicant: I works at the Machen colliery; and I wants you to sign that paper for me to preach the Gospel. I haven’t been with a paper before. It is used before we preach the Gospel.

Mr. Coles: What sect do you belong to, sir?

Applicant: A Latter-day Saints. (Much laughter.)

Mr. Coles: A Latter-day Saint! What is that?

Mr. Morgan: Yes, what is it? I don’t understand it.

Applicant: Why, -- dim Saisenach.

Mr. Coles: Come, come; you talk English well enough—what is it, at all?

Applicant: Why, you see, we believe in Jesus Christ; and that it we repent and be baptized, and the elders do lay hands upon us, we shall receive the Holy Ghost. And we do testify as the saints and apostles in ancient days.

Mr. Coles: Why, there’s nothing new in that.

The Rev. Chancellor Williams: And you perform miracles, also, eh?

Applicant: I can’t testify to that.

Mr. Morgan: Who are the saints, my man?

Applicant: Why, you see—

Mr. Morgan: Can you read or write?

Applicant: Oh, yes, sure.

Mr. Coles: Then read that Act of Parliament—(offering him the “Statutes at large.”)

Applicant: Oh, that’s English, is it? I can’t read that. (Laughter.) I can read Welsh a little.

Mr. Coles: Well, we know nothing about your papers; we can do nothing in it.

The Rev. Mr. Pope: Can you preach, my man?

Applicant: Well, sure, didn’t I preach to you now just? (Laughter.) You do all have a sight of laughing, I do fancy. (Renewed laughter.) Here, don’t you understand me? Everyone that do go out to preach, do get one of these papers, and ‘tis signed by the magistrates.

Mr. Coles: That paper is for Dissenting ministers.

Applicant, looking very blank: I don’t ‘stand that. (Laughter.) You do have a sight of laughing, sure. (Roars of laughter, amidst which the candidate for a Mormon pulpit looked quite galvanized.)

Mr. Coles: There is no need for any man to take the oaths of allegiance, till called on to do so. If I suspect that fellow, said Mr. Coles, of sedition, I can send for him (if within five miles) to come and take the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration.

Applicant: Why, didn’t you never sign afore?

Mr. Coles: No; there’s no necessity.

Applicant: Oh, then, I’ll take the papers where they do sign ‘em.

Mr. Coles: Aye, aye; take them away; but I advise you to take care, my good fellow, when you go about preaching, you don’t get a crowd about you, and obstruct the highway.

The disappointed “stump orator” had his documents given back to him, and having gathered them up, he stuck his hat upon his perspiring brows, cast a look as of pitying contempt on the gentlemen on the bench, and slowly walked away between the ranks of gibing spectators, and was seen no more.

[This Latter-day Saint, it appears, was ambitious of becoming one of the elders or preachers of that body; and understanding from some of the sect, it is said, that if he came before a bench of magistrates, and took the oaths of allegiance, supremacy, and abjuration, and obtained the signatures of the magistrates to a certificate stating that fact, such certificate would have the force of a license to preach.]

1850 – 26 October, p. 3 – Mormonism and Its Opponents. There is a decided tendency in the minds of most men, to oppose with vehemence those opinions which clash with their own, and this, too, in entire forgetfulness of the fact proved in the organization and advancement of all new creeds, opinions, and experiments, that mostly opposition tends the contrary direction to the point aimed at, and too generally defeats the very object it was calculated to attain. Thus it is with Mormonism or Latter-day-Saintism, or Joe-Smithism, or whatever ISM it may be. Because it has been opposed, it has gained more listeners, not exactly to listen to the exposé of the new doctrines, so much perhaps as to laugh at whatever novel doctrinal absurdities might be produced. The principles of Mormonism have been enunciated here by a very Boanarges in voice, if not a Paley in theological reasoning. Captain Wheelock, who is an American, certainly proved an acceptable orator to the recipients of the new creed in Newport. Whether his “arguments” were well grounded or not, they bore about them the stamp of originality, as the most incoherent and absurd theories frequently may. Fanatics, fools, and even “philosophers,” may play fantastic tricks before high heaven in wresting texts and scripture: and in this way, Captain Wheelock has taken ample scope and “verge enough” to dazzle and bewilder his “saints” with the veriest conglomeration of literal and adverse interpretations of passages in holy writ, that either zealot or innovator could possibly wish to gather together.

People unaccustomed to calm reasoning and logical argument, will more frequently applaud sheer nonsense and ill-digested crudities, than stop to analyze and condemn them. It is thus, also, with the favorers of Mormonism. Because a selection of isolated and inconsecutive texts of the holy volume may be poured out by a rapid and loud talker, and a construction placed upon them suitable to the declaimer’s views, his hearers cry “Bravo!” “Good, very good!”

Hence, then, it is almost a folly to attempt anything like a discussion with such a sect, on the baseless creed thrown up. It is a decided folly to attempt to conquer and convince them, too, on the public platform. It is a waste of time, and more—it is actually a furtherance of their interests, to give them public notoriety and the supposed character of martyrs, by lashing them with the whip-cord of ten-fold argument, the severity of truth, or the pungency of well-aimed sarcasm.

Mr. French, a student of good parts, and Mr. Williams, one of kindred spirit, hazarded a meeting of their own at the Town Hall recently, to denounce and expose Mormonism; the former made a brilliant speech, while the latter delivered an effective one. Captain Wheelock, who was present, treated the latter with contempt, but ventured on a ready reply to the former. Of course, his followers said he had the best of it, while the other side voted vice versa.

However, Captain Wheelock thought he could fight best in his own quarters, and accordingly called a public meeting to hear his “reply” to Mr. French, at the Sunderland Arms Assembly room, last Monday evening.

The room was completely packed, and the majority was adverse to the Captain. They elected Mr. Thomas Jones, agent at the Pentwyn Wharf, their chairman; and from his liberal spirit, it was anticipated that fair play would be the order of the evening.

Before the “reply” was begun, an arrangement was made, by which it was agreed that Captain Wheelock should first occupy what time he pleased in replying to Mr. French’s lecture, and the latter gentleman should then be allowed twenty-five minutes to overthrow what the Captain might have advanced.

Captain Wheelock commenced by a warm panegyric on the eloquence and abilities of Mr. French, and then dashed into his subject. To follow him in all his verbosity, although we took full notes of his speech, would be unprofitable. We can say, in a few words, that Captain Wheelock advanced the proposition, not directly in words, but inferentially, that the Deity was “a being of material substance,” actually possessing “the parts and passions” of the human family; and occupying, also, just the same number of “cubic feet in space,” and no more, that man occupies!! The speaker cited a vast number of texts, interpreted by him literally, to show from the Almighty’s conversing with Moses, “mouth to mouth,” and with other ancients, and appearing as a man, with two others, in the tent of Abraham, and several other similar instances, that the Divine Being was no other than a body of “material substance,” and possessed of “parts and passions like a man!” Of course, the Captain greatly enlarged on all the texts he quoted, and said he was guided only by the book of scriptures; and if he was told he was wrong, then he answered that the errors of Mormonism were based on the Bible, but that he as firmly believed that Mormonism was true, as that there was to be a second Jerusalem, in which men should fulfil the prophecies, and God should reign among them for a thousand years—the “new Jerusalem” meaning, of course, the spot to which the Mormon saints were now hastening “like doves to the windows.”

The Captain occupied about one hour and a half in the delivery of his speech, and great attention was paid throughout by the auditory.

Mr. French rose to reply, but was evidently at fault, having pre-supposed that Captain Wheelock would have confined his “reply” to the lecture which had been delivered; whereas, Mr. French remarked not one of the thirteen points put forward by himself, had been disproved by his adversary. Mr. French then made some apt allusions to the Captain’s theory about the “material substance,” and “parts and passions,” dwelt upon just before; and proceeded to observe that his lecture at the Town Hall defied Captain Wheelock to thirteen proofs, not one of which, as he had observed, had been alluded to by the captain in his reply:

1. Prove from scripture, that God is subject to higher intelligence, as we should be to Him.
2. Prove from scripture, that God cannot be everywhere present.
3. Provo from scripture, that God is, in fact, of the same species as man.
4. Prove from scripture, that the weakest child on earth will possess more dominion, more property, more subjects, and more power and glory, than are possessed by Almighty God.
5. Prove from scripture, that angels are the offspring of Adam and Eve.
6. Prove from the New Testament, that Almighty God eats, drinks, and sleeps.
7. Prove from the New Testament, that any one that will not believe the gospel given to Joseph Smith in 1832, will be damned.
8. Prove from the New Testament, that non-obedience to the Prophet Smith, is disobedience to Christ.
9. Prove from the New Testament, that you are justified in rewarding your enemies according to their works—that you are to act on the system of retaliation—an eye for eye, a tooth for tooth.
10. Prove from the New Testament, that it is right to support soldiers to wound and kill your enemies.
11. Prove from the New Testament, that such a personage as Joseph Smith should appear in the 19^th century.
12. Prove from the New Testament, that the great Salt Lake shall be the Land of Zion, the inheritance of the saints.
13. Prove from the New Testament, that Christ’s sermon on the Mount is not sufficient of itself to regenerate and bless mankind.

Mr. French having exhausted his time, Captain Wheelock had five minutes allowed him for reply, which being terminated also, the large crowd gathered together, appeared exactly as they were at the beginning, neither converted by Captain Wheelock, nor better “sustained” by Mr. French, though the feeling appeared general that another disputation should come off shortly. An announcement was made that Captain Wheelock would deliver a lecture on Mormonism the following evening.

We conclude with the same view with which we commenced this passing notice of a matter that has some demands on our space, because of its public prominency.

We understand that Mr. French will deliver a full reply to that which really appears to most persons to be “blasphemy, rank blasphemy,” as delivered by Capt. Wheelock.

1851 – 25 January, p. 3 – Alleged Mormon Conversion. It is reported that Mr. French, who obtained some little notoriety in Newport and elsewhere recently, by forcible and eloquent denunciations of “the Mormon imposture,” was “converted” to the very faith he had denounced, on Sunday last! We have received a letter on the subject, in which hints are thrown out that it would be prudent not to call it a “conversion,” as there was some particular motive at work, which did not warrant the application of that term, in its commonly-received sense.

1851 – 18 April, p. 4 – Advertisement. The following is a copy of an advertisement which we extract from one of the newspapers published at the Mormon settlement on the Great Salt River – NOTICE – P. P. Pratt is intending to take his departure on the first of January 1851, and may be absent for some years on a foreign mission. This is, therefore, to inform his debtors that he frankly forgives all debts due to him, and calls upon all persons who have demands against him to present them for payment on or before the 25^th of December next, or ever after hold their peace, as he wishes his family, during his absence, to be free from such annoyances as duns, blacksmith, cobblers, lawyers, sheriffs, and butchers bills, etc. And should he live to return, he would like to rest in peace, without having old debts to stare him in the face. Nov. 26, 1850.

1851 – 16 May, p. 3 – Emigration from South Wales. A large number of the best and most efficient workmen connected with the mining and iron districts of Rhymney, Blaenavon, and Blaina are about to leave this country in the course of a very few weeks, intending to embark as emigrants for the United States. Vessels are continually sailing from the various ports in South Wales with emigrants, and ere long a large body of Latter-day Saints will find their way, for the purpose of emigrating to the great Mormon city or settlement on the banks of the Great Salt Water Lake. Many of these Mormonites are employed in the iron districts of Glamorganshire, and comprise some of the best and most experienced workmen.

1851 – 21 June, p. 4 – A soldier, at Roscommon, says that Mormonism is spreading among the soldiers of his regiment.

1851 – 1 August, p. 2 – Acquittal of the Mormons in Michigan. – Detroit, July 10, 1851. – The trial of James J. Strang, and others, of the Beaver Island prisoners, on an indictment for obstructing the United States mail, which has been some days pending in the U. S. Court, was yesterday concluded by the acquittal of every defendant. The case was submitted to the jury on Tuesday evening, with instructions to render a sealed verdict. The verdict was agreed to without hesitancy by the jury, who were out but a few minutes consulting.

1851 – 1 August, p. 3 – A Mormon Prophet. John Price, a solemn, saintly-looking personage, who is known as the “Mormon Prophet,” was summoned to appear on Friday before the magistrates at Pembroke, to show cause why he should not be adjudged to be the father of the illegitimate child of Eliza Lewis, a single young woman, a member of his congregation. Evidence was given by several persons who were connected with the Mormonites (or Latter-day Saints) by which it appeared that the defendant had been seen in such situations with the plaintiff, as to leave no doubt of the crime having been committed. The details of the case are too disgusting for publication. The Bench expressed themselves satisfied that the defendant was the father of the child, and made the usual order for its maintenance. Upon the “Prophet” leaving the court, with others of his cloth, they were hooted and hissed, by a crowd of people who lined the streets.

1851 – 29 August, p. 3 – The Bible. A lecture was delivered by the Rev. Wm. Allen, Baptist minister, at the Town-hall, Newport, on Wednesday evening last—the subject being, as announced in the handbills, “The Protestant and his Bible.” Joseph Corsbie, Esq., presided. The lecture embraced a series of propositions and arguments, intended to prove the right of every man to an unrestricted perusal of the Bible—the lecturer asserting that the assumption of an exclusive right to interpret the Scriptures, and the withholding of them from the mass of the people, (as he alleged.) by the Catholic Church, were contrary to reason. and to the Word of God. At the close of the lecture, discussion was invited, and a young man named French, who has recently attracted public notice, as an example of the most eccentric oscillations in religious sentiment, came forward, and made some vague and irrelevant observations upon what had transpired. Having listened about a quarter-of-an-hour, the meeting became impatient at the inappropriate character of Mr. French’s remarks—and a gentleman present proposed that he be requested by the chairman to confine himself to the subject named for discussion, and not to deliver a lecture upon Mormonism. Having promised to do so, he was permitted to proceed a few minutes longer—taking advantage of the opportunity, however, to mingle a further measure of the Mormon element with his remarks. Mr. Allen, with exemplary patience, replied to his observations, fully exposing their flimsy and inapplicable character; and completely demolishing those portions in which there was even the appearance of argument. Several persons were afterwards anxious to address the meeting; but as it was understood that they were merely desirous of making statements likely to be personally offensive to Mr. French, their aspirations were judiciously subdued.

1851 – 28 November, p. 3 – Bloomers in Newport. Two of the newly-fledged curiosities, called Bloomers, have appeared amongst us, one rather matured in years and of some beauty, and the other in a transition state, from the blossom to the bloom of life. The latter lady was occasionally wreathed in smiles, as she sat with her companion on the platform, at the town=hall, on Monday evening, either at the novelty of her new attire, or the curiosity of the large assembly who gazed upon her.

The debut of the Bloomers at the town-hall, was greeted by many expressions of approval and disapproval, which did not, however, appear to abash these public-spirited advocates of “the rights of women.”

The lady who was to deliver the lecture, was Mrs. Wheelock, the wife, we believe, of Captain Wheelock, the American Latter-day Saint, whose lectures have been anything but on a reformation of the ladies’ costume in these “latter days.” The younger debutante who accompanied the Dexter-ous lecturer, was stated to be a Miss Dallen, the daughter of an apostle of the Latter-day people, residing at Pillgwenlly. Several of the same persuasion were present; so that some persons looked upon it as the commencement of a new movement in connexion with the Mormon creed.

The audience was very large, chiefly composed of male creatures, many of whom, however, treated their better-halves, and those who enjoy rosy hours of courtship, probationary for “that delightful state,” to the new Bloomer spectacle, probably as much with a view to the economy in dress, set forth by the blooming advocates, as to satisfy that inherent principle derived from Madame Eve—curiosity.

All unversed as we are in the mysteries of “many-coloured draperies,” we are obliged to depend on the information of a lady, for our description of the peculiarities and qualities of the Bloomer costume.

In the first instance, Mrs. Wheelock ascended the platform with a brown gipsy straw hat, and rose-colour ribbons, jauntily set on her head; her dark hair was smoothed plainly down beside her temples, and brought off over the ears, descending in long curls unrestrainedly behind the head; the jacket or tunic was an amber-coloured striped silk, fastened closely, high up the neck, with a small lace fringe above it, open at the chest, over an embroidered “shirt,” and closed at the waist, from whence it descended in tolerably profuse plaits, down just below the knees: and from that point the same kind of silk “pettiloons,” (vulgo, trowsers,) descended to the ancles, where they were tied and adorned with frills; and pretty little tapering feet were set-off by nicey-fitting cloth boots.

The younger damsel wore a white straw hat, with a rosette of blue and white tarlatan in front, coquettish looking enough, and plaid strings. Her hair was arranged similarly to Mrs. Wheelock’s. She wore an ample black velvet jacket, which descended a little below the waist; the continuation thereof was a full-blown pink satin, in which we should think there were as many “widths” as belong to the dress sought to be reformed; and from just below the knees, where this dress concluded, the real “continuations,” or pettiloons, of a texture like white satin, and tied at the ancles in a frill of like material, introduced very dainty little feet, clothed in a pair of light cloth boots.

Mrs. Wheelock stood by the side of the platform table, in order that the new costume might be fairly exhibited; and Miss Dallen modestly lounged in an arm chair, some way in the rear. The lecture was read from MS., enclosed in an embossed leathern cover, with long ribbons dangling from its back; and the language and sentiments of the lecture seemed to us rather the offspring of a masculine “genius,” than of the fair lady who read it.

The lecture was replete with allusions to the costume of the olden time,—the varying whims of the tyrant fashion in these latter days,—the monstrosity of the low-necked dresses, tight corsets, large “bustles,” we think they were termed, and “skirts” filled out like air balloons, sweeping the ground with their inordinate length; also, like the best machines and besoms of Mr. Moses Scard; and concluded with striking observations as to the utility, convenience, and desirableness of the Bloomer costume.

We regret to say there were some ungallant persons of the masculine gender present, who were ungracious enough to disturb the fair Bloomer, as her lecture proceeded; but the searching and indignant glances directed towards them by her, were such as evidenced a strong feeling in respect to the “rights of women.”

A word on the Bloomer costume. Mrs. Wheelock, said in her lecture, appealingly, that “the gentleman possessed a high and correct taste as to ladies’ dresses.” If we may lay claim to deserving a share of the lecturer’s “flattering unction,” and be permitted to express our “taste,” we should candidly say we did not like the Bloomer. Whether the generality of the “soft sex” will call this orthodoxy, or heterodoxy, we know not; but it is our candid opinion. Without a doubt, the immensely-spread skirts of ladies’ dresses are a monstrosity and a wonder; but the Bloomer style is not a lady-like or becoming substitute; and, admitting the necessity for a reform of ladies’ costumes, we still think a more pleasing and more attractive improvement than that exhibited by Mrs. Wheelock, and her young companion on the platform, can and ought to be introduced.

Returning from this critical dissertation, we must report the exit of the bloomers.

When Mrs. Wheelock had delivered, in good English, and with pretty pronunciation, the peroration of her lecture, (which lasted about one hour,) and had closed her book, she and her companion assumed their “hats,” and stood up, looking at the audience. The gaze was long-protracted, and, to us, appeared like a decided hint for the audience to retire. The intimation, however, was not taken; and the Bloomer ladies, appearing to be in “a fix,” as our Transatlantic brethren would term it, one of their male friends, in an unexceptionable black dress coat, turn-down shirt collar, and virgin-white kids, ascended the platform, and said the lecture was concluded, and the ladies were only waiting for the carriage. Thereupon, as if to take a nearer inspection, or a “last fond look,” the greater part of the male audience scrambled over the benches, and drew towards the platform, where they crowded round the Bloomers, with something of the curiosity of aboriginal inhabitants of some island in the remote Pacific, who crowded around the first new-comer they had ever seen, to ascertain what he was like. The scrutiny was as embarrassing to the objects of this curiosity, as pleasing to the inspectors; and the Bloomers only escaped those too-forward approximations, by rushing through a side door, and so gaining the lobby of the hall, (to which they were rudely pursued,) ultimately reaching the carriage, in which they were driven off, accompanied by the shouts and laughter of the crowds who had assembled around them.

In conclusion, we may observe, that Mrs. Foster, of London,—a lady of high reputation as a lecturer, and of varied literary acquirements, whose lectures at the Hanover square rooms, and the Whittington Club, have been attended by numerous and respectable audiences,—is about to appear in Newport, under the auspices of the Athenaeum committee, to illustrate the female costume of the last century, exhibiting paintings of the various styles, and giving graphic sketches of all, which will embrace, in particular, a description of dresses and their alterations from the “Hoop to the Bloomer.” We may thus anticipate a rich and, indeed, intellectual treat, which, we have no doubt, will be enjoyed by a “large house” especially as Mrs. Foster will appear in one portion of her lecture, in the Bloomer costume. —See Advertisement.

