Hell on Earth, Part 11

From page 302, The Rocky Mountain Saints

I was at a Sunday meeting in Provo, when the news of the San Pete castration was referred to by the presiding bishop-Blackburn. Some men in Provo had rebelled against authority, and Blackburn shouted in his Sunday meeting-a mixed congregation of all ages and both sexes I want the people of Provo to understand that the boys in Provo can use the knife as well as the boys in San Pete. Boys, get your knives ready, there is work for you! We must not be behind San Pete in good works.’

“This man, Blackburn, was continued in office at least a year after this, and was afterwards taken from his bishopric and sent on a mission to England.

“Many young women were forced to break off engagements with young men whom they loved, to gratify a bishop’s preference, a missionary’s feelings or a great elder’s desires.”

– From Apostle Kimball’s Sermon:-

“ I would not be afraid to promise a man who is 60 years of age, if he -will take the counsel of Brother Brigham and his brethren, he will renew his age. I have noticed that a man who has but one wife, and is inclined to that doctrine, soon begins to wither and dry up, while a man who goes into plurality looks fresh, young and sprightly. Why is this? Because God loves that man, and because he honors his work and word. Some of you may not believe this; but I not only believe it, but I also know it. For a man of God to be confined to one woman is small business, for it is as much as we can do to keep under the burdens we have to carry, and do not know what we should do if we only had one woman apiece.”

From a “Sermon” delivered by Dr. Clinton, Justice of the Peace. Speaking of some men and women that he was not exactly pleased with and after using language unfit for publication, the Doctor said:-

“ They ought to be shot with a double-barreled shot gun. That is my doctrine; take a double-barrelled shot gun and follow them, and when you catch them, shoot them to pieces. I am the Justice of the Peace, I an the-Coroner of the County, but I will never ‘find’ you, I will guarantee that.”

Bishop E. Wooley followed the J. P., and said:- “I would do as the Doctor says, KILL THEM * * * Tear down their houses. THERE IS NO HELP FOR THEM * * * we will do as the Doctor said, and have a clean record.” Salt Lake Daily Review, extra.

One of the “Apostles was to be privileged with the honour of pulling the nose of little Vic.! ‘ (Queen Victoria).” Rocky Mountain Saints, p. 206.

27 years ago the American Government sent an Army to Utah to whip the Mormons into obedience of law and order. But the Mormons were victorious. There was a “high old time” in Utah. The Priest Journalist on page 