1852 – 6 February, p. 3 – The Mormons, or Latter-day Saints. To the Editor of the Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian. Vicarage, Aberdare, Jan. 28^th, 1852.

“Sir, In the last news from California we have a sad account of the disgusting details of the debauchery of the Mormons, as witnessed in their New City of the Great Salt Lake. The account is taken from the report made to Congress by the judges of that territory: it is, therefore, official. I make no apology for calling public attention to it, simply premising the fact, that in “the Hills,” so called the Mormons are to be reckoned by hundreds, if not thousands—Aberdare being, unfortunately, their great stronghold. I leave it, therefore, to those who have the welfare of the people at heart, to consider whether they ought not to be more earnest than ever in providing means for educating the working classes; whether the progress of this insane delusion is not to be imputed in some measure to our own lukewarmness; and whether, in the present state of morals, this be not a duty paramount to every other. We can be eloquent in evangelizing the Heathen, or proselytizing the Jew; and we are thankful that it is so. There is scarcely a household that has not its missionary box, whose swollen contents are outpoured over every land and every clime save our own. I said it some years ago, and incurred no small odium in consequence, that it would be as well if some of this missionary spirit were felt more practically among our own countrymen; and though that were but a niggard spirit that would confine all the efforts of Charity at home, yet Charity altogether abroad imputed but an indifferent state of things at home. But matters have much improved since, no so much, however, as to allow one nerve to be the less strung. We need all the efforts that have been made, and more, to carry on the work. Let the progress of Mormonism bear us witness. I appeal to every sect in the Christian community, and I ask them, whither have their backsliders mostly flown? They will answer, one and all, “To Mormonism.” Yet, what is this Mormonism? In vain you tell the deluded perverts; in vain you argue with them; in vain you confute them; they will not be convinced; they are altogether besotted, drunken with their folly. When such is the case; when hundreds of them have already left our shores; and when hundreds and thousands still remain, surely I require no apology for calling public attention to the report of the American Judges:

FIRST – POLYGAMY: “We deem it our duty to state, in this official communication, that polygamy, or ‘plurality of wives,’ is openly avowed and practiced in the territory, under the sanction and in obedience to the direct commands of the Church.”

SECONDLY – ITS UNIVERSALITY: “So universal is this practice, that very few, if any, leading men in that community can be found who have not more than one wife each, which creates a monopoly, and which was peculiarly hard upon the officers sent to reside there. The prominent men in the Church, whose example in all things it is the ambition of the more humble to imitate, have each many wives, some of them, we are credibly informed and believe, as many as twenty or thirty, and Brigham Young, the governor, even a great number.”

ITS SHAMELESSNESS: “Only a few days before we left the territory, the governor was seen riding through the streets of the city in an omnibus, with a large company of his wives, more than two-thirds of whom had infants in their arms—a sure sign that the evil is increasing.”

ITS INCESTUOUS NATURE: “It is not uncommon to find two or more sisters married to the same man; and in one instance, at least, a mother and her two daughters are among the wives of a leading member of the Church. This practice, regarded and punished as a high and revolting crime in all civilized countries, would, of course, never be made a statutory offence by a Mormon legislature; and, if a crime at common law, the court would be powerless to correct the evil with Mormon juries.”

Such is Mormonism at the Great Salt Lake. Such is the delusion which numbers its converts by thousands in the Principality of Wales. It is true there is not in this country an open declaration of plurality of wives. The unhappy converts delude themselves, or they are deluded by others, that though a man may have two or more wives, yet is one “the wife spiritual,” as distinguished from “the wife natural.” Such is the drapery by which the crime is glossed over. Let them reflect, however, if the power be still left then, on the matter contained in the above extracts. Let others reflect, also, what is their duty therein, as Christians and fellow-men. The Mormons should bear in mind the report is not the report of a newspaper, or an ordinary traveler, but it is that of the solemn judges of the land, men sworn to investigate the to declare the TRUTH. Your obedient servant, JOHN GRIFFITH, Vicar of Aberdare.

1852 – 9 April, p. 3 – The Mormons. The Swansea Herald publishes a letter just received from a Welsh miner, named Evan Powell [Howell], who embarked last year, with his wife and family, to join the Mormons in America. It is dated St. Louis, Dec 7. The deluded victim says: “Myself, together with my wife and child, have been ill here for five months, and now I am somewhat better, but I have lost all comforts, for I have buried both wife and child in the same grave in Illinois. I am now living at Missouri. It is very unhealthy here, and I beg of you to use all your influence to persuade my friends to stay where they are, rather than suffer themselves to be blindfolded into such a system of roguery and plunder as Mormonism. It is nothing but a mere humbug—I have found it to my heart’s sorrow. It would have been better for us not to have been born, than to have come here to be Mormons. They will take all from you at home, and starve you when they come here, if they have the chance, and take your wives from you. Their chief, Brigham Young, has twenty-four wives, and nineteen of them have infants at their breast at present, and those lower in office than he, have a smaller number, in proportion to their office, according to their station. Some have fourteen, some seven, and others different numbers. And now they are trying their best to insult the officers of the United States who have left their places and have gone to Washington, and as Congress is now sitting, we shall hear what they will do. The Mormons are very unkind to one another. I had to dig my wife’s grave myself. She had a decent burial, but the Mormons did not put their hands to help at all. The men who gave them so much money, had promises of land and everything else when they reached here, but they have been left to die in the workhouse. I wish to tell you also that the Sabbath is no more regarded here than any other day. There is gaming of every description here on the Sabbath—such as horse racing, rolling the ten pins, playing cards, etc.; and the leaders of the Mormons indulge in these to a great extent, together with dancing, swearing, and everything else that is beyond decency.

1852 – 6 August, p. 6 – A letter from Hamburg states that the Mormons have established a weekly newspaper at Hamburg, and have prepared a translation of their Bible. They have missionaries actively employed, and seem to have money. In Norway their doctrines are spreading.

1853 – 28 January, p. 5 – Item #1 – On Tuesday, a large number of the followers of the Mormon creed, estimated at between 300 and 400, left this town, to commence their wearisome journey to the Salt Lake. Men, women, and children looked well and hearty, and appeared to look forward with anything but dread to the perils of their journey. It is understood they are a detachment only of those who are in course of the season to emigrate, under the care of Capt. Jones.

1853 – 28 January, p. 5 – Item #2 – Newport Christian Young Men’s Society. NEWPORT CHRISTIAN YOUNG MEN’S SOCIETY

Anything of a public character pertaining to Mormonism, attracts to a pretty considerable extent. When, therefore, the above society’s program of subjects for discussion was issued, and it was perceived that the first on the list was “A comparison between Mohammed and Joe Smith—or, which was the greatest imposter,” many guesses were hazarded as to the issue; it being conjectured that some of the gentry from the Salt Lake would be present to repudiate the idea with indignation, that their prophet was an imposter. There was of course a large attendance.

Among the persons who crowded the benches of the British Girls’ School-room—the place of meeting—were several well-dressed and respectable-looking young women, apparently, near whom, settled down a few more elderly dames, who every now and then darted “looks of flame” at the damsels in close proximity.

The eye, however, wandered ineffectually around the room in search of an undisguised male Mormon—No! not one was to be seen. This damped public excitement—it was a wet blanket on the affair; for without a contest—a spectacle, by theological combatants—the whole matter would be voted common place. A ray of hope beamed on some countenances, however, when the physiognomies of the female parties before alluded to, were scrutinized. There was a foreshadowing of something akin to a debate there.

The proceedings commenced in a manner customary to the society; Mr. Stone, a gentleman of bland, suave, and intelligent manners, presiding, He read the following handbill:—“On Wednesday evening, January 26^th, 1853. The Essay for Discussion on the above evening, in the Girl’s British School-room, Llanarth-street, runs thus:—Was Mohammed or Joseph Smith the greatest impostor? As the Mormons of this town intend to send a deputation of their Priests, etc., to uphold the Character of their Prophet, the public are respectfully invited to the discussion.” This being put out of hand, the president called on Mr. Flanigan, who explained the nature of the terms agreed upon last Sunday, between himself and a Mormon, who had seen the program, and courted a contest. By these terms, the general of the Mormons, President, or Elder Shirtcliffe, was to see him (Mr. Flanigan), on the subject of the controversy; but like the “Thenyum” people, he “didn’t come.” Thereupon Mr. Flanigan wrote the following note, and took it himself, to the Celebrity’s residence.

Half-past Four o’Clock.

1, Dolphin-street, Newport, Monmouthshire,

January 26^th, 1853.

Mr. Shirtcliffe, etc.,

(An Elder of the Mormons)

Sir,—I have a serious charge to bring against you, this evening, at the meeting to be held in the Girls’ British School-room, Llanarth-street: the subject for discussion is thus:—“Was Mohammed or Joseph Smith the greatest impostor?”

Your attendance to rebut (if you can) my charge, is earnestly requested, and also to aid in explaining your views of Joseph Smith’s Prophetic office, which we brand with imposition and deceit. Sir, I am yours, etc., J. Flanigan

The Mormon was not at home; and the good lady of the house politely promised to give him the note when he came. But, though the handbill read, had been issued, and a strong force got up for the maintenance of the announced subject, Mr. Elder Shirtcliffe neither came himself, nor replied to the note of invitation; nor was he present this evening, it appeared, to answer for himself. Consequently, the business, like the Bridgenorth election, would be all on one side.

Hereupon several parties who had paid their three pences for admission, on the faith of the handbill, which announced the discussion, “thought aloud,” whilst others whispered audibly, their idea that the said handbill was a “draw;” and hinted that they should move at the conclusion, that their money be returned. It appeared, indeed, that they were only dissuaded from making a demonstration at once, by some neighbors suggesting that they had better wait till the close; for there might be something worth the entrance fee, after all.

The Chairman said the first party who would claim their attention was Mr. Rosser, who, after a moment’s hesitation, stepped upon the platform, and addressed himself to his subject. Although we like not to damp the ardor of a young man’s literary tastes, we must certainly say it would have been better had the speaker a little more practice grammatically and historically, before he made his bow to a discriminating auditory.

Mr. Wakley, we understood, expressed his opinion, that whereas a comparison was intended to be drawn between Mohammed and Smith, only some remarks on Smith had been given by the speaker, and his fellow-impostor had been slighted.

Mr. Rosser at once returned to the platform, and said he had not intended his discourse as a “whole,” but merely an introduction. Those who would follow him, he observed, would say something worth listening to.

This was verified by Mr. Flint, Mr. Evans, and Mr. Flannigan, the succeeding speakers. While we cannot find room to follow each, although our note-book contains their forcible and sometimes eloquent remarks, we may state that Mr. Flint, in a clear and dispassionate manner, exposed the fallacies of Smith’s “doctrines,” and the inconsistencies which existed in his productions and his life, as compared with the writings of inspired men, and their lives; and Mr. Evans, who had been four years in America, and knew well what Mormonism was, in all its phases, drew an eloquent contest between the astute and philosophical Mohammed, and the blundering but cunning Smith, holding up the latter as, in his opinion, the greatest impostor; and drawing at the same time, some laughter-provoking pictures of the mode of marrying, temporarily and spiritually, in the Mormon church; in the midst of which, one of the ladies we have already alluded to, exclaimed, “I am going to the Salt Lake too;” while Mr. Flanigan, the last and the best, in point of humor, made the rafters ring again with the quaint style and native gusto with which he described what he knew of Mormonism. Passing over many striking observations, and convincing facts, arguing the perfect absurdity and wickedness of Mormonism, and exposing it to great contempt, we proceed to notice his allusion to his desired communications with Mr. Shirtcliffe.

Here the lady who was just now described as making an observation, rose, and emphatically intimated that Mr. Flanigan, unlike the generality of his countrymen, was no gentleman, for he did not tell the truth. When he came with the note to her house for the Elder—[and here the truth burst on the meeting, that a female Mormon was present, and many stood up to gaze upon her]—he had spoken very differently, and far more meekly, than he had done tonight; and as Mr. Shirtcliffe was not at home——

Her Female Neighbor: No, ‘cause he’s always away when he’s wanted. (Great laughter.)

Mr. Shirtcliffe’s Friend: He had gone to Cardiff on particular business.

Her Neighbor: Why did he not come here when he said he would? (Confusion.)

Mr. Flanigan proceeded to say, that the Elder had shifted ground often before, when he was wanted in controversy; but they (the speakers) would be happy to meet him at any time, to have a quiet set-to. He went on with his exposé of Mormonism and was so powerful, we suppose, in his corrective philippies, and administration of disagreeable truths, that Mr. Shirtcliffe’s female Friend walked out with undisguised contempt.

Her late neighbor, screaming: The shopkeeper with his three wives!

Mr. Shirtcliffe’s female Friend, contemptuously: It doesn’t matter to you, madam, if he had half-a-dozen. (“Oh! Oh.” from the ladies.)

Her late neighbor: I can prove it, madam; that I can. (Laughter.)

The Chairman recalled the meeting to its sense of propriety; Mr. Flanigan proceeded; and at length arrived at his peroration, in which he expressed a hope that the children of all present, might be brought up in detestation of the vicious principles of Mormonism.

The customary formularies concluded the proceedings.

1853 – 18 February, p. 4 – Mormon Emigrants. About sixty Mormons (men, women, and children) lately living in Newport and Pontypool, having made up their minds to proceed to the land of promise, and join the camp in the precincts of the Salt Lake, this week left Newport per rail for Liverpool, there to embark for the territory henceforward to be their home. Among the party from this town, is a respectable widow, who has nearly run out the allotted span of human existence; and she has expressed a firm conviction, that her husband, though long since place in a Cambrian grave, will be restored alive to her among the prophets and elders, to whom she is progressing.

1853 – 8 April, p. 4 – Mormonism. A discussion between Messrs. French and Owen, and the Rev. J. Barfield and Mr. Flannigan, on Mormonism, is to take place at the Town Hall on several evenings in the ensuing week.

1853 – 22 April, p. 4 – Discussion upon Mormonism. We announced in our last number that a discussion upon Mormon doctrines, extending over three evenings, had taken place at our Town Hall, between the Rev. J. Barfield and Mr. Flannigan on the one side, and Messrs. French and Owen on the other. A fourth and closing meeting took place on Friday evening, when the Hall was densely crowded, and an unusual degree of interest appeared to be felt in the proceedings. The subject for discussion was, The doctrines of the Latter-day Saints about spiritual wives and miracles. As on former occasions, the chair was occupied by Mr. Edward Thomas, draper, whose impartial bearing and decided efforts to preserve order, were subjects of general commendation.

The Rev. J. Barfield opened the debate, contending, with great earnestness, and an evident reliance upon the truthfulness of his cause, that although the practice of polygamy prevailed at an early period of the world, still Moses had sought to convince the people that it was regarded with displeasure by the Almighty, by fencing it round with certain guards and prohibitions in the cases of distinguished individuals. Moreover, the curse of God had evidently rested upon many persons mentioned in the Scriptures as having practiced polygamy, Cases in proof of these positions were cited by Mr. Barfield and his coadjutor, Mr. Flannigan. These statements were, however, controverted by Messrs. French and Owen, who contended that, with regard to many polygamists spoken of in the Bible, not only was there no evidence that God regarded them with displeasure, but upon some of them (Abraham and others) his blessing had signally rested. With reference to another aspect of the subject, it was alleged by Messrs. Barfield and Flannigan that in the New Testament, polygamy was clearly prohibited—and in the course of the evening, the passage—“A bishop should be the husband of one wife” was quoted. Mr. Owen, in his reply to this, occasioned some amusement by stating that he understood the passage to mean “one wife at least.” With regard to miracles, it was affirmed by the advocates of Mormonism that the power to perform them was possessed by the true church—the followers of Joseph Smith—and instances of such alleged miraculous power were cited from the “Millennial Star,” a Mormon periodical. Mr. Barfield then said he would submit to the meeting on account of another miracle, (so called), and proceeded to read from a Mormon publication, a statement to the effect that a child named Bounsell, residing in Devonshire, and who had been born blind, was cured of the blindness by certain Mormon elders. But, added Mr. Barfield, it was now well known that the child’s blindness had been cured in the Taunton Eye Infirmary, under the treatment of Mr. Billet, surgeon to that institution. Mr. French called in question this statement, and demanded evidence of its truthfulness. It was immediately intimated to the chairman that a female present was acquainted with the circumstances relative to the child; and the female, who gave her name, on being interrogated by the Chairman, said she was living in the neighborhood at the time—that she knew the parents of the child Bounsell—that the child had been sent to the Infirmary, and placed under the care of Mr. Billet, and subsequently discharged as cured; and some time afterwards, the parents of the child, who had become Mormonites, had given it out that the cure was performed by the miraculous power of the elders. Some persons having expressed a desire to have this question further sifted—Mr. French offered to produce the parents and the child, and to meet Mr. Barfield again for a further discussion of the doctrine of miracles. Mr. Flannigan said he would get Mr. Billet to attend the meeting; and Mr. Barfield, in reply to Mr. French’s challenge, said he would meet Mr. French for another discussion, if this alleged miracle, which now appeared to be an imposture, could be substantiated.

Thus the matter remains at present, and many await, with considerable curiosity, the proof of the alleged exercise of miraculous power.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman, proposed by Mr. Barfield, and seconded by Mr. French, was carried by acclamation, and suitably acknowledged. The meeting then separated.

1853 – 13 May, p. 1 – The Alleged Mormon Miracle at Bristol. At a public meeting, held at the Town Hall, Newport, Monmouthshire, the report of which will be found in this day’s Merlin, the following resolution was unanimously passed: “That this meeting is of opinion that the fullest reliance may be placed upon the statements of Mr. Thomas, with reference to the alleged Mormon miracle, in the case of Selina Bounsell; and can come to no other conclusion from Mr. Thomas’s statements, as well as from those of Mr. Bounsell, the father of the child, given at this meeting, than that the pretended miracle is a deliberate and complete imposture.” Signed on behalf of the meeting. Edward Thomas, Chairman. Anchor House, 175, Commercial Street, Newport, May 12, 1853.

1853 – 13 May, p. 2–3 – Investigation of a Pretended Mormon Miracle. In our paper of the 22^nd ult., it was stated that at the close of the discussion upon Mormonism between the Rev. J. Barfield and Mr. Flannigan and Messrs. French and Owen, Mr. Barfield read from a Mormon publication, a statement to the effect that a child named Bounsell, who had resided in Devonshire, and who was born blind, had been cured of her blindness by certain Mormon elders. But, added Mr. Barfield, it was now well known that the child’s blindness had been cured in the Taunton Eye Infirmary, under the treatment of Mr. Billet, surgeon to that institution. Mr. French having called in question this statement, and demanded evidence of its truthfulness, a female present stated that she was living in the neighborhood of Taunton at the time—that she knew the parents of the child Bounsell—that the child had been placed under the treatment of Mr. Billet, and subsequently discharged as cured; and some time afterwards, the parents of the child, who had become Mormonites, had given it out that the cure was performed by the miraculous power of the elders. Some persons having expressed a desire to have this question further sifted—Mr. French offered to produce the parents and the child, and to meet Mr. Barfield again for a further discussion of the doctrine of miracles. Mr. Flanigan said he would get Mr. Billet to attend the meeting; and Mr. Barfield, in reply to Mr. French’s challenge, said he would meet Mr. French for another discussion, if this alleged miracle, which now appeared to be an imposture, could be substantiated. In accordance with this arrangement, steps were taken by the friends of Mr. Barfield to procure decisive evidence upon the point at issue, and that evidence having been obtained, a placard was issued, convening a meeting for Friday evening last, to which assembly the evidence was to be submitted. This placard set forth that Mr. Edward Thomas, the chairman of the recent discussion, had been to Taunton, and would report the result of his interview with Dr. Billet and other authorities of the hospital. This announcement called forth a placard from Mr. French, in which, among other things, he stated—“To determine the truth or falsehood of the ‘alleged miracle,’ I hoped, according to the promise of our opponents, to see the doctor here in person; and, with that understanding, we promised to produce the parents and the children to face him. This, I believe, was understood by all present at the last meeting; was reported in the newspapers; and, I must own, would be very satisfactory to us. As it has taken quite another and unexpected turn, however, and Mr. Barfield and the doctor have given way to Mr. Thomas, whom I did not agree to settle the dispute with, I shall not be present at that meeting; nor am I, by any construction that may be put upon the engagement entered into by us with our opponents on that night, bound to do so.” The meeting, however, was held at the Town Hall, and Mr. French and his friends were not present.

Mr. Edward Thomas, who occupied the chair—said he had taken that in accordance with the wishes of the friends who had convened that meeting; and, at the commencement, he would read the notice which had been issued, calling them together on that occasion. [Mr. Thomas then read the placard convening the meeting.] It would be observed from this notice, that this was not a meeting to continue the discussion: that for the purpose of trusting the miracle which was stated to have been performed by the Latter-day Saints, on a child named Selina Bounsell. He should, therefore, proceed to put before them, shortly, the testimony which they had been able to procure with reference to the cure of this child, not by the miraculous interposition of Heaven, through the Latter-day Saints, but by Dr. Billett of Taunton. Before doing this, however, he would call upon Mr. Barfield to repeat what he had previously stated with regard to the alleged miracle.

Mr. Barfield said he had hoped that this matter would have fallen into other hands than his. He had determined, at the last meeting, not to have anything further to do with it; he had handed over to his friends the papers which he had, relating to the subject; and said, “I will now leave them in your hands” They took the documents, and after deliberation, determined that the most desirable and trustworthy plan would be to send Mr. Edward Thomas to Taunton, to inquire what had taken place there with regard to this child, Selina Bounsell. Mr. Thomas was asked to go—he went—and he would himself tell them what was the result of his interview with Dr. Billet and other persons at the infirmary. They were convened together then to hear the testimony which had been procured. It was desired at the last meeting that this alleged miracle should be further sifted. Dr. Billet, however, was not present—and he (Mr. Barfield) was not surprised at it: he was an old man, and he lived at some distance. But there were parties who lived not 100 miles from Newport, and who had children, some of whom were ten years of age, who might be there. He (Mr. Barfield) found that his name had been mentioned in a placard sent to him, he presumed, by Mr. R. H. French, for that name appeared upon the placard, although there was no printer’s name attached to it. It was said, in substance, in that placard, that Mr. French would not attend because nothing was brought forward at the last meeting in proof of what was then asserted with regard to this alleged miracle. Now there was a certificate produced, stating that the child had been cured by Dr. Billet; was that nothing? There was the testimony of a person then present, who professed to be acquainted with the facts of the case—was that nothing? Both these called into question the statement made with regard to this miracle by the Mormons; and yet no attempt was made to reply to them, and no attempt is made now. It was all very well to say “we will not come, unless you bring the doctor:” but let them first answer the certificate. Mr. Barfield then read the following account of the pretended miracle from a volume entitled “Orson Pratt’s Works,” which he had procured at the depot of the Latter-day Saints, in this town:

“Healing of One Born Blind, Bristol, Nov. 25, 1849.

“Dear President Pratt,—As you were so kind as to publish the letter I sent, dated July 9, 1849, containing an account of the miraculous power of God, displayed in the healing of Elizabeth Ann Bounsell, which made quite a stir amongst the pious Christians in this city. I now venture to write to you again, and say that the above circumstance caused many to call at the house to see if it were true; and upon seeing, many rejoiced. Others mocked, saying, ‘she would have got well if the elders had not laid their hands upon her.’ Amongst the latter was one would-be great man, by the name of Charles Smith, (who has written a flimsy tract against the Saints) who said it was not enough to satisfy him. So the mother took another of her daughters, and put her upon his knee, and said, ‘sir, is that child blind?’ And after he had examined her eyes, he said ‘she is.’ ‘Well,’ said the mother, ‘she was born blind and she is now four years old; and I am going to take her to the elders of our church, for them to anoint her eyes with oil, and lay hands upon her; and you can call again when you have time, and see her with her eyes opened; for I know the Lord will heal her, and she will see.’ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘if she does ever see, it will be a great proof.’ Accordingly, the mother brought the child to the elders, and Elder John Hackwell anointed her eyes, and laid hands upon her only once; and the Lord heard his prayer, so that the child can now see with both of her eyes as well as any other person. For which we all feel thankful to our Heavenly Father; and are willing to bear testimony of it to all the world.

“Yours, in the Kingdom of God, George Halliday.”

“P.S.—We, the father and mother of the child, do here sign our names to the above, as being true. William Bounsell, Elizabeth Bounsell.

No. 12, Batad Street, Bristol.

It would be observed that these parties said they were “willing to bear testimony of it to all the world.” Now here was a meeting in Newport calling upon these willing people to give their testimony. Mr. Barfield then read the following certificate from Dr. Billet, which he had read at the former meeting:—

“Taunton Eve Infirmary. June 18^th, 1853.

“I hereby certify that Selina Bounsell was admitted a patient of the Taunton Eye Infirmary, in 1845, under my sole care, and was discharged cured, in 1846, at which time she could see to pick up a pin or other minute objects, as well as any of the children with whom she was in the habit of playing.

“James Billet, Surgeon to the Taunton Eye Infirmary, and Consulting Surgeon to the Taunton and Somerset Hospital.

“P.S. The following is a verbatim copy of her discharge, as taken from the books of the above institution:

“Selina Bounsell, congenital cataract, cured 1846.

“The above can be verified on oath, by a witness, if necessary.”

Mr. Barfield continued—After reading these two—the account of the miracle which was performed in 1849, on one born blind; and the doctor’s certificate with reference to the case, at the last meeting—I said—“I leave the audience to form their own conclusion.” They did so; they desired that it should be more gone into; and we have taken the steps we have, in consequence of that. I think, Mr. Chairman, I have discharged my duty; in the absence of the person who was to have taken upon himself this matter of opening, I have consented to do so. I had nothing to do with this, as arising out of the discussion, because it was in other hands: it was a matter of fact, in which the Latter-day Saints were accused of being imposters, but to this they have given no reply.

The Chairman then made the following remarks: It had been stated to them that he had been asked to go down to Taunton, to inquire into this matter. he did so; and on calling upon Dr. Billet, he found that he was an old man—he heard that he was about 80 years of age: he found he was not desirous of leaving home, because it would be inconvenient to him to do so; and, moreover, he thought it quite unnecessary, because his certificate was in the hands of Mr. Flanigan, and he thought that would be deemed sufficient in any court of law in the kingdom. He stated that he (Mr. Thomas) was at liberty to get any information he desired with regard to the cure of the child, Selina Bounsell, from parties in the infirmary. With regard to the change in the name of the child, he (Mr. Thomas) thought it very likely that the Latter-day Saints had re-baptized her, and now called her Elizabeth Ann instead of Salina. He did not know, and could not say why they had changed her name; but he merely suggested that that might be the way in which it had taken place. On his first visit to the Infirmary, he found that Dr. Billet was no there; but he found there a person of the name of George Rogers, and he told him the object of his mission. Mr. Rogers said he would give him every information in his power with regard to the case. On looking into the books of the Infirmary, he found an entry under date 1^st March, 1845, being the fourth among cases of cataract, of the case of Selina Bounsell, who was under treatment for congenital cataract. Then there was in 1846, an entry to the effect that Selina Bounsell had been cured and discharged. [Mr. T. here handed to the reporters present, the book and the printed reports of the Infirmary, in which these facts were set forth.] Having been requested to obtain the best evidence he could, he (Mr. Thomas) paid a second visit to the Infirmary; but he did not then see Dr. Billet: he found, however, George Rogers and his wife, and subsequently saw the grandmother of the child. He found that Dr. Billet had requested George Rogers to get all the information he could, ready for him; and he saw Rogers sign one, and his wife the other, of two documents which he now had in his possession. He then went to the grandmother of the child—and he would now read to them the testimony of the three parties, Mr. George Rogers, his wife, and the child’s grandmother: George Rogers’s statement was as follows—“I, George Rogers, of Taunton, certify that I held the eye of Selena Bounsell each time she was operated on by Mr. Billet, for the cataract.—Signed, George Rogers. Witness, Edward Thomas. April 27, 1853.”

A Voice: That is false. (Confusion; and cries of “go up to the platform,” “who is he?” etc., etc.

The Chairman: That gentleman shall have an opportunity of speaking after I have finished my statement. I ought to have stated that, in my conversation with Dr. Billet, he said that he had performed two operations on one eye, and three on the other. Mary Rogers’s statement was—“I, Mary Rogers, wife of the above George Rogers, assisted in holding the child while Mr. Billet operated on her. I was fetched by the mother of the child, Mary Shurland also assisted.—Signed, Mary Rogers. Witness, Edward Thomas. April 27, 1853.” The grandmother of the child testified as follows—“This is to testify that I held Selina Bounsell, while Mr. Billet operated on her for the cataract, being grandmother to the child. I am not aware that any other child was born to my son with defective vision.—The mark of Susannah Bounsell. Witnesses, Edward Thomas and George Rogers.” Mr. Thomas continued: When I saw the grandmother of the child, I asked her if she knew Elizabeth Ann; she said “No, I don’t think such a child belongs to my family.” Then I asked Mrs. Bounsell if she knew whether her son had more than one child born blind. She said “Only one – that was ‘Sis,’ as we used to call Selina.” The old lady explained that they were accustomed to call the child “Sis.” I asked her if she would have any objection to testify that she was taken to the Infirmary, and sent out cured by Dr. Billet. She said, “Not the least; and I am sorry that my son has joined the Mormons; he is practicing a great delusion.” Mr. Thomas then entered into some further explanations with reference to the obtaining of the certificates above referred to, and concluded by stating that Mr. Billet was very desirous that the public mind should be disabused with reference to this pretended miracle, and which he (Mr. T.) believed to be false; and Mr. Billet had said that, if it were absolutely necessary, he did not say that he would not come. Now if the evidence which had been adduced, should fail to conviction in the public mind upon this point, he thought he might say Dr. Billet would come.

The Chairman then stated that the individual who had made a remark while he was speaking, might now have an opportunity of being heard.

A person then rose, and asked the Chairman when the child first underwent an operation. (Cries of “platform,” “name,” etc.)

The Chairman invited the speaker to the platform, and asked if he would favor the meeting with his name. He declined to ascend the platform; but, after some hesitation, stated that his name was Bounsell. (Roars of laughter.)

The Chairman: Perhaps you are the father of the child?
Mr. Bounsell: I am. (Renewed laughter.)

The Chairman: Then as you are the father of the child, I apprehend that you will be best able to answer your own question. (Applause.)

Mr. Bounsell: Yes; but you said that the child went under two or three operations.

The Chairman: I stated simply what was told me by Dr. Billet. He said, moreover, that the child was very young when she underwent the operations.

Mr. Bounsell: I am sure what you said about my mother was false. She never would say such a thing as that.

The Chairman again read the statement of Mrs. Bounsell, remarking that Mr. Bounsell had not, perhaps, fully understood it.

Mr. Bounsell: Why, she knows very well that there were many other children born blind.

The Chairman: Your mother only says that you had no other child born blind.

Mr. Bounsell: But I want to know what you said just now about my mother being sorry that I had joined the Mormons.

A Voice: Mr. Chairman—ask him why the child’s name was changed.

The Chairman. Mr. Bounsell, there is a person here who wants to know why the name of the child is changed.

Mr. Bounsell: That is best known to myself. (Laughter and hisses.)

The Chairman: Then do you admit that this child we have been speaking of, is the same that was under the care of Dr. Billet?

Mr. Bounsell: Under his care! No! She merely went out of our house into his. (Expressions of disapprobation.)

The Chairman: Have you another child called Elizabeth Ann?

Mr. Bounsell: I have no other child born blind.

The Chairman: Is this the child that you say was healed by the Latter-day Saints?

Mr. Bounsell: I say the child was healed by the power of God. I am not a Latter Day Saint.

Mr. Stone: Mr. Chairman, will you allow me to ask Mr. Bounsell how he could sign a statement, in the book of Mormon, that he had another child born blind, when he now says that he had only this child?

Mr. Bounsell: The Book of Mormon! I think you are wrong in that. I didn’t say that I had another child cured of blindness.

The Chairman then read again the alleged case of healing, and asked whether Mr. Bounsell had signed the statement as to the case of Elizabeth Ann.

Mr. Bounsell: I did sign a statement about the healing of the child; but I never said she was born blind.

The Chairman: Then it appears to me to be necessary that I should ask you, was Elizabeth Ann every cured of anything?

Mr. Bounsell: That is best known to myself. I came here, not to answer questions, but to hear, like other people, and I am ready to meet Dr. Billet. (Laughter.)

The Chairman then requested Mr. Bounsell’s attention while he read the statement as to the alleged miraculous cure, to which Mr. Bounsell’s name was attached; and on his reaching that part where Mr. Smith’s name was mentioned, Mr. Bounsell said “Yes, that Mr. Smith saw the child when she was blind.”

The Chariman read to the end, and Mr. Bounsell pronounced it “all right.”

The Chairman: Now, Mr. Bounsell, if you have anything more to say, we shall be happy to hear you.

Mr. Bounsell: No; I have nothing more to say. I didn’t want to say so much as I have, and I want to go. (Laughter, and cries of “Don’t go, don’t go,” etc.)

Mr. Barfield said that he thought all attention and fairness should be given to any person who might wish to speak; but he thought the time of the meeting was too important to be taken up as it had been. He wished that as this meeting was called to inquire into a matter of fact, any person should have an opportunity of putting questions to the Chairman as well as to Mr. Bounsell.

Mr. Bounsell: Well, I can only say that if my mother said what has been stated, she told a falsehood.

The Chairman: The statement was distinctly read to her, and she appeared to understand it, and she said she knew what it meant. You told us you were not a Latter-day Saint, Mr. Bounsell; have you ever been one?

Mr. Bounsell: Yes; but I am not one now.

The Chairman: Well, I am glad to hear it. I thought you were. Where were you, Mr. Bounsell, when the child was taken to Dr. Billet?

Mr. Bounsell: Why I was in the town of Taunton—at home.

Mr. James Loosh said that the uncle of the child had told him several times that the child could see to pick up a pin after coming out of the infirmary.

The Chairman: I am requested now to ask Mr. Bounsell or any other person here, whether he knows, of his own knowledge, how many operations were performed on the child. Dr. Billet said there were four or five at least. Mr. Bounsell has said only one. Mr. Bounsell has said that he was at Taunton at the time—and that there was only one.

Mr. Bounsell: I was not in the room at the time.

Mr. Barfield: In what way is it, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. Bounsell knows that only one operation was performed on the child? Can he positively say that there was only one?

Mr. Bounsell: I can say so—for George Rogers told me so; and he said it was no use if the child did not undergo another operation—because her sight could not be cured by one operation.

Mr. Barfield: Did Rogers tell you so more than once? And where did the conversations take place?

Mr. Bounsell: Yes, he did. The conversation took place about the distance you are from me between my house and the infirmary.

The Chairman: Did you ever see the child, after the operation by Dr. Billet, picking anything up from the ground, which had been placed there?

Mr. Bounsell: Oh! You want to know too much: but I will tell you. Yes, many times; but she would go down to the ground, and feel for what she wanted.

The Chairman: Did you ever see a small coin placed on the ground, and the child, not hearing the coin fall, or knowing where it was placed, go and pick it up?

Mr. Bounsell: No, never; and that woman who said at the last meeting that the child could see to thread a needle, never knew the child. A woman who nursed the child knows better.

The Chairman: Is Mrs. Hutchins here?

A person in the body of the room: No—she lost a great deal of custom by being here last time; and the Latter-day Saints would not pay her what they owed her, in consequence of what she said.

Another person: How is it that the mother did not nurse the child?

Mr. Barfield: Is Mrs. Hutchins here?

William Hill, a person who lodges with Mrs. Hutchins, said she was not present, for the reason which had been stated.

Mr. Barfield: Is Mrs. Townsend here?

Mr. Thomas, a person employed by Mr. Stone, said she was not present, because her husband was now an advocate of Mormonism, and she said she would be obliged to leave the town if she came there.

Mr. Stone: Mr. Townsend himself (the uncle of the child) told me that he had been down to Taunton, and seen Dr. Billet upon the subject some ten months ago—who said that the parents well knew that the child was cured before ever it left the Infirmary. He further said, that his own wife had put six-pence down upon the mat, and promised it to the child, if she could find it. The child instantly got down and found it; and that his wife was satisfied that the child could see well, before ever the Saints were known to her sister.

William Hill then said—I was a Latter Day Saint for about sixteen months myself, and they soon made me a teacher. But they wanted to teach me that I must go to the Salt Lake to be saved; but I told them I had more faith in the Lord than in them; and that I could get salvation here as well as there. (Hear, hear.) I was ill once, and I considered whether I would send for the elder; but I did not send for him, and I soon got better. (Laughter.) I was baptized; but this was all unknown to my wife. I was to have a spirit after I was baptized, but I did not get it. I never heard the gospel in my life among the Latter-day Saints.

Mr. Bounsell: I am sure I never heard the gospel more truly preached than by the Latter-day Saints.

The Chairman: Will Mr. Hill tell us where he was baptized?

William Hill: At 25, Queen’s Parade, I was immersed.

Mr. Flanigan then rose and said—Before I proceed to make known what I am about to state, I will ask Mr. Bounsell what office he filled when he was a preacher on behalf of the Mormon cause. I ask him first what office he held, in the church of Latter-day Saints, and why he left it? First, what office he held?

Mr. Bounsell: I don’t know that I shall tell you that. I joined the Latter-day Saints because I could not hear the gospel in any other place of worship which I attended. The office which I held was that of a priest.

Mr. Flanigan: Well—that is an answer. As a priest of that church, had you the privilege of healing all cases of disease that came before you? If so, why did you not cure your own children? Why I understand that some of Mr. Bounsell’s own children are now suffering from diseases which are not unlikely soon to prove fatal. Why does he not cure his own children? (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Bounsell: Because I had no authority to do so.

Mr. Flanigan: But I have understood from the book of doctrines and covenants that the priests of the church of Latter-day Saints have, among other things, the privilege of working miraculous cures by the laying on of hands, anointing with oil, etc. Is that true?

Mr. Bounsell: It is not. There is no power given to the priests to anoint with oil.

Mr. Flanigan: Then you deny that; well, I will now turn to another point. This miracle has been published in Mormon books, throughout the length and breadth of the land: it has been made use of throughout Europe—it was made use of in a public meeting in France; and it is, therefore, of great importance to show its fallacy. This evening I went to the house of Mrs. Townsend, with the Chairman. We inquired of her what she knew about the case of this child. She said she had put down the coin which the child picked up, and that was in a room which was rather dark, from there being high walls near the house. I will tell you another circumstance. On the 20^th of October last, I heard that an elder of the church of Latter-day Saints was ill. I went to see him: he had been anointed with oil several times—in fact, he had been oiled over and over again. I went to Mr. Phillips, druggist, and bought eightpence worth of medicine for him: I sent it to him, and he was glad to have it.

A person named Leech said he had taken the medicine to the elder, and he received it gladly. He left the Mormons; but he has now joined them again. His name is George Gessford.

Mr. Barfield said he now wished to bring the whole matter before them. He was sorry that it was not in abler hands; but he thought they did not want Dr. Billet after the admissions made by Mr. Bounsell himself. He had admitted that his daughter was the child named in the printed list of cases treated at the Infirmary. Then they were in doubt as to which of his daughters it was. He said it was Selina, or “Sis,” the one they had been talking about. Well, then as to the number of operations performed upon the child. Mr. Bounsell said there was only one, and he added that George Rogers told him so. Then he believes George Rogers, and they had George Rogers’s testimony that there were several (at least five) operations. Then they had the testimony of Mrs. Townsend, who said that she had put down sixpence quietly on the floor, and that the child found it. Mr. Townsend stated this to Mr. Stone, Mr. Flanigan, and the Chairman. Then Mr. Leech says that the uncle of the child informed him that she could see very well after the operations by Dr. Billet, and before the Latter-day Saints laid their hands upon her. Surely this was sufficient testimony in proof of Dr. Billet’s statement; and he was sure that the audience would agree with him that this was a matter which ought to be exposed—for it was evidently an imposture; and the account of this alleged miracle had been used to decide a discussion which had taken place in Boulogne-sur-mer. After what had passed, they would not want evidence as to Dr. Billet’s character; but even this, if it were needed, he would ask a gentleman present, Mr. Pyne, who had known him well, to give.

Mr. Pyne said he had known Dr. Billet for many years—he was a person highly esteemed in the neighborhood in which he lived; and his integrity and truthfulness were undoubted. He was a gentleman of high standing, and religious character.

Mr. Barfield said he would now ask any Mormon who might be present to consider this subject well. They had proved the pretended miracle to be a mere delusion; and he would ask the Latter-day Saints if they would peril their salvation upon such a pretense, which, upon a fair and candid examination, proved to be utterly unfounded—a fiction, a delusion, and a snare. Mr. Barfield then proceeded to expose another alleged exercise of miraculous power by the Latter-day Saints. This was said to have occurred in Newport, in the case of a man named Reuben Brinkworth, who professed to be deaf and dumb, having lost his speech and hearing, as he stated, at the Island of Bermuda, in 1843; and it was alleged that his faculties had been restored some years afterwards, on his being baptized in the Canal, at Newport, in the presence of Henry Naish, John Roberts, and John Walden, members of the church of Latter Day Saints; and Jane Dubin, Thomas Jones, and Jacob Naish, who were not of that persuasion. Mr. Barfield read this man’s statement of his case from a work entitled “The Book of Mormon confirmed by Miracles,” by Orson Pratt, an apostle of the Mormon sect; and then showed by the written testimony of several parties named by Brinkworth, that he had embodied in his statement several flagrant misrepresentations. The details of this imposture have been published in a pamphlet, at a small charge, and will be perused with interest by those who desire to lay bare the fictions upon which Mormon pretensions are based.

At the close of Mr. Barfield’s observations, the following resolution, having been moved and seconded, was carried unanimously:—

“That this meeting is of opinion that the fullest reliance may be placed upon the statements of Mr. Thomas, with reference to the alleged Mormon miracle, in the case of Selina Bounsell; and can come to no other conclusion from Mr. Thomas’s statements, as well as from those of Mr. Bounsell, the father of the child, given at this meeting, than that the pretended miracle is a deliberate and complete imposture.”

Votes of thanks were unanimously passed to Messrs. Barfield and Flanigan, for their zealous exertions in opposing Mormonism; and a similar compliment to the Chairman, for his impartial conduct, closed the proceedings.

1853 – 24 June, p. 5 – Item #1 – Mormonism. Mr. George Gaisford, of Ebbw Vale, has again addressed us on the subject of Mormonism—his principle object being to reply to statements made respecting him, in a letter recently published in the Merlin, at the request of Mr. John Flanigan, of Newport. Mr. Gaisford goes somewhat at length into matters brought forward in Mr. Flanigan’s letter, and gives a direct contradiction to many of his statements. As, however, the matter has now assumed a simply personal character, further correspondence upon it would be destitute of public interest.”

1853 – 24 June, p. 5 – Item #2 – The Latter-day Saints. Since our last notice of the Latter-day Saints, they have attempted with double vigor to persuade the inhabitants into an acceptance of their creed. On Sunday evening last, they held a meeting on the Castle Green, which was attended by a large congregation; but none of their own sect. At the conclusion of the addresses of Messrs. Owen and Gibbs, the congregation almost unanimously hooted them from Castle Green to Flannel Street, where the so-called Saints had recourse to the assistance of the police for protection, fearing violence from the mob. Mr. Owen has at length refused to give an answer to any question put to him in public; but says he is willing to explain the principles of Mormonism in private.

1854 – 20 January, p. 2 – The Great Salt Lake. The valley of the Great Salt Lake is a territory of considerable extent, enclosed on all sides by high rocky mountains. The lake itself is nearly 370 miles in circumference, with islands rising from its surface to an elevation of some thousand feet. Its shores are covered in some places with the finest salt, and its water is as buoyant as the waves of the Dead Sea. Portuguese of the land are desert; but a vast expanse is wonderfully fertile, and abounds in all facilities for pasturage and cultivation. Here the Mormons have now firmly fixed themselves, and made, since 1848, continual progress. Further settlements have been established, and several cities founded; that of the Great Salt Lake itself, has a plot of several acres, destined to support a temple, the magnificence of which shall far exceed the splendor of the former Nauvoo edifice. Relying on the inexhaustible resources of the region to sustain innumerable inhabitants, the principal endeavor of the rulers is to gather there as many emigrants as possible, professing the same faith.

1854 – 14 April, p. 4–5 – “Lecture by Mr. French. The Russian Question and the Mormons.” On Tuesday evening, a small audience, among whom were many females, assembled at the Town Hall, to hear Mr. French (recently a young Mormon preacher) deliver a lecture on the “Present and possible future of Europe: with a historical sketch of Russia and Turkey.” He had stated in the handbill—“As this is my last lecture in Newport, I do not think it will be out of place, at the close, if I give a brief account of my mental experience and altered views in regard to the new features of Mormonism, and the internal state and organization of the system.”

Mr. Adlam was in the chair.

The lecturer dealt rather discursively with his subject, which was made to embrace a very heterogeneous range of matters; and although much pains appeared to have been bestowed on the compilation, the audience were seemingly anxious for the arrival of Mr. French at the latter part of his bill of fare, when he would have to proceed to this most exciting topic—his recantation of Mormonism. “Recantation,” however, is hardly the appropriate term. “Modification” would be nearer the mark. There was a decided hesitancy in disencumbering himself of the Mormon faith. Something good was, he thought, mixed up in it, with much that was evil: many right principles amalgamated with those of an erroneous character. Joe Smith was undoubtedly inspired, and all he wrote or spoke, was true; but the prophets or apostles, or what they were whom the lecturer characterized as “the powers that be,” in the Mormon church, did not stick to what Smith had laid down, and wanted to establish new doctrines, such as that of the pre-existence and transmigration of souls and “spirit,” in beings, and in trees, flowers, and the brute creation; and that of the divinity of Adam. Mr. French, while at first readily embracing all that was taught him as the pure creed, could not accept as equally true, the new dogmas of Joe Smith’s successors. With one venerable man, whom he described as an aged Doctor, and very good-looking, the lecturer appeared to have had a pretty stiffish controversy at first, on the subject of polygamy. But he admitted that the Dr. overcame him by strong argument, and texts of Scripture; and though he had lectured three or four times against the absurdities of Mormonism, he now became strong in the faith, and advocated a plurality of wives. [The ladies present appeared greatly shocked.] Mr. French, however, could not get over the stumbling block of the new doctrines, which had for their tendency a spirit of tyranny desirous of coercing him into believing all sorts of curious things, objectionable to all his preconceived notions, and common sense into the bargain. So he began to waver, wouldn’t go the whole hog, and found that he wanted faith. Nor did he either preach or lecture on the Mormon doctrine with that unctuous spirit with which he had formerly held forth; and about nine months since, he told his audience, he determined quietly to withdraw. That determination he had carried into effect; and though he was now no longer encumbered with a profession of the faith, he iterated his opinion that there were many good things in it, if they could only be found. However, he believed all creeds were bad—had no reliance in any of them; for their professors (and there was a variety of them) put forth much that was to be regarded with suspicion, and nothing that was really true. So he had made up his mind to believe nothing and nobody—to belong to no more churches—Mormon or otherwise; and to hold fast in the belief that he should get on better in this world (the other, he knew nothing about) without attaching himself to any set of persons or doctrines whatsoever. He held, however, the great idea, that he was the best man, who did the most good in his generation; and he threw out a pretty strong hint, that there was a large class of men who sought to humbug the world, by pretending to be very liberal-hearted, very good, and very estimable creatures, while they were at the same time a set of thorough-paced hypocrites. Drawing near the conclusion, the lecturer intimated that it was no business of anybody, whether he had given up Mormonism or not (though he took some trouble to tell everybody present of it); and nobody would have a right to criticize what he had done or said. However, he didn’t like to part with Mormonism on bad terms; and so repeated that there were a few good touches about it, though he didn’t like it “as a whole;” and he should not wish to get the contempt of the Mormons or of any other people, for what he had done, or what he had not done; and so hoped that the great principle which should actuate the universal brotherhood of mankind, “Love one another,” would let him down easily in regard to his cutting the Saints in the manner he had done.

Some applause, much laughter, and considerable sympathy with the speaker, by turns, took place, as he most unartificially made appeals in the course of his views of Mormonism; and it may be said, that the talk about the Saints formed the staple commodity expected by the audience.

In a brief speech, the Chairman, who appeared an intelligent young man, with some right notions in his head, paid a compliment or two to the lecturer, and the meeting separated.

1854 – 5 May, p. 6 – The Baton Rouge Advocate (United States) says: The John Simmonds, a three-decker steamer, running to St. Louis passed our landing yesterday with about 800 emigrants on board, all bound for the Mormon settlement at Utah. They are composed, we were told, nearly exclusively of English and Welsh converts to the Mormon religion and morality (or immorality), under the guidance of one of the Latter-day Saints, who has been on a missionary tour to Great Britain. About half, or more than one half, the number were women, mostly young and buxom-looking lasses. What were their views of spiritual matrimony we did not ascertain.

1854 – 23 June, p. 2 – Literature. The Great Highway: A story of the World’s Struggles. By S. W. Fullom, author of “The Marvels of Science,” etc., etc. (Second Edition, Revised,) 3 vols., London: Longman and Co.

He is a bold man, who just now ventures to write a three volume novel, with a hope of its being read. In the face of the stern realities of war, fiction loses its interest. When the destinies and liberties of nations are battled for, who is there to weep or rejoice for the fate of a hero of romance?” Nevertheless, here is a book, which, in a few weeks, has reached a second edition; and, we therefore took it up with very sanguine expectations, and are happy to say, that we have not been disappointed in the result. Although not a “gem of the first water,” it possesses a very high degree of merit, and will amply repay a perusal. The sound religious feeling, the good sense, and, above all, the noble purpose, with which it is written, make it preferable to many works that surpass it in interest and artistic structure. What seems to us to give to this work its principal charm, are passages descriptive of proceedings not generally known. The author gives us a lengthened description of those deluded, but many of them deluding men called Latter-day Saints. He exposes their proceedings; and shows how the leaders of the movement make capital out of the ignorance, superstition, and degradation of the unenlightened masses. Mormonism tells a deplorable tale! It tells us, that nothing but audacity was wanting, to enable a man of some greatness, it must be confessed, though the greatness of a fiend, to set himself up as the founder of a religion, which now numbers above two millions of adherents. There must be something to account for this; and we must give that man credit for sagacity, who has won for himself the title of a great prophet from his followers, and from all, a notoriety second to that of Mahomet’s as an impostor. The author, we think, unduly depreciates Joe Smith’s mental calibre. True, the secret of his success is to be sought for in the moral and intellectual degradation of his dupes; but he must have been a profound knave, and an acute painstaking observer of human nature in its lower manifestations, to meet with the signal success which he did.

Mormonism we may look upon as a religion growing naturally out of human nature neglected, and growing wild; and framed on the model of the Bible, so far as the contents of that sacred volume could be abstracted from what is holy and vital, and made the vehicle for man’s wicked inventions. Uncultivated human nature is prone to eat, drink, and be merry. Mormonism sanctions and facilitates such a mode of life. Uncultivated human nature is superstitious; and the gullet of its credulity is as capacious as a shark’s. Mormonism finds it food enough to satiate its voracity, and supplies it with a Mormonized version of “Baron Munchausen.” Uncultivated human nature is mostly brutal, and sensual. Mormonism holds forth the tempting bait of “Spiritual marriage,” which is only the revival, in another shape, of the Temple of Venus. How respectable (?) women can be induced to join the Mormonites, is a curious psychological question. But uncultivated human nature finds that the future and the supernatural cannot be excluded from influencing strongly its hopes and fears. Mormonism points to realms beyond the grave, where the hope of the idle, the glutton, the drunkard, and the sensualist may have its full fruition, and where there is, as a consequence, little to fear. Easy religion! No wonder it gains adherents. Socialism failed because it left out the supernatural and the future. There was too much cold reasoning utilitarianism about it. This was a grand obstacle to its success. The future, and the unseen, will not loosen their holds upon men’s hopes and fears, let what will be done to shake them off; and if the objects which properly relate to these feelings be not brought to bear upon them, false objects, in the garb of the real, will be substituted for that purpose, by impostors like Joe Smith, for selfish ends. But it is time we should show how our author writes. Here is a sketch that cannot fail to attract: [Samples of the author’s writing follow.]

1854 – 22 September, p. 6 – Item #1 – Spirit of the Press: Mormonism (Abridged from the “Times.”) Everybody has heard of Mormonism and Joe Smith and Nauvoo. The history of the rise and progress of this extraordinary sect, of the manner in which one State after another in the North American Union found it necessary to eject them from its limits, of the bloody fate of their lawgiver, of their wanderings to the Great Salt Lake, and of their successful proselytism both on the North American continent and in the manufacturing districts of our country, must ever remain one of the most fantastic chapters in the annals of the nineteenth century. It does not, however, follow that we are to admit to votaries of this anomalous creed to the same privileges as those of the various Christian sects which divide among them the religious suffrages of the country. We do not propose that a man should be persecuted because he is a Mormonite; but we submit to the good sense of the country that he should not be entitled to call himself a “Protestant Dissenter,” and as such to claim the rights and privileges which were intended for others. We should be grieved indeed to see the great principles of religious toleration infringed; but are we, under the name of religious toleration, to sanction and protect assemblages of persons gathered together for the purpose of setting Christianity at defiance, turning its doctrines into ridicule, and bringing its practice into contempt? Be it observed, we are not pleading the cause of the Church of England, as by law established in any peculiar manner. If we are not supported by the common opinion of English Churchmen, of Protestant Dissenters of every form, of Roman Catholics, of Unitarians and others, being the Queen’s subjects, let our words go for nothing. We are pleading the cause of religion against blasphemy—of reason against Bedlam—and decline at once entering into the consideration of any analogy which an expert casuist might suggest between the situation of Roman Catholic minorities in Protestant countries, or vice versa, and of the Mormonites in Christian England. If a man does not see the profound absurdity and wickedness of a recognition on the part of the State, of the “Mormonites” as a sect of Protestant Dissenters, we will not trouble him with more argument upon the subject. These men call themselves Christians, it is true; but at the same time they proclaim that the Christian dispensation has been superseded by the Mormonite Bible, Christ has been dethroned, and Joe Smith, the Yankee swindler, reigns in His place. Nor do they leave the question simply as one of theory. Their rules of practice—such as the one which provides for a plurality of wives—most certainly disentitle them to the protection of any orderly and decent community. A man might publicly announce that he had hired Willis’s-rooms, for the purpose of lecturing upon the laws of England, but when he was brought face to face with his audience, recommend murder, advise rape, suggest burglary—would he therefore be entitled to the protection of that law upon which he professed to be commenting, simply because he professed himself to be a lecturer upon the laws of England? We apprehend that the false pretense would not protect him from the consequences of his offence. In the same manner, it is not enough that a man should call himself a Protestant Dissenter, in order to enable him with impunity to set the religious feeling of England at defiance. Let a man, by all means, be a Mormonite, if he is silly enough, or wicked enough, to credit so monstrous a tissue of absurdities as the creed involves; but, at least, let not the Parliament of England stamp the mystic twaddle which he calls his Bible, with its imprimatur. Let us not, in other words, sacrifice the feelings and opinions of a million rational beings, to the distempered ravings of a single blockhead or knave.

The case to which we would call attention was tried at the Middlesex sessions (see 6^th page of the Merlin). A Scotchman, by name Andrew Hepburn, was indicted for a misdemeanor, in having disturbed a congregation who were assembled for the purpose of public worship, in a place duly registered according to the statute. This congregation was composed of Mormonites. The building is situate at 41, Globe-road, Stepney. It appeared that, while a man called James Marsden was preaching there, on the 25th of August, the defendant entered the building and asked in a loud voice, “What is the text? What is the passage? What is the Scripture?” He was requested to be silent, but still persisted in the disturbance, and the end of was, that he was taken into custody by the police, and brought up at the Middlesex Sessions. Now, undoubtedly the defendant was in the wrong. The law and reason of the case were so well laid down and explained by the learned gentleman who presided at the trial, that it is but justice to him to quote his own words:— “It could not be permitted that any person should erect himself into a judge of what should and what should not be the form of proceeding, and because he entertained different religious views, should go to these places, which had complied with the requirements of the law, and interrupt and disturb peaceful and orderly congregations. If this were to be allowed, what was to prevent an over-zealous Christian from going and upsetting a Jewish synagogue?—for persons of that persuasion actually disbelieved in the divinity of our Savior.” It would require more space than we can afford to give any longer quotation from the charge of the learned gentleman who presided in that court. Suffice it to say, that the gist of it was that, if there were any evil resulting from the existing state of the law, it was for the Legislature, not for an individual, to interpose and correct it.

All that we can gather from the evidence given at the trial, with reference to this point, is little enough. The clerk who appeared from the registry of the diocese of London to prove the certificate, could say nothing about the matter. He had not the slightest idea whether or no there was any preliminary investigation as to the religious tenets of the congregations who were to assemble in the places proposed for license. Surely this is scarcely right. By all means let the Mormonites remain in peace as long as they do not violate the laws. Society, however, has a right to mark its disapproval of doctrines which would resolve it into its elements by refusing all favour or privilege to the professors of such creeds. Tolerate, but do not protect them. Let no man be summoned before a court of law and punished because he is such an idiot or such a rogue as to have joined the gang of Mormonites; but, in the name of decency and common sense, let him not be clothed with Parliamentary privileges and immunities. It is the opinion, and the reasonable opinion, of modern times, that there should be an end of religious persecution. Fanaticism, like a child’s top, must be well whipped ere it will rotate with vigour. Let the Mormonites think as they will, and write as they will, and pray as they will—treat their supreme folly with indifference. Leave them to the common sense and contempt of the country. But surely there is no persecution involved in a refusal to consider the followers of Joe Smith as a religious sect, still less as a sect of “Protestant Dissenters.”

1854 – 22 September, p. 6 – Item #2 – Mormonism—Middlesex Sessions, Wednesday, Sept 13. Andrew Hepburn, 39, a respectable-looking man, described as well educated, was indicted for a misdemeanor, in having willfully and maliciously disturbed a certain number of persons, who had assembled for the purpose of religious worship in a place duly registered according to the statute.

Mr. Parry appeared for the prosecution; Mr. Payne on behalf of the defendant.

The learned counsel, in opening the case, said he was structed on the part of a congregation of persons calling themselves “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” and the prosecution was somewhat of importance. He trusted, whatever the nature of the instructions his learned friend who appeared on behalf of the defendant might be, the proceedings would not be treated with any degree of levity. The charge against the defendant was that he had taken active part—whether from conscientious motives of otherwise, it would be for the jury to decide—in disturbing a congregation of Mormons, who had assembled for worship in a building certified for the purpose situate at 41, Globe-road, Stepney. They were aware of the struggles which in former times all denominations of Christians had undergone to secure freedom and liberty in their forms of worship, the result of which battling with persecution and intolerance had been, that they were now arrived at a time when every man was at liberty to worship God as his conscience dictated to him. By the law of England, any man who chose to preach new doctrines of religion could take a room or a shed, and, having obtained the license prescribed by the statute could legally assemble a congregation of persons, who could there worship in any form they chose to adopt. The sect to which the prosecutor, Mr. Marsden, belonged he believed adopted the Bible as the basis of their faith, but whatever inferences they drew—whether they were or were not at variance from those drawn by other sects of Christians—that question, he apprehended, would have the least to do with the present prosecution. The defendant, whatever his motives might have been had no right to interfere with any body or community of persons who had assembled for the worship of their Creator, no matter how absurd or ridiculous the form of that worship might be.

John Marsden examined: I am a preacher and teacher of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is a Book of Mormon. We have a licensed room, 41, Globe-road, Stepney. It is licensed in the name of Mr. Harrison. I know the defendant; he is a lecturer. There was public worship in the church on the 25th of August. The service consisted of prayers and a sermon. We believe in the sacredness of the Scriptures and the divinity of Christ, but we draw certain inferences which are drawn by no other sect. While I was preaching on the 25th of August, the defendant entered, and in a loud voice said, “What is the text?” He was requested to be quiet, by Mr. Harrison, an elder, but he would not, and again called out, “What is the passage? What is the Scripture?” The defendant was standing. He came in alone, and had a book in his hand. When the police interposed, and were about to remove him, several persons interfered in his behalf. I asked the deacon to call the police, as I could not proceed with the discourse. We pay two guineas a-quarter for the use of the room.

Mr. Parry (reading from the Book of Mormon): “We believe that Governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man, and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, either in making laws or administering them, for the good and safety of society. 2. We believe that no Government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held, as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.” (To the witness): Are these two cardinal points of your religion as to government?

Witness: Yes, sir, they are.

Mr. Parry: Is it part of your creed to interfere with the religious professions of other sects?

Witness: No, sir.

Cross-examined by Mr. Payne: We believe in the divinity of the Savior and also in the authenticity of the Scriptures. We believe equally in the inspiration and authenticity of the book of Mormon—that it was a Divine revelation to Joseph Smith, and is equally as inspired as the Bible, and as authentic as the Word of God.

Mr. Parry, interposing, said, this court was not the proper arena for discussion of questions of this kind; they had nothing to do with this charge.

Mr. Payne thought they had. The prosecutors had brought the case here, instead of quietly answering the questions as to where the text was which was being preached from. They had sought a public inquiry, and these things must be looked into.—(To witness). Is not plurality of wives recognized by your religion?

Witness: Not in England.

Mr. Bodkin thought it would be better that this line of cross-examination should not be gone on with.

Mr. Payne would show that it was quite relevant to the case. (To the witness) Is it not stated in your books that further information may be had at all your religious meetings throughout the world?

Witness: Yes; but such information is to be had in preaching, not in noisy discussion. If there is no information to be gathered from preaching, then where is the use of preaching?

Mr. Parry: A very proper answer.

The witness in cross examination: We believe that the Almighty, through the instrumentality of the elders of the church, effects miraculous cures. There was such a place as the Temple of Nauvoo. The head of the sect does not represent the Almighty Being, and go through the ceremony of pretending to create a woman from the rib of a man. Brigham Young does not do this. Such things have been stated; but it was also stated that Christ was a blasphemer.

Mr. Payne: Do not the Latter-day Saints declare as part of their belief that all other sects are corrupt and teach false doctrine, and that a new revelation was necessary, which revelation was made by Joe Smith?

Witness: They believe that there was a departure from true apostolic doctrine and from true apostolic institutions, and therefore a new religious organization was necessary. The new revelation was given to Joseph Smith, who was deliberately murdered in America.

Mr. Payne: Is it not a part of your belief, that the bishops of the English or Protestant church must come to Joseph Smith’s church as the only true one, in order to be saved?

Witness: It is just as reasonable to believe that as to believe that Joseph Smith’s church must come over to the bishops in order that they may be saved.

Mr. Parry said that there were a great many questions of faith in the Church of England itself and if Dr. Pusey himself were in the witness-box, no doubt a smile could be elicited from his cross examination. A man, as far as he could see, might be just as able to preach religion even if he had not been educated at Oxford or Cambridge as if he had.

Witness in continuation: The defendant is a lecturer, and a Protestant clergyman has presided at his lectures—to my great surprise, however. I have heard of a book called “An Exposure of the Proceedings and Improprieties of the Mormons.”

Re-examined: These are the calumnies of those who assail our religion. Joseph Smith was cruelly and barbarously murdered in America because of the religion he professed.

By Mr. Bodkin: We consider ourselves Protestant Dissenters.

James Harrison: I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons. I was present for religious worship at this room in the Globe-road on the 25th of August at half-past eight. I saw the defendant come in. He stood and asked, “What is the passage?” He asked more than once, and sufficiently loud to disturb the proceedings. His manner was excited. There were about 150 persons there. The meeting was peaceable until it was disturbed by the defendant. I called in the police, but repeatedly requested the defendant to be quiet before doing so. Mr. Marsden was preaching, and was interrupted. I am the minister of the place. Mr. Marsden sent for the police. They came and removed the defendant. I saw him there the previous week. On that occasion he interrupted the meeting. The meeting was broken up and he was removed by the police. He then threated that he would annoy the Mormons whenever and wherever he could, and it was then stated that he would be there on the following Friday, the 25th, to annoy the meeting. He did come, with the result I have mentioned.

Joseph Buckingham stated that he was a clerk in the office of the Registry of the diocese of London. A room at 41, Globe-road was duly licensed as a place for meeting of Protestant Dissenters. The certificate was dated 7th of June, 1850. It was granted to a Mr. Powell, and was signed by the Deputy Registrar. (It was produced.)

Cross examined: Could not say whether there was any preliminary investigation as to the religious tenants of the congregations to assemble in the places proposed to be licensed.

A discussion here took place upon a clause in the act 52d George III., cap. 135, with reference to these licenses for places of religious worship. The clause required a return of a license being granted to be made to the Quarter Sessions from the Bishop’s Court, when the parties went there, and vice versa when the proceeding originated at the Quarter Sessions. In this case no return had been made from the registry of the diocese, and Mr. Payne contended that such return was a condition precedent, while Mr. Parry, on the other hand, argued that the legal rights of the parties obtaining the certificate could not be affected by any negligence on the part of the bishop or his deputies, they having taken all the steps the law required to do; and that it was sufficient for them if they had the certificate. This, the latter gentleman observed, was a most important question, affecting all bodies of Dissenters; and if the bishop, or those under him, did not perform the duty required of them, it must be looked to.

Mr. Bodkin said, he felt the force of Mr. Parry’s remarks, and he should not stop the case upon the point raised.

Mr. Payne, in addressing the jury, said he was one of those who greatly rejoiced at the amount of religious freedom and liberty of conscience enjoyed by the people of this country, but still he thought pernicious effects would result from a matter-of-course sort of registration of these places of worship, without a preliminary enquiry into the tenets and profession of those by whom such places were to be used. Now, the place in question—this 41, Globe-road—was licensed as a place of meeting for Protestant Dissenters; not a word was there about Mormonism or Latter-day Saints in the bishop’s certificate; and it was set forth in the indictment that the assemblage was one of Protestant Dissenters, gathered together for the purpose of religious worship. He contended that the indictment was not borne out by the evidence in more respects than one. Could it be supposed that the Legislature ever contemplated such a sect when they threw a protection over Protestant Dissenters, in the true sense of the term, in the exercise of their religious worship? The doctrine of the Mormons was essentially antichristian, and the idea of their Bible being inspired reminded him of what the native Indian said of it. He said, God made one Bible, and the devil another, but the devil was so ashamed of his Bible that he went and buried it, and Joseph Smith afterwards found it.

Mr. Parry was surprised that his friend should introduce anything a native Indian had to say on the subject. He could easily surmise what the Indians would say of him, and also what they would do with him if he was among them. (Loud laughter.)

Mr. Payne went on to say that plurality of wives was recognized by the Mormon religion, but not by the English law, and he argued that the law could never be construed to protect in worship those who entertained the abominable Mormonist doctrines. They had procured the bishop’s certificate by a false pretense that they were Protestant Dissenters—false pretense, he reiterated, for, though professing to be Protestant Dissenters, they held the belief that their elders of the heads of the church had the power, through God, of working miracles, and that Protestant bishops must conform to their doctrines in order to be saved.

Mr. Bodkin, in summing up, said it had been truly observed, that this court was not an arena for the discussion or consideration of questions of this kind; the absurdity or otherwise of any particular doctrine had nothing whatever to do with the issue they had to try. Under the act of Parliament, certain preliminaries must take place before public worship could be held, and there was a penalty provided in case those preliminaries were not properly complied with. By one of the clauses, such worship was prohibited taking place except with open doors, so that the proper authorities had the power of assuring themselves that such worship was carried on with decency and propriety, and of knowing what was going on. It could not, therefore, be permitted that any person should erect himself into a judge of what should and what should not be the form of proceeding, and because he entertained different religious views, should go to these places, which had complied with the requirements of the law, and interrupt and disturb peaceful and orderly proceedings. If this were to be allowed, what was to prevent an over-zealous Christian going and upsetting a Jewish synagogue—a persuasion that actually disbelieved the divinity of our Savior? Where would it all end? The parties themselves had complied with the law, and the jury would take it from him, independently of the question as to the non-transmission of the return to the sessions, that these persons were legally at religious worship, and that they would say whether, upon the evidence, that while so at worship, they were disturbed by the defendant.

The jury returned a verdict of Guilty.

Mr. Parry said, this course of annoyance had continued since last November, and the defendant pursued every congregation of Mormons that he could.

The defendant, in answer to the question if he had anything to say to the Court, said: What I have done, has been for the glory of God and the good of the whole human family. I am a Scotchman. I had no education, but Almighty God has given me the abilities to prove to the whole world that these doctrines are inconsistent and contrary to His holy word.

Mr. Bodkin wished to know if he intended to annoy these persons again.

The defendant said, he would never enter their place again, if that was what was required; but he should lecture as usual.

Mr. Bodkin said, he could, no doubt, go on lecturing, if he pleased; he had the same right to do that as these persons to follow their own worship. He must enter into a recognizance of £100, with two sureties of £20 each, to come up for judgment if called upon; and he would not be troubled if he confined himself to showing by argument what he considered their errors.

The sureties were given, and the defendant was discharged.

1854 – 6 October, p. 3 – Return of the Mormons Eastward. A Western paper says that a few days since, a train, composed of nine wagons and 50 persons, crossed the Missouri eastwardly in search of a new home. They had left the Salt Lake City on account of the oppression and immorality of their church. – New York Herald.

1855 – 5 January, p. 8 – Mormonism. The following extracts from the letter of a “Latter-day Saint,” published in the Chicago Tribune, illustrate the undisguised immorality of the “social system” of the Mormons:—

City of Salt Lake (Deseret), July 20,

My dear Friend,—I have been promising myself the pleasure of writing you a long family sort of letter for the last eighteen months, as I assured you I would when we parted, and I should have done so, only that, somehow, when I have opportunities of sending one, one thing or another was sure to interfere with my time for writing.

The fact is, the Salt Lake City is a place for work, and loafers and lazy people are entirely out of their element here. I never lived in a place where there is so prevalent a spirit of industry, or where drones are so little tolerated. As a consequence, there is scarcely any poverty‚ none, I may say, except that which is the result of sickness and other misfortunes; and, in such cases, it is not marked by the painful features which are observable in the quarters of the poor in Rochester, Buffalo, and Chicago, where I have had opportunities of seeing for myself; for here the poor are taken care of by the voluntary and liberal contributions of all, which are made in a profusion that you could not find in a community of skinflint Presbyterians, iron-sided Baptists, experience-telling Methodists, or with sanctimonious members of evangelical churches in general. No, no. Here there is a brotherly feeling, such as marked the character of the early Christians; and here is understood in its fulness, the great truth—“He that giveth to the poor lendeth unto the Lord.”

When I last saw you, in 1851, now nearly four years ago, you expressed your regret that I should connect myself with a church, and become a member of a community the doctrines and rules of conduct of which were repugnant to all the social virtues and the religious principles which I had been taught from my childhood up to 1846. I had then (1851) lived five years a believer in the truths of the Book of Mormon—had steadily, and as faithfully as I knew how, examined the tendencies of those truths, and compared them with the old church of my father—I may say fathers, also, for they were all of one faith for three generations back—and I had come to the conclusion that I had at last found out what was best for my spiritual wants, here and hereafter. It was after this long experience—this forty years in the wilderness—that I became satisfied with my duty, and set out with my family for the City of Deseret. Sarah Ann, you know, had her doubts about the move, especially as she had heard awful stories about the Mormons, who, following the example of the old Patriarchs, from Abraham down, had established social laws different from those which she had been accustomed to look upon as sacred. Louisa, our oldest girl, then fourteen, shared the feelings of her mother somewhat, but it had no foundation beyond education, and, I felt, would soon be eradicated.

But, I suppose, by this time, or before you have read thus far, you have grown impatient, and wonder if I am going to avoid the subject which appears to concern the people of the States, as regards Deseret, more than anything else. No, my dear friend, I am not going to dodge it. There was a time when I might have been disposed to do so, knowing your feelings; but it is not right, and I shall be candid.

“Polygamy! Polygamy! Polygamy!” This is the word which you call it, and one would think, from the holy horror with which your editors, preachers, and politicians utter it, that it is a crime of a magnitude surpassing all others. My dear friend, I do not doubt many of you think so, but it is all the result of education—nothing else, I assure you; for I speak from experience, as do thousands of others hereabout, who once thought as you do. But you must know that the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discards all sectarian dogmas, and comes to the plain, simple truths of the Bible—the whole Bible, not a part of it. It looks to the lives of the patriarchs and prophets—the men of ‘pure religion and undefiled’—for principles, as well as to those who came after them. It sees no higher or more heavenly state of society than that which existed under the authority and direction of Jehovah anterior to the Christian era. Not that it opposes any doctrine of Christ, or those authorized to speak for Him, for it would leave every one free; no, it gives the highest sanction it can give to every principle elaborated in the New Testament, while it makes the Old and the New entirely harmonize. The doctrine is founded on the Bible—the eternal rock of truth.

But about the practical operation of polygamy, as you call it. That is what you most probably want to know, and I shall enlighten you from my observation and experience.

When I came to Deseret, there were not many who were in the enjoyment of more than one wife, and many, or most of the new comers, were opposed to it. But as they saw how beautifully and harmoniously those families lived where there were two or more wives, their prejudices gradually gave way, and among no class was this change more apparent than the women. At the present time, if a vote were taken upon the subject, I venture to say that nine out of every ten women who have lived here two years, would sustain our present social system in this particular. They are more for it than the men, for upon many of the latter it entails heavy burdens; though the truth is, our wives in Deseret make no pretensions to being fine ladies, their highest ambition being to help their husbands and their poor brothers and sisters in the Lord’s church. There are very few men who have more than five wives, and a large part have but one, while some have none. For myself, I have three. Sarah Ann, your cousin, whom I married in York State, has the largest share of my affections, and takes precedence in the management of the household. Two years ago I married Miss S., formerly of Ohio, and she has charge of the education of the children, and attending to the clothing. My other, whom I took three months ago, is from near Hamburg, Germany. She is larger than either Sarah Ann or Elizabeth (the name of my second wife), and, I say it without invidiousness or impropriety, is decidedly handsome. Her person is of good size, very round, full chest, bright flaxen hair, and a soft blue eye. She enters into the duties of her new situation with wonderful alacrity, and is very happy, as are also Sarah Ann and Elizabeth. There is none of that jealousy—that disposition to tear out each other’s hair—which you have probably imagined would show itself in such cases. We are all looking forward to the time when we shall be together constantly in our little Eden, where we can work for each other, and raise our children in ‘the fear and admonition of the Lord,’ You may be surprised at this: but you will be still more so when I assure you that all of my present wives are anxious that I should get another—one who is fitted by education and physically adapted to take charge of the business of the dairy. With such an arrangement of my household, every department of a well-organized establishment on a patriarchal scale, would have a head to it, and be governed in order. I have no inclination to comply on my own account, as I am well satisfied with those I now have, but if I should do so, it will be utterly out of regard for them.

My daughter Louisa is engaged to be married to a man from Pennsylvania, who already has a wife and three children. It did not entirely meet my approbation, but I did not interpose a single objection, so long as she was satisfied, and the marriage would be in a high degree honorable to her, as well as advantageous in a worldly view.

Now, my dear sir, you say, what is to become of all this? Let me tell you what has come of it. In Deseret there are no libertines, with their paramours, no houses of prostitution, no cases of seduction, or those which disturb the peace of families in States, under your laws. Here, every woman can have what God intended she should—a husband—and every man that wants to, may have a wife. And the woman that is the wife of a man who has one or more other wives, is more fortunate than if she were the only one, for in case of plurality the duties of the house are divided. The children here are pretty numerous, I must admit, but this should and does contribute to the happiness of the true followers of the Lord, from whom we have learnt that our duty is to multiply and replenish. But, mark this; there are no illegitimate children in Deseret—no children of shame who are ashamed of their mothers, and a disgrace to any but the lowest society.

I shall not enter into an argument to attempt to convince you that your sentiments in regard to the marriage relation are the result of education and are wrong. I wish you could live here a year or two, however, and I have not a doubt your acts would show you had changed your opinions.

1855 – 19 January, p. 6 – Item #1 – A military governor has been appointed over the Mormons. Lieutenant-Colonel Steptoe, of the United States army, has received the appointment, with the understanding however that he shall leave the army. It is doubtful (says a letter from New York) whether he will accept the appointment on such terms. The Mormons are strong enough to give this country great trouble and will, no doubt, do so. The men are well drilled, and having bold determined leaders, will be put down with difficulty.

1855 – 19 January, p. 6 – Item #2 – Some shameless missionaries of the Mormons are laboring most sedulously amongst the ignorant populations of several districts in Gloucestershire, particularly urging their brutal doctrines of polygamy.

1855 – 13 April, p. 3 – The “Mormons.” A large number of these deluded people left Swansea, on Wednesday afternoon last, by the Blarney from Liverpool, en route to the Salt Lakes of America. The party seemed to consist chiefly of small farmers from Carmarthenshire and the neighborhood of Swansea, with their wives and daughters, many of the latter being apparently respectable females.

1855 – 20 April, p. 3 – Jersey. About 80 unfortunate people left this island by the Sir Francis Drake steamer last week for Plymouth thence to proceed across the Atlantic, on their way to the Mormon settlement on the “Great Salt Lake.”

1855 – 28 July, p. 2 – Mormonism, As It Is. There is a woman now in St. Louis, who has been made a victim of Mormonism, to whom we desire to invite the attention and in behalf of whom we wish to enlist the sympathy of the philanthropic. Her name is Mrs. Parsons. Ten years ago, she was living happily with her husband, who was a clever shoemaker, in London, comfortable in circumstances, and blessed with domestic peace. About that time, the husband became a convert to Mormonism, under the influence of the preaching of the proselyte: of the Church of Latter-day Saints, who were strolling over England and Wales. Of course, his wife received and embraced the faith too—the abominable doctrine of polygamy being sturdily denied by those who pretended to be the orthodox expounders of the creed. Her husband abandoned his trade, and turned preacher, traveling over France and England, to disseminate the Mormon doctrines. Of course, the wife was left pretty much to shift for herself and her young children. Things went on till she came to America, about a year ago, on her way to Utah, with a company of Mormon emigrants. Her husband remained in Europe to superintend the embarkation of other emigrants, and promised to meet her in St. Louis. When the poor woman arrived here, she found no provision made for her support, and no arrangements for her passage across the plains. She was therefore compelled to seek employment, to earn a scanty support for herself and her starving children. By stitching shoes, she managed to live through the winter, and in the spring, her husband arrived, and proceeded forthwith up the Missouri River, to the Mormon encampment at Atchison, in Kansas territory, commanding her to follow. Devoted in her attachment to her brute of a husband, and trusting sincerely to the Mormon faith, as represented to her, she embarked in another boat, and reached Atchison, in quest of her husband. There she found him living in a tent with two women, to whom he had been spiritually sealed. Her feelings and condition may be better imagined than described. She was crushed and heartbroken. She tried to induce the brute to abandon his mistresses and protect her, but she was spurned by him, who intimated that she must shift for herself. She represented her case to the ecclesiastical chief, on the ground, and urged him to see her righted, but that precious disciple told her that she was a stiff-necked reprobate, stinking in the nostrils of every good Mormon. Heart-broken and despairing, she took her two children, and made her way from the camp, five miles to Atchison, where she stated her case to a generous citizen. He promised to protect her with his life, and aided her in getting on board the F. X. Aubry, then on her way down the river. She had but three dollars, which she offered to the captain for her passage to St. Louis, but he, like a generous man that he is, brought her down for nothing. Information of her situation reached the ears of two or three charitable ladies of the city, who secured a place for her in the Home of the Friendless, and provided a temporary retreat for her children. Her situation is a sad one, and she truly deserves the sympathy and assistance of her sex. We trust she may receive it. She may be seen at the Home of the Friendless, and we suggest that the benevolent call there, and hear the touching tale of her griefs from her own lips. St. Louis News, June 25.

1855 – 11 August, p. 5 – The Mormons at the Salt Lake are likely to suffer from famine.

1855 – 15 August, p. 3 – From Utah territory a week’s later advices have been received. The Mormons in the valley of the Great Salt Lake were anticipating a famine. All the crops were being devoured by insects, and flour was very scarce, at the price of six dollars per 100 lbs. A person, of the name of Young, who has commenced lectures among the Mormons, advises his brethren to take short excursions throughout the country. With their families. This Mormon acknowledges to the possession of ninety wives, and a multitude of children.

1855 – 18 August, p. 3 – Prospect of Famine amongst the Mormons. According to our last advices from Utah it is quite possible that the kingdom and the institution of Mormondom will be extinguished or expelled from our western territories within a few years, by causes and instrument which have never entered into the calculations of saints, philosophers, or politicians. Grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts threaten to do the work which has confounded our statesmen who believe in the supremacy of “squatter sovereignty,” and those who maintain the supremacy of Congress over the territories.

The intelligence represents the crops of the Utah people over all that vast region—a limited district here and there only excepted—as in process of absolute extirpation by grasshoppers and crickets, and that a new ally, in the shape of locust, was appearing in some localities to aid in the work of famine. The poor Mormons were naturally alarmed and bewildered at the fearful prospect before them; for with the consumption of their crops by those voracious insects, rising out of the ground in swarms, and eating up every green thing within their reach, there can be no other alternative to the saints than starvation, or a rapid exodus to some more favored region of the world, among the waste places of some other continent, or the unappropriated islands of the sea.

The history of the Mormons is the living wonder of these latter times. In their origin, in their absurdities, and abominations of their religious faith, in their persecutions from place to place, and their rapid multiplication by reinforcements from all parts of the civilized world, and in their astonishing perseverance, industry, and success—the creed, the prophet, and the followers of Mormondom, are, in many respects, without a parallel in the history of religious delusions. Certainly, the most extraordinary anomaly of modern times is the kingdom of the Mormon chief—an imperium in imperio—an establishment of polygamy of the epoch of Jacob and Esau in the midst of the institution of the highest civilization of the nineteenth century of the Christian dispensation. The causes, too, which threaten the extinction or expulsion of these Mormons from our continent will be regarded by many as scarcely less than miraculous, though perfectly natural.

In 1844, Colonel Fremont, as the first recorded white man who had ever penetrated to the fabulous Salt Lake, gave us the first information of that terra incognita of the Great Desert Basin. By reference to his reports of that, and all his subsequent explorations, and upon referring to the reports of all other travelers, official and non-official in that region from that day to this, it will be seen that these crickets and grasshoppers are among the fixed natural institutions of Utah. From time immemorial, the native Indians have been accustomed to regard them as part of their subsistence. They make cakes of grasshoppers and crickets. They drive them into trenches with a hot fire at the bottom, where their wings and legs are burnt off, and they are roasted after the fashion of the locusts of Africa. These American insects thus bear the same relation and serve the same purposes to the wild native tribes, as the locusts of the deserts of Asia and Africa in their respective localities. They are a bar to the cultivation of the soil; they exist where there is no soil for cultivation, and where animal life is limited to insects and reptiles, and they are all eaten from necessity. The Utah grasshopper is the African locust of a smaller size, and the digger Indian is but a lower type of the desert Arab.

The forced exodus of the Mormons from Illinois, and their long and dreadful journey to the Great Salt Lake, took place in 1846, and our readers will remember that their first crops, upon which the advanced guards of the colony and the main body of the community in the rear depended for the ensuing winter, were assailed by the crickets—great goggle-eyed, crook-legged, bottle-bodied monsters—eating the green fields to the ground, and leaving a track behind them as blank as if wasted by fire. It will also be remembered that when the saints were in despair these crickets were discovered by the little white gulls which breed among the islands of the lake, and that they came out from those islands every morning, and kept up the war upon the crickets during the day, and from day to day, “from morn till dewy eve,” until the crickets were destroyed, and the crops were saved. The saints looked upon these little gulls as a miraculous interposition for their deliverance, and they could scarcely regard them in any other light.—New York Herald.

1855 – 18 August, p. 5 – Progress of Mormonism. Twenty-five years ago, the “Prophet” Joseph Smith organized the Mormon Church with six members. At the present time the church in Utah Territory contains three presidents, seven apostles, 2,026 “seventies,” 75 high priests, 924 elders, 514 teachers, 227 deacons, besides the usual ratio of persons in training for the ministry but not yet ordained, and 489 missionaries abroad. During the six months ending with the beginning of April last, 965 children were born in the territory of Utah, 278 persons died, 479 were baptized in the Mormon faith, and 86 were excommunicated from the Church. New York Paper.

1855 – 18 August, p. 6 – California. From what we learn, from time to time, from the Mormon city of Salt Lake, there is likely to be trouble brewing. The Mormons conducted themselves so badly, that the new governor, Colonel Steptoe, has removed his forces to California, where he has himself arrived. The Mormons are fortifying their city for fear of an attack on of these days. These wretches are the very scum and refuse of the earth, and the Government ought to burn the town about their ears. They have been trying their hand at conversions in California, but were unsuccessful. One of the fraternity, a saint, named Orson Hyde, has come to California, accompanied by fifteen wives! I would not be much on the harmony of this gentleman’s household, with his harem of fifteen. The squatter doctrine will soon be enforced by the miners. What an idiot this apostle must be! He has “cast his lines” in a place close to where we lately heard that the miners and other residents were shooting the male Indians for the sake of the squaws, whom they then appropriated. Mr. Hyde will soon have such a practical exemplification of the law of meum and tuum as he has little idea of.

1855 – 1 September, p. 2 – Explosion of Fire Damp. We regret to state that on Monday morning, at nine o’clock, a fearful explosion of fire damp took place in the New Colliery, at this place, by which five men were dreadfully burnt. It is supposed that the ignition took place through one of the men having secured the gauze of his lamp too loosely. Three of the unfortunate men are Mormons, and rumors are rife of the cures which the “Mormon oil,” administered by the “Elders,” will produce in this lamentable case. The men were all much injured.

1855 – 1 December, p. 6 – Disturbance of a Mormon Congregation. A crowded meeting of persons of the Mormon persuasion assembled, as usual, on Sunday night last, at their place of worship at Worcester. The lecture delivered was on the subject of polygamy. Some policemen were present in colored clothes, for the purpose of preserving order. Elder Wheelock, having delivered a long address in favor of the institution of polygamy, contrary to former custom, discussion was invited, and questions were asked by those present, one of whom, a female, turned the elder’s scripture very cleverly upon him, and at last pressed him so closely for direct replies to teasing questions, that the “Saints” were fain to take shelter in a hymn. This, however, was not allowed by the audience, who drowned the music with shouts, stamps, cat-calls, hisses, and the firing of a cracker, which reprehensible proceeding filled the female portion of the audience with alarm. Shortly after this, and when order had been somewhat restored, the gas was suddenly turned out, and then arose a din almost deafening. A rush was made for the door, a very narrow aperture, causing the upsetting of benches and forms, and this, together with shrieks and screams of women, who were being terribly crushed, and some of whom had little children in their arms; and the cries of boys and girls, and shouts for candles, completed a scene such as might be fit for Pandemonium, but not at all to be expected in a licensed place of worship. The police did not attempt to interfere. On Tuesday, at the meeting of the town council, Mr. Watkins called attention to “a nest of infamy” in Carden Street, where the Latter-day Saints assembled and promulgated doctrines more calculated to injure the morals of the rising generation than anything since the creation of the world. The Mayor said he could not interfere in matters of opinion. Worcester Chronicle.

1856 – 23 February, p. 3 – “The Latter-day Saints.” The following is a copy of a letter received by the Mayor of Cardiff, from an inhabitant of the town, who emigrated to the city of Utah, in the great Salt Lake Valley, and which we have been kindly permitted to publish:

“London, February 6, 1856. Sir, After a boisterous passage . . . from John E. Davis

1856 – 12 April, p. 5 – Railway Accident. On Sunday morning last, a number of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, left Blaenavon by rail, to attend a gathering of the sect at Newport. They had previously made arrangements with the railway company to have a special train from Newport in the evening, which was provided for them, and everything on their return journey went on very well until they arrived at Pontypool, where an extra carriage was attached to the train for the accommodation of some members of the Wesleyan connection of some members of the Wesleyan connection, who had been attending an anniversary of the Wesleyan Sunday School at Pontypool. With this addition, the train consisted of three carriages, and proceeded towards Blaenavon, but on arriving at the Vargeg Incline, the cranks of the engine broke, and a delay of about half an hour occurred while a pilot engine was being sent for to Pontypool. Some of the Mormons assert that the engine broke down in consequence of the addition which was made to the train at Pontypool, while others say it was done at the bidding of one of the elders, who had been called upon by an unbeliever to perform a miracle.

1856 – 10 May, p. 6 – The Mormon Elopement at Worcester. A few weeks ago we had to record the desertion of her husband by a Mormon Convert, who robbed and left him, taking with her a considerable quantity of cash, her family, and other “household good,” but who was afterwards cleverly captured and brought back by Inspector Chipp, of the Worcester Police. It appears that when the husband, Mr. Hodgetts, came home and found that his wife and family had “flitted” to the Salt Lake, he also found a letter left for him written by his daughters, telling him that they were off to the Mormon settlement, and endeavoring to put him on a false scent in case he should pursue them. The epistle is illustrative of the sort of morality likely to be produced by Mormon teachings. The following is an extract: [The letter of Maria follows – bad spelling and punctuation]

Spring Hill, Worcester, March 13, 1856. My dear Father – By the request of my mother I take my pen to write the following lines to you. We are gone to the Valley you told Mother in my hearing either to quit Mormonism up or go to the Valley. So we have chosen going to the Valley, for it is God’s will. All the money in the world would not have enticed me to go, if we were not sure that Mormonism was not true. But we know it is true and will stand for ever and ever. Mother says she has left a good home and a good husband and the comforts of life to go and look for a livelihood and had enough to live upon. But she would rather live poor and obey the commandments of the Lord than she would live in luxury and disobey them. These words are from her own lips she is telling me what to say. All her grief has been ever since she knew Mormonism that she could not make you obey it. All that grieves her is that she has to leave you behind. But it shall be our earnest prayer to God that in some future time you will obey the gospel of the true and living God. We have taken the 3 hundred pounds out of the bank, which you know is very little to go such a journey with 5 children. Tis a hard task for her, but tis with a pure motive to gain salvation and to keep God’s commandments. Ben is not gone with us. He is somewhere about. But where I know not. Mother hopes you will endeavor to see Ben and reason with him, and she is sure he will do all in his power to help you. This is not Ben’s doing, for he would not go with us. We shall leave England on Thursday morning 20 instant on board a steam vessel from Southampton. It will be useless you spending your money to follow us, for we never intend coming back. No, never, if it costs us our lives. Suffer what we may, we WILL go. I have left the books all right. The rent leaf and all accounts are in the large green book on the table. Mother wishes you to get someone to gather your money in. Then you will be able to pay for the house being now built when you have all your money up. Mother says she did not leave you because she disliked you, but she went because the commandments of the Lord called her away and nothing else, I can assure you. I will write to you every month and let you know how we all get along. Mother has taken no more than I have told you. She has not left you in debt one farthing. So if any bills should be brought you, pay them not, for there is nothing owing. Mother and all the children send their love to you. Mother wishes me to say you have very often complained to keep your children to do nothing. But you will not have that to complain of again. There was no peace for her, she says, nor of us children when you were near us. So we all determined to stay no longer. We are gone by ourselves and of course we shall have to earn our bread before we eat it. You have many times told mother to go. Mother says she has taken all the expense and trouble off your hands. So now you can live a gentleman’s life. If you should ever make up your mind to come to Salt Lake, we shall be most happy to receive you, and you will find mother and your family the same as you left them. Mother wishes to say she has not left you for the sake of man or men, but just to do the will of God our father, for he has declared to gather his people. But we feel it our duty to comply with the will of the Lord. I must conclude with all our prayers in your behalf that you may obey the gospel of the living God. From your affectionate wife and daughter, Ann & Maria Hodgetts.

1856 – 14 June, p. 3 – Garndiffaith – On Friday evening, May 30^th, Mr. Allen, of Newport, delivered lectures on “The Advantages of Education,” “The Errors of Mormonism,” and “The Benevolence of Oddfellows, M. U.” His addresses were listened to with much attention and satisfaction, with the exception of occasional and somewhat rude interruptions on the part of a Mormonite who was present.

1856 – 21 June, p. 5 – Preacher’s License – Two Mormon preachers, who gave their names as Abednego Williams and Israel Evans, residing in Garden Street, applied for license to preach at the White Lion. Having taken the oaths of abjuration, of allegiance, and of supremacy, and made the declaration against popery, according to the 52 George III, the licenses were granted.

1856 – 12 July, p. 9 – The Mormons. The Hon. James J. Strang, commonly called “King Strang,” the leader and prophet of the Mormons located on Beaver Islands, had been shot by two of his followers, and received injuries from which he was not likely to recover. Strang was the ruling spirit upon the Mormons, a large number of whom are Welsh, who are located on and have control of the six islands in the northern part and near the outlet of Lake Michigan, called Beaver Islands, and since 1853 he has represented Newago county, which is composed of those Islands, in the lower branch of the Michigan Legislature. He has been the means, in time past, of causing considerable disturbance in the regions adjacent to where he resides, and robbery, murder, and piracy are crimes which have been freely attributed to him and his followers.

1856 – 26 July, p. 3 – Exciting News from Beaver Island – The Detroit Advertiser gives an account of the arrest by the deputy-sheriff of Mackinaw County and his posse, of a number of Mormons, at Beaver Island, who were accused of setting fire to some houses, committing thefts and other depredations on other portions of the island. At Beaver harbour five men were arrested and taken on board the steamer, charged with theft, etc. We are able to learn but two of their names. They are Field and Briggs. Considerable resistance was offered, and it was not until the armed posse with the sheriff levelled their weapons to fire upon them, that they submitted. While making these arrests, another man, whose name is Samuel Wright, interfered to prevent the arrests being made. He drew a pistol at one of the officers, but it was immediately taken from him, and he was taken on board with the other prisoners. The six were brought to Mackinaw, and are now confined at that place. It was thought that Strang, who was recently shot by some of his own sect, could not possibly survive. His lower limbs, from his hips down, were entirely paralyzed. The report that he would recover is thought to have been put afloat by the Mormons, to intimidate people coming there to make arrests. The two men who shot Strang also went up to Michigan, and returned again to Mackinaw. Considerable excitement prevails at Mackinaw and Washington against Strang and his followers, and armed forces are fitting out at both places for the purpose of going to Beaver harbour to make arrests. A company of 100 men was already formed for Washington Harbour, and a company of 50 at Mackinaw. They would proceed to the island with sail vessels. While the steamer Michigan was at the island, A. R. Williams, of De Tour, was at Strang’s house, and identified property which had been stolen from him some time previously. Strang had issued an edict, stating that he had had a revelation from God; and that the United States’ steamer Michigan must never be allowed to enter the port of St. James again.

1856 – 20 September, p. 6 – The Mormons at Great Salt Lake City are threatened with famine. Their crops have been destroyed by drought, grasshoppers, and worms.

1856 – 27 September, p. 5 – The Mormons – The rapid rise of this sect is truly marvelouos. A few years have sufficed to enable them to erect cities, construct a vast social system, and perform acts of novel import to the human race. Under the title of “The Mormons, or Latter-day Saints,” a book has just appeared, that is full of extraordinary revelations. It gives the History, Present Condition, and Future Prospects of Mormonism; and is illustrated with 50 original Portraits and Views of the leading Mormons and their Settlements. This work will be read with great interest. Price 3s 6d.

1856 – 18 October, p. 9 – The Mormons at Tenby – If “reasoning correctly on false premises,” is the true definition of madness, we are all more or less madmen; although we are “astonished” at the insanity which we do not share. Last evening this was before me in half-sad, half ludicrous aspect. We are smoking our Latakie, in the indolent beatitude of digestion, when a choral howl disturbed the quiet of the evening air. P., lolling over the balcony, and allowing the “demure travel of his regard” to sweep the horizon in search of the yacht which was to fetch him away, informed us that the howling came from three itinerant preachers about to edify a group of fisherman on the quay. I begged him to shut the window; this being my protection against the outrage of a German band, which daily for six weeks had played “Partant pour la Syrie,” “The Low-backed Car,” “The Red, White, and Blue,” and “God save the Queen”—never anything else, and always piteously out of tune. But P.’s sense of the ludicrous overcame his musical susceptibility, and condemned us to hear the hymn. Shortly afterwards the preaching began, and as we ascertained that it was Mormonism, then being expounded, we resolved to go out and be edified. It was worth the effort. Standing on a chair was a young man, scarcely above twenty, swinging his arms about, and flinging forth in harsh ejaculations, a torrent of repetitions and abstractions, quite distressing to listen to, from the total want of anything that could arrest the interest of his audience. Open-air preaching is meant to coerce the attention of those who will not go to church; but this Mormon preacher never once alighted upon a phrase which could awaken an idea in the minds of those he addressed; so that we marvelled why he should have been chosen as a preacher of a doctrine which addresses the worldly interests. On each side of him stood an elder—and I wish I could paint the portraits of these caryatides of imbecility. One was a well-washed middle-aged man, who may have been a sentimental tailor; he rested his elbow on the chair, which served as a pulpit, and, inclining his head, allowed his finger to indent his cheek. The other was a short, tawny, grey-haired man, who must have been a cobbler troubled with meta-physical misgivings. It is to be presumed that they were edified by the preacher’s rhapsodies and repetitions; the audience was utterly unimpressed. Indeed there was what P. called a “troublesome foreground” of boys and girls, fighting, laughing, jeering, beating tin-kettles, and otherwise exhibiting the moderate sensibility of their fibre religieux; but the back-ground of men and women (of course with babies) was more orderly.

The next evening we were in our boat, enjoying the cool air, after the intense heat of the day, and, as we skimmed the surface with our nets, we talked to the boatmen of Mormonism, and its progress in Wales. They gave us a bad account of it. One of them, a fine handsome fellow, with a frank, yet serious manner, greatly interested us by his remarks; and we were glad to see that he felt the deepest disgust for the whole system.—Sea-side Studies.

1857 – 17 January, p. 2 – Adventures of a Mormon Settler. (From the Leeds Mercury.)

Six years ago, a gentleman holding a responsible and lucrative situation on the Midland Railway voluntarily resigned office, against the earnest advice of a director who valued his services, and after disposing of houses and other property in Leeds, set out with his wife and family on the long ocean and land journey to the Salt Lake, Utah in company with a large number of Mormon settlers. Six years’ experience brought to a sensitive and intelligent mind a thorough disgust of the Mormons and of their doctrines and ceremonies. Before pollution had reached the bosom of his own family he resolved to hazard everything and beat a retreat. The difficulties of an escape, even from the wicked scene itself, are many, to say nothing of the perils of the overland journey. Money was sent from England: fortunately, in this instance, it arrived in safe hands, eluding the grasp of the Mormon chiefs—fiends of the worst description. The journey was commenced, and the following extract gives a fearful picture of the dangers with which it was attended:

“St. Louis, United States, Nov. 11, 1856.

“My dear Brother,—I know it will be joyful news for you to learn that we have all arrived here in safety. Has not the kind providence of Almighty God watched over us in an especial manner? I left England, now nearly six years ago, with five children, and encountered innumerable perils by sea, rivers, and land, and not only have all the five children, as well as my dear wife and I, been mercifully spared to return to and arrive in a civilized country, but we have two more children who were born in the mountains, and who are spared to remind us of our banishment, as it were, or rather transportation from everything we held dear, and that was calculated to smooth the rugged path of life. It is true this penance was self-imposed; but I have confidence that He in whose hands we are, and who leads his children by a way which they know not, will overrule even this affliction, not only for our good, but for the good of all connected with us. That we are His children I am confident; His marvellous loving-kindness and the watchful care He has exercised over us abundantly prove it, and I am determined to trust in Him.

“Your prayers have been answered. We have seen perilous times since I wrote to you from Fort Laramie on the 9th of September. We started from there on the morning of the 10th, the company consisting of three waggons, with eight men, three women, and sixteen children—only mustering three guns and a worthless pistol among us. We travelled five days and a half, making 125 miles in the time, when we met a train of seven waggons with goods for Salt Lake. The drivers told us that the Cheyenne Indians, a very savage tribe, were on the road, killing all the whites they could find travelling in small companies or otherwise defenceless and committing all kinds of depredations; that they had killed Almond W. Babitt, the United States’ Secretary for Utah, on his way from Washington home, as also two men who were travelling with him viz., Thomas Sutherland, once a clerk in the Bank of Ireland, Dublin, and with whom I was particularly intimate (he, like myself, having changed his views with regard to Mormonism and intending to remove his family as soon as circumstances would permit) and another man whose name was Nowland. We also learned that they had killed two men named Thomas Margetts and — Cowdy, with their wives, and Cowdy’s child. These families started from Salt Lake three or four days before us, having joined in the purchase of a light waggon with mules and horses.

“I saw Cowdy the day before they started grinding coffee for the journey, he and Margetts regretting that my means would not allow me to purchase a horse-team, so that I could travel along with them. They met with a family (or overtook them) travelling from California to the States, with a horse-team, and the two waggons kept companions together until the Indians pounced upon them. This family consisted of a man and his wife and infant, with a young single lman as passenger, who happened to be out at the time hunting buffalo, and who finally escapted to Fort Kearney. The Indians took the poor infant by its feet and dashed its brains out against the ground, after having killed its parents.

“They had also attacked the waggons we had just met in the dead of the night, but all the drivers except one (who was killed) managed to escape to Kearny; a woman, who was travelling with them, having been either killed or taken prisoner. They found blood, however, in the waggon (which we saw), but no traces of her body.

“And we were travelling unconcernedly, because unaware of our imminent peril, right into the very thick of the danger; and, had we not providentially met our informants two or three days would most probably have brought us to the end of our journey through life. Perhaps the fiends might have spared the lives of some of our children for purposes much worse than death to them. I tremble to think of it, and so will you; but your emotions and mine are mixed with unfeigned gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the wonderful preserving care which He exercised towards us.

“After consultation, we concluded that our course was to turn back to Loramie in company with the seven waggons, and claim protection from the United States’ force at Loramie. We accordingly did so, and it took us seven days to go over the same ground we had previously done in five days and a-half. When we arrived at Loramie we found seven waggons, with families removing from Salt Lake, pretty much under the same circumstances as we were. They had heard of the hostility of the Chegenne Indians through a friendly Indian of the Sioux tribe, who brought the news to Fort Loramie, and they were waiting for an opportunity to proceed in safety. This Indian came up to our little camp on the second or third night after we had left Fort Loramie on the 10^th of September, and stayed with us all night. He told them on his arrival at the fort through an interpreter that he had tried to make us aware of our danger, but was unable, because of our utter ignorance of one word of his language. He certainly did try to make us understand something of importance, but it was all Greek to us, and worse. We sang round the fire—I think it was ‘Christians, awake,’ and tried several times to induce him to sing in the uncouth manner of his nation but he invariably shook his head and sighed, we little knew why at that time, but were enabled to interpret all some few days afterwards.

“On our arrival at the fort, the commanding officer (Colonel Hoffman) told us we had acted wisely in turning back; that the Indian in question (‘Black-Heart’s son) had come a-head of a company of United States’ Dragoons, who were escorting some Indians (prisoners) home that had been taken in the war with the Sioux tribe last year, Black-Heart’s son being of the number, but when within a few days’ journey of his tribe he had pushed on alone.

“It appears that in the treaty of peace with the General Government, it was stipulated that the prisoners should be escorted from Fort Leavensworth, where they were confined, through the country belonging to other tribes, who were their enemies, to Fort Loramie, in their own country, and this was being carried into effect. Colonel Hoffman told us that the said Dragoons would be in in a few days, and would have to return almost immediately to Leavensworth, and that they would accommodate their speed to ours, if we would stretch out all we could, and travel with us for our protection. We accordingly waited, and everything turned out as the Colonel anticipated. It was the 1st Regiment of United States’ cavalry, under Captain Stuart, a perfect gentleman. Hee behaved very kindly, often relieving the necessities of some of our company who were destitute, and when we came to Ash Hollow, where there is a mountain to ascend nearly as steep as a house side, he ordered his men to dismount and assist us up with ropes, and even, literally, put his own shoulder to the wheels. The troops travelled with us about 450 miles, warded off the Indians, and brought us through all danger on that score. They then went on ahead the remaining 150 miles, and beat us by two days to Leavensworth.

“This turning back 125 miles gave us 250 miles extra journey, and was very expensive to me, I having to purchase provisions at very high prices; 15c. or 7d. per 1lb. for flour and hard bread, and so on in proportion, tended to impoverish my means for the further prosecution of my journey.”

1857 – 31 January, p. 8 – Mormon Polygamy. The following interesting statistics of Mormon polygamy are given by a correspondent of the San Francisco Herald, who writes from Utah as follows:—“As it may be a matter of interest to the Gentile world to know how fast our people are in Utah territory, I will give you briefly a list of the standing among the women of the members of the last Legislature, that is, their names and the number of their wives, to wit:—

“Of the members of the Council, 13 persons:—Heber C. Kimball, President of the Council, 57; Daniel H. Wells, councilman, cross-eyed, 19; Albert Carrington, cripple and near-sighted, 7; Wilford Woodruff, cripple and near-sighted, 12; John Stoker, cripple and near-sighted, 8; Lorin Farr, cripple and near-sighted, 3; Lorenzo Snow, cripple and near-sighted, 25; L. E. Harrington, cripple and near-sighted, 3; Benjamin F. Johnson, cripple and near-sighted, 4; Isaac Morley, 72 years old, 5; John A. Ray, from Texas, 2; George A. Smith, cripple and near-sighted, 5. Grand total—men, 13, women, 171

“House of representatives, 26 members:—J. M. Grant, Speaker, 6; W. W. Phelps, printer of Morgan’s book, 0; A. P. Rockwood, an old man, 8; Edwin D. Woolley, a small man, 5; J. W. Cummings, cripple, 10; Hosea Stout, lawyer, from Kentucky—3 dead, 1; S. W. Richards, young and handsome lawyer, 15; Jesse O. Little, lawyer, of Boston, Massachusetts, 3; William Snow, Vermont, labourer, 8; P. H. Young, elder brother of Brigham, tailor, 5; C. V. Spencer, of Massachusetts, quite small, 2; Ezra S. Benson, old and homely, 15; James C. Snow, quite poor, 3; Aaron Johnson, has three sisters and altogether 6; Lorenzo H. Hatch, wagon-maker, 2; Jacob C. Bigler, farmer, 10; George Peacock, farmer, 10; John Eldridge, phrenologist—2 dead, 1; Isaac C. Haight, coal-digger, 12; Jesse N. Smith, lawyer, 2; John D. Parker, old and deaf, 3; Jesse Hobson, ox-teamster, 10; J. C. Wright, hotel-keeper, 5; James Brown, dairyman, 7; Enoch Rease, farmer, etc., 2; W. A. Hickman, one of the Danites, 3. Total, 157.

“To which add officers of the House, to wit:—Thomas Bullock, clerk, and an Englishman, 4; J. Grimshaw, assistant clerk, and an Englishman, 5; Chandler Holbrook, foreman, and deaf, 4; Jacob F. Hutchinson, messenger, 2; Joel H. Johnson, chaplain, 7. Total, 22.

“To which add 68 for the number then living of Governor Young’s wives, and you have the whole number of women thus represented by the members of the Legislature, officers of the same, and his Excellency, amounting to 420; or, in other words, 40 men and 420 wives. These, Mr. Editor, are sober truths, and in what they will end is for the dark and doleful future.”

1857 – 4 April, p. 1 – Departure of Mormonites. On Tuesday morning last about 60 of these deluded fanatics from Worcester and neighborhood joined a still larger number of followers of their superstitious creed, from Bristol, Gloucester, and Cheltenham, at the railway station, and departed by the 10:50 a.m. train for Liverpool, via Wolverhampton. From Liverpool they intend to sail for the shores of America, where they will toil through remote wildernesses to the “New Jerusalem,” with anxious hope of realizing the promised but delusive pleasures of Mormonism. The Mormons consisted of persons of all ages, and the inform of both sexes, down to the “puny infant” in arms. The preponderance, however, was of deluded females.

1857 – 25 April, p. 2 – Charles Mackay. Who ever heard that inspiring song “Cheer, boys, cheer!” that has not felt moved by its manly sentiment, and grateful to the author for producing it? No one!—Hence we predict for the “Book of English Songs,” just completed by Charles Mackay, a wide range of popularity. Most people wish to possess a good song book, and here is one exquisitely illustrated, complete for 3s. 6d., cloth, gilt, or in ten weekly numbers price 3d. each—Uniform with this, to be commenced on May 1, and completed in ten weekly numbers, at 3d., the “Book of Scottish Songs,” by Charles Mackay. These collections of the national songs of England and Scotland, produced under the editorship of the most popular living song-writers, should find their way everywhere.—“The Mormons,” by Charles Mackay, is now completed, and forms a most instructive book. Price 3s. 6d., also issued in ten weekly numbers, 3d. each.—Now ready, “Dr. Livingstone: His Life and Adventures,” by H. G. Adams, with 50 illustrations by Sargeant, Wood, Thomas, and Harvey; Map of Route, and Portrait. Price 5s.—Also “The Mother’s Mistake,” by Mrs. Ellis. Price 3s. 6d., cloth gilt. London: Houlston & Wright, 65, Paternoster-row, and all booksellers.

1857 – 2 May, p. 9 – By the arrival of the steamship Asia, we have advices from New York to the 15^th inst. It was reported that a body of troops would be sent to the Salt Lake to establish proper authority among the Mormons.

1857 – 9 May p. 9 – Mr. Drummond has resigned the office of Justice of the Supreme Court of Utah, on the ground that Mormonism is incompatible with law, order, and morality. Mr. Buchanan and his Cabinet are determined to effect a revolution among the Latter-day Saints. It is intended to send to Utah a military force of 2,500 men, officered by persons of character, who have families; and judges and executive officers of high standing, who have families, are to be appointed instead of Brigham Young and his satellites. These measures will, it is believed, afford ample protection to the territorial functionaries, and at the same time impart a purer tone to the morals of the community.

1857 – 16 May, p. 2 – Monday. [Before J. C. Fowler, Esq.] Mormonism. John Morgan applied for a license to preach the Gospel according to Mormonism. He took the oath of abjuration, the oath of allegiance, the oath of supremacy, and subscribed to the declaration of being a Christian Protestant and a believer of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, as translated and used in Protestant Churches.

1857 – 30 May, p. 7 – Mormonism. The Rev. George Daken Thomas, Georgetown, subscribed to the usual declaration of being a Christian, and took the usual oaths of abjuration and supremacy, to enable him to follow his profession as a Mormon preacher.

1857 – 6 June, p. 9 – Extensive Robbery by Mormons. On Monday last a number of Mormons left Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, for Liverpool, en route for Utah. Among them was a man named Robert Wright, who was one of the executive officers of an Oddfellows’ lodge, held at the Angel Inn, the funds of which were kept in a strong box, locked with three locks, each key being in the possession of a different member, one of whom was Wright. Among the papers and money was a check for £218, ready drawn and signed. After Wright had left the town on Monday some of the members had certain misgivings as to the funds of the society, and caused the box to be broken open, when it was discovered the check was missing. They were informed at the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank that the check was cashed so far back as the 13^th of April. The police started in pursuit of Wright, and arrested him and his family on their way to the station at Sheffield, en route for Liverpool. A portion of the money was found upon the prisoner, who was taken before the magistrates and remanded.

1857 – 6 June, p. 10 – The Mormon Iniquity. The last accounts from the Great Salt Lake represent matters is that quarter as being most unsettled, and contain a narrative of startling facts, showing that treason, murder, robbery, and forcible debauch are every day incidents of Mormon life. Brigham Young was at Great Salt Lake City, organizing a secret expedition for some purpose unknown to the Gentile world. His negotiations with the chief Pah-Utah for his cooperation in the plans of the expedition, fully explain the statement that he had been treating with the Indians for safe conduct out of the country. Women were becoming scarce in the territory, and the most fiendish oppression is resorted to for the purpose of forcing females to become the “spirituals” of Mormon Turks.

29 June, p. 9 – The Mormons have lost one of their great lights, one J. M. Grant, and the announcement of his death closes in the most approved obituary style: “He has gone now leaving seven disconsolate widows and several children, four of whom are under eight weeks of age, to mourn their irreparable loss.”

11 July, p. 1–2 -

1857 – 15 August, p. 5 – Street Preaching. During the last week the principal thoroughfares of the town, and more particularly of Baneswell, have been taken up by street preachers belonging to the Mormons, and their efforts to gain converts seem to be very persevering. It must be confessed that the noise they create is more zealous than pleasing, and the inhabitants of the streets in which the preachers take their stand, by no means rejoice in their society. The police do all in their power to prevent robberies, but we believe they are unable to order the dispersal of the crowd.

1857 – 12 September, p. 2 – The Mormons in Peril. (From the Times.)

It is said that Mr. Buchanan is determined to put down Mormonism—at any rate to break up the community at Utah. There will be great difficulties, owing to the weakness of the Federal Government, half of whose force is reported to have deserted already. But the new President is a resolute man when he has undertaken a thing, and we hope the days of this abomination are now counted. We certainly ought to wish for this, for it must be confessed that we are good deal concerned in the growth of Mormonism. It is a fact that the majority of the community—Mr. Carvalho says nine-tenths—are English, Scotch, and Welsh. How is this? Who is responsible for this? What have our orthodox parish priests been doing, and what have our orthodox dissenting ministers been doing that their own congregations have been the feeders of such an enormity as this?

It is very poor consolation, but perhaps it is some little consolation, to find that with respect to our own people fanaticism has had more to do with the current to this wretched delusion than vice. It would, indeed, be dreadful to think that so many thousands of our men and especially our women, had designedly, and with their eyes open, joined a system of the grossest polygamy. But it is only just to say that to a great extent this was not the case. The new religion was, indeed, itself a sensuality, but it was not joined by the great mass under that idea. The prophets had the wickedness to disguise its grossness till their miserable victims had got so deeply embedded in the system that they could not extricate themselves. It is a fact, that in order to be beforehand with report, they actually forged a service book, professing to be the service book of their religion, and containing among other offices, a marriage office, framed on the ordinary principle of monogamy. What, then, was the inducement to this deluded crowd to join the new religion? It seems to have been mainly the extraordinary prophetic show and pretence of the Mormonite imposture. The subject of prophecy has ever since the Reformation had an extraordinary hold over the minds of religious people in this country. The Puritans were mad upon it. They dreamt of the battle of Armageddon, of Gog and Magog, of the seven se[?] and the seven trumpets of the star which was called Wormwood, and the angel whose name was Abaddon, till, wound up at last to frenzy, they thought the world was coming to an end, and that all these mysterious events were close at hand, every military officer of any distinction imagining that he was the person who was to have the especial honour of capturing the great dragon and delivering the saints. These speculations have never lost their charm among us, and, though we do not make such warlike prophets as our Puritan ancestors, prophecy is still the fashion. The religious world throws itself into the future, and fixes the era of the millennium with untiring ingenuity. No two commentators agree on their date, but this very diversity gives a zest to speculation. It is really extraordinary what stuff comes out yearly in the shape of comment on those parts of Scripture; what curious and wild contortions and grimaces prophecy performs under the guidance of its interpreters. All this is seriously written and seriously read. Men of education, scholars, academicians please themselves with laying out the mysterious future with as much exactness as if they were laying out a Dutch garden or drawing a figure in geometry. They are as familiar with the heavenly Jerusalem as they are with the ground plan of their own houses. The pleasure is that of a Chinese puzzle. There is endless room for ingenuity in different juxtapositions of the various pieces, the pieces here being the different figures, types, numbers, and personages of this mystical department. They shake their kaleidoscope, and look through it to see what they have got, and they shake it again and look through it again, till they have got some figure symmetrical enough. Every remarkable event of the day is sure to be followed by a general shaking of the prophetic kaleidoscope because it must be brought into the figure. If a King falls or a King rise there are three or four books in the course of as many weeks to prove his connexion with one of the horns of the beast, and the coup d’etat of Louis Napoleon produced a general excitement in the prophetic world.

Such being the prophetic bias of many industrious writers, imagine this influence at work in a low and uneducated class. Imagine these rude and uncultivated minds intent, so far as they think of religion at all, upon the prophetic aspect of it, full of ideas of a millennium and a sort of earthly paradise, which they have caught up from the glowing page of Old Testament prophecy, and which, literally interpreted, does bear that meaning, however a more refined and truer interpretation may spiritualise it. They read in the Old Testament prophecy of a region where men shall no more hurt or destroy, where there shall be no violence, no want, and they give to all this material interpretation. Under such impressions they will be very likely to be dupes of designing impostors, who come to tell them about a land beyond the seas where all is peace and plenty,—no oppression, no extortion. If this was the picture of the Mormonite paradise which was given them, its gross features being kept back, their faith in it was, of course, gross credulity: but it is credulity which our learned and educated zealots who run mad on this very subject of prophecy themselves have no particular right to censure. They have set the example. When educated men and even clever men run into such extraordinary follies and dreams on this subject it is not very surprising if a course, illiterate class, has gone a step further, and not only indulged the dream, but acted upon it. It is a very good maxim that no one class in society errs without the rest being in some degree implicated. The prophetic mania in our religious world is more or less responsible for the Mormonite emigration from these islands. This extravagant adventure is only a coarse reflection of that wild prophetic speculation in which so large a part of the religious public had indulged. The Mormonite emigrant went in quest of a sort of earthly paradise; he thought the millennium had come, and that he would take the earliest advantage of it. We are speaking of course, of the dupes of Mormonism, not of its prophets, and of the fanaticism of the system, not of its grossness and sensuality. These wretched dupes have been prepared for their delusion by the extravagance of their betters. The ridiculous brochures that sell by thousands if they only hazard a new prediction, the nonsense which is read with avidity on any subject connected with prophecy, is the uppermost shape of Mormonism. We rush into a visionary future as a relief either from the inequalities of the present scene, or its difficulties, or its dullness. This has made the Millenarian and it has made the Mormonite. The Mormonite is the English form of Socialist. Both aim at utopias, only one in connexion with prophecy, the other in connexion with social progress and the political regeneration of the world.

1857 – 12 September, p. 10 – “It is very strange.” It is very strange, but very true, that the greater the absurdity of any doctrine propounded, the greater the probability that many will believe in it. Wondering people are easily gathered together. In London a man has but to gaze earnestly into the air to find himself surrounded by a concourse of people doing the self-same thing without knowing why. Thom, the madman, found plenty of followers, and men and women gave up houses and property to join Mr. Prince at the Agapemone, or Abode of Love, at Exeter. Now, although London people are thought to be wicked, and fond of “wonders,” they are not a people easily duped. Hence it is that Mormonism has seldom raised its hideous head in the metropolis. We hear of it, and during the week some men have been mad enough to hold a “Mormon Conference” in Westminster. The affair was unsuccessful, however, as it deserved to be, and the meeting was made up chiefly of strangers and foreigners. The London lower classes went only out of curiosity, and looked upon the whole affair as a contemptible farce. In the country a Mormon Conference would be well attended, especially in a village or small town, for it is from these places the Mormons obtain recruits. It is from our small towns they get girls to send to Utah for wives for their “Elders.” The Americans are organizing a force for the extirpation of the Mormons from Utah, and we are suffering men to prowl about the country in search of more victims. There is a new phase developed in this miserable delusion, which unfortunately demands notice. Our readers will remember how upon many occasions Teetotalism has been made to cover a multitude of sins. They will remember how political lecturers, when driven from public platforms, and all but put down, found the means of preaching their doctrines to people in lectures professedly upon Teetotalism. Among the greatest and most violent political leaders have been men who, without other occupation, have engaged themselves to Teetotal Committees, and lectured upon Teetotal Chartism, or diluted sedition. We could enumerate instances of this kind, but our immediate object is to point out a danger present. To be brief:—the Mormons profess to be Teetotallers, and thus hope to gain adherents from this body of men. Let Mr. Gough, Mr. Cruikshank, and other leaders, make a point of denouncing the introduction of political or religious matter into lectures delivered from the Temperance platform, and all may be well; for it would be a sin and shame that a cause so pure should be contaminated. Forewarned is forearmed, and Teetotallers should be on the alert, or the enemy may gain possession of the citadel.

1857 – 26 September, p. 8 – The Mormons in Newport. The exertions which are now being made by the Mormons in this town to circulate their dangerous and demoralizing principles, call for some active counter exertions on the part of our religious friends. Street preaching on Sunday evenings is becoming common, and last week several men were vehemently crying out for converts till 10 and 11 at night. Baneswell seems to be the favorite spot selected by these mistaken men for the field of their labors, probably because the place, being out of the limits of the borough, is less under the surveillance of the police, and they are liable to less interruption. Certain it is, that hundreds of Mormon tracts are now being given to the poorer classes, and seductive promises are held out to those who will embrace the creed of a low impostor. It would not be agreeable to find a colony of Mormons growing up about the town, nor would parents be pleased to find their daughters going to swell the list of deceived and suffering women at Utah. A few timely discourses in our churches and chapels would be of great service, and if the same means were taken to administer the antidote as are adopted to spread the poison—namely, by preaching in the public streets—the good would be still further increased. We trust that whatever measures are adopted, the subject will not be utterly lost sight of.

1857 – 26 September, p. 9 – A New “Deseret Alphabet” has been completed for the use of the Mormons. Moulds in which to cast printing-types of the new characters have been made. They are foty-one in number, and are said to bear a strong resemblance to the Ethiopic alphabet.

1857 – 24 October, p. 3 – Item #1. Mormonites in America. The Mormon newspaper, published in New York, has suspended, after an existence of two years and seven months. Some time ago imperative orders were received from head-quarters that all places of Mormon worship in that city be suspended, and the newspaper discontinued. The order was immediately complied with. The saints are in a quandary, as no reason is given for this sudden movement, and were taken all aback. There were some fifteen Mormons connected with the paper, only one of of [sic] whom is an American. During its existence they have been instrumental in forwarding some 3,800 persons to Deseret, many of them of the lowest class of European emigrants. The principal Mormon locality in this region is on Tom’s River, New Jersey. The Mormons connected with the printing in New York, and probably all, contemplate going to Utah next spring, it being now too late in the season to reach there. They were in hopes of arriving there in the spring, before the United States troops reached Deseret, as they supposed the troops would go into winter quarters. At first, the Mormons looked with little fear on the troops about to go to Utah, and only ridiculed them, thinking they would have no difficulty in throwing dust into their eyes. They don’t like the present commander; they are distrustful of him, and are down on Mr. Buchanan for appointing him. Their newspaper cost them 210 dollars per week, and its stoppage was not from want of funds. They did their business with the Nassau Bank. Some 300 missionaries have been sent to all parts of the world, during the past two or three years, many of them on long missions, and without a longer warning than a day or two. One of Brigham Young’s secretaries was ordered off, in this way, with but a night’s notice, and was compelled to leave his home and eight wives, in the morning, for a European mission which may be prolonged until Brigham thinks fit to recall him. Individuals who are thought rather inquisitive, are said to be frequently treated in this capital mode of getting rid of them, for an indefinite period.

1857 – 24 October, p. 3 – Item #2 – “Apprehension of Brigham Young, the Mormon Leader. Advices received in New York from Salt Lake, to the 27^th June, report that Colonel Sumner, with 80 dragoons, of Company G, United States army, arrived in that city on June 25^th, at 7 p.m., and took Brigham Young prisoner, on a charge of treason and other crimes, and started with him for Washington city within two hours after his arrival, meeting with no opposition on the part of the Mormons. The Californian journals of the 3^rd July make no mention of the arrest of Governor Young; it is therefore believed that the statement is premature.

1858 – 16 January, p. 1 – Dr. Mackay, who is now in America, has a new work in the press upon the Mormons—their Present Condition and Future Prospects. Very interesting letters arrive from him by every mail.

1858 – 17 April, p. 5 – Private letters from the United States Camp at Utah have been received to February 6^th. Colonel Johnston described the Mormons as manifesting a decided intention to set up an independent Government of their own, and expressed an earnest hope that supplies would be sent up to him as early as possible.

1858 – 22 May, p. 3 – Mormon Experiences – The New York Times of May 1, devotes three or four columns to a detailed account of the “experiences” of one Frederick Loba (a “repentant Mormon sinner”) while in Utah, and his escape from the Salt Lake City. Loba is a Swiss, of a strong metaphysical turn of mind, with a great predilection for speculative theology; and although a professed Protestant, he felt some years ago “rather uneasy with respect to sacred things and a future existence.” Like Faust he tried all sort of expositions of different views in regard to man’s final destiny, but found them all unsatisfactory, although he ranged the continent of Europe in the prosecution of his metaphysical studies. Thus, although in easy circumstances, Loba was wretched; and when at length Mormonism was presented to him, he was, as he himself asserts, deceived into a reception of the impious and immoral heresy. His gross gullibility may be estimated when we inform our readers that he gave implicit confidence to all the assurance of his Mormon instructors, that “the Valley” (or Utah) was the appointed place for the gathering of the pure and honest; that all the blessings of Heaven were their happy lot; that peace and plenty prevailed, and that no evil or wickedness was to be found in this terrestrial paradise! He was thus “completely deceived, won over, and baptised into the faith” with all his family. He arrived at St. Louis (on his way to the Happy Valley) in December, 1853, and was then appointed temporary president of a Mormon “chapel.” The “tricks and rascalities” of the Mormons at St. Louis shook our friend’s faith not a little, but he still hoped to find in “the Rev.” Brigham Young, at Utah, “all the characteristics and virtues befitting a man of God.” In this faith he persisted, although plundered at every opportunity by his Mormon guides to the Salt Lake city. Mr. Loba proceeds:—“Immediately after my arrival in the Valley, the Prophet took me out in one of his waggons, and showed me some of his houses and other property. During this excursion he presented me with one of his houses and some land, with one condition, that I should manufacture gunpowder. However, I was grievously disappointed to find that all I had been told in Switzerland of this beautiful land was far from truth, and that it was anything but fertile and fruitful. Shortly after that I was made a ‘professor of chemistry,’ became a high priest, and received the endowments. Thus I was initiated into all their principles and mysteries, and became acquainted with many of their secret plans and transactions. These opened my eyes at once, and I saw at a glance the terrible position in which I was placed. I now found myself in the midst of mountains with a large and helpless family, and deprived of all resources wherewith to extricate myself. The conviction had been forced upon my mind that Brigham himself was at the bottom of all the clandestine assassinations, plundering of trains, robberies of mails, and the examplar of every other species of wickedness practised among his followers. I saw also that the system of polygamy was anything but conducive to peace and happiness in the human family, but only calculated to gratify the carnal propensities of men, and to destroy, at the same time, all that is delicate, refined, or noble in woman’s character, reducing her, in fact, merely to the position of an article of merchandize. I have seen two young sisters sold by their own father to General Horace Eldridge for some groceries. I have seen men marrying both mother and daughter. I have known another in incestuous intercourse with his own sister, and then witnessed Brigham Young take this last woman as his wife when she was about to become a mother. One of my own personal acquaintances, W. C. Stains, one of Brigham’s favourite ‘destroying angels,’ and spies, applied to the prophet for leave to take a third wife. Leave was granted. The next day the lover appeared before Brigham with his betrothed, when, greatly to his astonishment, that worthy changed the programme slightly, and married the lady himself, as he found her a very pretty woman. Poor Stains accepted his bereavement as a trial from the Lord.” Crimes of all sorts were, he found, committed with impunity, anybody accused of uttering “disparaging remarks concerning the head of the church” was certain to disappear suddenly and mysteriously, being “privately destroyed.” On the 1st of April, 1857, he resolved to escape with his wife only, leaving his eight children in the care of his mother-in-law and her brother; and after many hardships, mountain adventures, and risks by flood and field, the unhappy couple at length reached Green River, and were kindly received by the Snake Indians and some Canadian traders there encamped. Brigham Young had started 32 horsemen on Loba’s track to recapture him, but after making incredible exertions to do so they were forced to return. His children and relatives have since rejoined him. Mr. Loba thus concludes:—“Nothing remains to me but regret for the past, and joy that I have escaped the trammels of Salt Lake, and that the remnant of my family are spared the contamination and ruin which a life among the ‘Saints,’ would inevitably involve.” Will this narrative operate as a caution to the gullible greenhorns who are even now flocking, like geese, to the “Happy Valley.”

1858 – 12 June, p. 9 – The Widow of Joe Smith the Mormon, still resides at Nauvoo, but she cares nothing for the saints, and has married a tavern keeper, who thinks all prophets are humbugs. Young Joe, who should by right have been the head of the Mormons, is a stout gawky of 22, who hates Brigham Young and curses the Salt Lakers. Nauvoo was once a place of 20,000 inhabitants, but is now ruins. Washington Union.

1858 – 26 June, p. 6 – The Mormon agents have stopped emigration from Europe pending the present difficulty with the United States.

1858 – 26 June, p. 8 – Advices from America state that excitement respecting the subject of British aggression is dying away. In reference to the Mormons, at Utah, the New York Daily Times says: “The telegraphic dispatches received from day to day, purporting to give us news from Utah, are of so contradictory a character, as to render it impossible to fix upon anything as reliable. A dispatch which we publish this morning, for instance, is in direct contradiction of one published a day or two since, through fully confirming one published previously. It is now stated positively that Governor Cumming has not been driven from Salt Lake City, and that the intentions of the Mormons are not belligerent; but, on the contrary, that the Governor had been well received; that Brigham was perfectly willing to transfer all authority to him, and that the Mormons had given up all idea of fighting, and had gone to work on their farms. The report that Captain Mercy’s train had been cut off, is also contradicted, nothing whatever having been heard from him.”

1858 – 24 July, p. 2 – Assaults – James Hefferman, of King’s parade, who did not appear, was summoned for assaulting Patrick Sullivan. Fined 5s. and costs.—John Mayne was charged with assaulting his wife, Martha, but as she was shown to have commenced the assault, the case was dismissed.—Simon Smith was charged with assaulting his wife, Henrietta Smith. Mr. Owen for the defendant. It appeared that the parties, although young people, are separated, in consequence of the defendant’s profession of Latter Day Saintism; since he became a Mormon, complaint has frequently been subject to his ill-usage, although he promised to make her “Queen over seven wives;” she has endeavoured to keep the children from him, bot on the previous Friday in Baneswell, he took one of them; complainant tried to recover it, when defendant dragged her along the road, and sprained her wrist. The case was ultimately settled upon defendant promising to allow his wife 8s. a-week, and not to molest her for the future, Mr. Lyne saying he only consented to that arrangement upon the complainant’s application, for the defendant richly deserved to be sent to Usk.

1858 – 24 July, p. 5 – Mormonism. At the Bristol council-house on Wednesday afternoon, a gentleman, who stated himself to be the secretary of the Anti-Mormon Association, applied to the magistrates to know if they had any power to put down the fearful blasphemy that was uttered by some of the Mormon preachers. He stated that he was lately at a Mormon meeting in Milk-street, when the officiating “saint” said, “Some people called Brigham Young a pig-stealer, but what of that? If he were so, he was no worse than Christ. Christ was a thief, for he stole an ass.” He (the applicant) and some friends of his naturally cried “shame,” and “blasphemy,” when they heard these expressions, and the meeting terminated in confusion. The Mormons had threatened to summon him and his friends for their share in the disturbance, and they had hoped that they (the Mormons) would do so, as then the matter would never have been brought before the magistrates. Several days, however, had now elapsed without their having heard anything from them, and he (the applicant) had therefore thought it better to call the magistrates’ attention to the circumstance, in the hope that they might be in the possession of some power which would enable them to prevent a repetition of such horrible blasphemy. Mr. Coates said the magistrates had no power to interfere, and the applicant then thanked the Bench and withdrew.

1858 – 31 July, p. 1 – A Mormon Conference. The Mormons have lately held their half-yearly “Conference” in London. Some of the acts and speeches were remarkable. We quote from a report in the Record—“The Saints voted to sustain Brigham Young as President, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator—the mouthpiece and representative of God; Heber Charles Kimball and Daniel H. Wells as his first and second counsellors; the quorum of the twelve apostles, with Orson Hyde at their head; all the properly constituted authorities in the land of Zion; and Asa Calkin as President of the Church in the British Isles.” Elder Joseph Silver said he “felt first-rate: never better. The travelling elders were not only feeling well, but as the Saints could see, they were looking well. The Saints in his Conference were feeling first-rate. They paid their tithing well.” Elder E. L. T. Harrison said “he was not much of a fighter, and would respectfully request anyone who felt bad with him not to fight. He had a little dander, as they saw, when it’s up.” This “Elder” described the Saints as “fanatics with the chill off: they were fanatics of the first-class.”—Elder Penrose said that “the branch book-debts were frightened into fits; they would soon be killed, and he wanted to assist at the funeral. The Saints had paid a great deal into the Penny Fund, but they drew it out again; that was bad. They might pay in as much as they liked, but they should not draw it out again.”—After the “Conference” the “Saints” went to dinner.

1858 – 7 August, p. 8 – We have dates, by the Africa, from New York, to the 21^st ult. The Mormons had been invited to return to their possessions at Salt Lake City.

1858 – 28 August, p. 6 – The Mormons in Utah. An interesting letter on the condition and prospects of the Mormons in Utah is communicated direct from Salt Lake City, by the Times correspondent. We make the following extracts. With regard to the state of the Mormons when the latter was sent, the writer mentions the case of Mrs. Sutherland—

“The intelligent and highly accomplished daughter of a London gentleman, whose name is familiar in your literary circles. Mrs. Sutherland, let me say in passing, became a convert to Mormonism while yet a maiden. In the plenitude of her zeal she abandoned home and friends in order to make the long journey to “Zion,” where she expected to find holiness and peace. The vicious practices which saluted her eyes upon her arrival there naturally disgusted and finally undeceived her. Various of the leaders of the church, including, I believe, Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, attempted to add her to their households, already stocked with wives ‘too numerous to mention.’ Their advances failed, and amid all the devices and temptations by which she was surrounded she preserved her purity and self-respect, marrying subsequently a countryman of her own, the Mr. Sutherland with whom she is now here. The combined testimony of this array of witnesses presents the following facts:—Counting every male inhabitant of the Valley between the ages of 15 and 65, there are not more than 7,500 capable of bearing arms, and of these not more than 3,000 would make effective soldiers even under skilful commanders. Of military knowledge they have none. Their drills have been the veriest botches of which a militia force was ever guilty, and all their talk of brigades, battalions, and regiments is the merest humbug, intended to deceive and ensnare. Their supply of ammunition is very limited; they are destitute of the materials for making powder, and even if they had these are without men competent to manufacture it. Not 1,500 of them have decent fire-arms of any description, and half of those they have could never get within their own range, in the face of the Minié rifles and muskets of regular troops. Of bayonets they have none worth mentioning, and no artillery, if we except three of four six-pounders, and a single two-pounder. These are comparatively useless to them for want of skilful engineers. Nor is there any truth in their boasts of impregnable fortifications in the mountain canons through which the direct road into the Valley lies. Such defences are impossible for want of artillery. The Mormons are able, however, to render the road impassible by turning upon it if they choose the water of a large creek, for which purpose they have already constructed dams.

“In a future letter I may give you some fresh and startling incidents of life among the ‘Saints,’ illustrative of the wrongs which have been perpetrated upon the helpless in the name of religion. You have, doubtless, noticed some of these in the columns of the New York Times so horrible and repulsive that it is difficult to realise the truth of the narratives. These have been read in camp, and been subject of discussion and inquiry. The seceders from Salt Lake attest their truth, and still declare that not half has been told. You may have seen in the journal already named the startling history of 2,500 emigrants who sailed from Liverpool in 1854—if I remember aright—and who started from the Missouri river on the 1st of September of that year, in a hand-cart train, for Salt Lake. You, perhaps, doubt the declaration that less than 300 of that devoted band ever reached the valley, the remainder having perished by the way. The statement in the New York Times estimated the number of survivors at about 240. Mrs. Sutherland started from the Missouri only three or four days behind the hand-carts, which her party frequently overhauled at their camping places, subsequently falling behind again. She tells me that the mortality was so great from starvation, exposure, and cold, that pits were dug in which from a dozen to forty corpses found a common grave. So used did the party become to these ghastly scenes, and so callous from familiarity with death, that it was no uncommon scene to witness the survivors sitting upon the bodies of the dead just prepared for burial, and in this attitude eating their hastily-prepared and scanty meal. Towards the last, the graves were scarcely covered, and the wolves exhumed their tenants soon after, scattering the skeleton remains of their horrid feasts upon the wayside. Mr. Sutherland was one of a party who came out from Salt Lake to escort the emigrants through the mountains, and his testimony is that only about 300 starved, emaciated, ragged, and frost-bitten persons entered the valley with them, although from 2,300 to 2,500 started upon this journey of terrors.

“Although there will probably be no armed collision with Brigham and his followers at present, it is more than probable that difficulties will arise before many months elapse. The President’s pardon does not cover murders and robberies committed prior to the rebellion; and many of these will be prosecuted with vigour. Civil suits will also be brought by many persons to recover damages for losses sustained in consequence of Mormon violence and oppression. The ‘Church of Latter-day Saints’ is itself a corporation, liable to be sued, and holding considerable property. Suits against it will be prosecuted to judgment, and in the collection of these probably, some sudden spark of passion will light again the flame of rebellion, and give the military authority opportunity to inculcate a lesson of humiliation to the law. Possibly, when the army is fairly quartered in the valley, the indignation of the people may burst their chains of fanaticism and impel them upon the leaders, who have beggared thousands of them by calling them into Salt Lake city from their distant homes all over the territory, only to be driven out again with indefinite purpose or destination. In this event there is reason to hope that within the next few months the community of the ‘Saints,’ as it has existed for years—a hellish concoction of fanaticism, superstition, hypocrisy, and Thugism—will be entirely broken up. And if no milder means will accomplish this result, the United States may find occasion to follow the precedent established by the mother country, when, for the interests of a great nation, she scattered the non-assimilating Acadians to the four points of the compass.

“The telegraph places us in possession of later news than is contained in the above. Since the account was written the expedition to Utah has come to a peaceable as well as a successful termination. The American army broke up in due course from Camp Scott, reached the Mormon city without opposition or difficulty, marched through it with drums beating and colours flying on the 26th of June,—a fortnight after the date of the letter—and pitched its tents in Cedar Valley, to the west of the capital, where it still remains. The Mormons, after a demonstration of flight, and a partial retreat to their more southern settlements, soon began to return, and by the last advices were re-occupying their homes under the authority of the United States’ officers, which had been effectually re-established.”

1858 – 25 September, p. 9 – A singular case has been brought before the American judges. In 1854 the daughter of Mr. H. Polydore, of Gloucester, was taken from school by her mother to a company of Mormons in Utah, without the father’s knowledge or consent. Mr. Polydore sought in vain for tidings of the fugitives, but he recently heard that his daughter was living under an assumed name in Salt Lake City. The authorities were applied to through Lord Napier, the parties brought up on a write of habeas corpus, and the girl ordered to be delivered up to her father without delay. The wife remains in America.

1858 – 4 December, p. 8 – Judge Eckles, having in charge Henrietta Polidore, who had been rescued from the Mormons on a writ of habeas corpus, at the request of the British government, had arrived at St. Louis, en route for Washington. The girl was abducted from Glooucester, England, four years ago.

1859 – 1 January, p. 1 – Miss Polydore, the young English girl who was recently rescued from the Mormons, had been placed under the care of Lord Napier.

1859 – 29 January, p. 10 – The agents of Mormonism are making strenuous efforts to spread their debasing tenets throughout the Welsh district. In a newspaper published by the fanatics, appears a letter from a man signing himself John Davies, of Merthyr, to President Calkin. He expresses himself confident of making great progress in Wales, but for the sake not only of true religion but of common decency, we hope he will find himself thoroughly deceived. Here is a part of his epistle: “According to my promise to you at Cardiff, I now address you a few lines. Last Sunday I was at Swansea with President Evans and brother John. We had a very good Conference there, and indeed have had in each of the Conferences in the mission. We have endeavored to instill in the minds of the Saints the counsel and instructions we received from you at Cardiff, and my faith is that a large amount will be added to the Emigration Fund the coming year from Wales. I have been traveling in the ministry nearly eight years, and I can truly say that I never saw so good a feeling generally as there is now. The whole Welsh Mission, with but very few exceptions, is in good working order and a healthy condition. President Evans, myself, and brother John are as one in mind and feelings, and so we have been. We are looking for a good time at Birmingham.”

1859 – 12 March, p. 2 – County Police – Saturday. [Magistrates: The Rev. Thomas Pope and John Lewis, Esq.] Risca. The Mormons. – Prudence Taylor was charged with breaking the windows of Thomas Bullock. Mr. Owen appeared for the defendant. Complainant deposed that on Sunday week, the defendant came to his house, tried to force her way in, and in doing so broke the lock and door; he put her out when she broke eight panes of glass. Mr. Owen (to complainant): I believe you had the misfortune to lodge in this woman’s house at one time? Complainant: Yes. Mr. Owen: You are a Mormon and didn’t you try to get her to the Salt Lake? Complainant: My religion teaches me to pray for the Queen upon her throne, her administration, and her subjects from the highest to the lowest. I have always done so, but I don’t know whether you have or not. That’s my religion, if you want to know about it. Mr. Owen: Did you tell her it would be a good thing if she went to the Salt Lake, and become one of your wives? Complainant: No, I did not. Mr. Owen: Will you swear you never asked her? Complainant: I will. Mr. Owen: Did she not tell her husband so in your presence? Complainant: Never in my presence. Mr. Owen: After you tried to get her to the Salt Lake and failed, did you not try to get her husband there? Complainant: No, I did not. Mr. Owen: But you had his goods in your house? Complainant: His goods came into my house. Mr. Owen: You had her husband and children there, too? Complainant: No, Sir. They had been there, but did not lodge there. Mr. Owen: When Mrs. Taylor asked for her clothes, did you not ask him to let her have them? Complainant said he did. Mr. Owen: When she came to the door, did she not ask where her husband and children were. Complainant: No; I did not throw her clothes out of the window; I did not assault her; I did not strike her; I merely lifted her by the arms, and put her out of the house; she did not break the windows before I put her out; I had made no arrangements with the husband to go to the Salt Lake; I remember when the goods came to my house; it was on Monday morning; defendant’s husband came to my house, when I came downstairs at six o’clock; he said, “My wife is gone off again with that man,” meaning Joseph Thatcher, “and will you be kind enough to let me put my goods in your house, for I am determined I will not live with her any more,” it is no difference if Thatcher is one of my persuasion. Mr. Owen asked further questions with a view to show that the woman had gone to complainant’s house, asserted that she had a right to be where her husband and children were; and then endeavored to get into the house; when she was ejected, and broke the windows. Mr. Owen then said he could not contend against the offence having been committed, but asked the magistrates whether the provocation was not sufficient to induce the act. The Rev. Chairman thought the defendant should not have taken the law into her own hands. Defendant was then ordered to pay 10s.—amount of damage and costs, she reserving to herself the right to charge the complainant with an assault upon her.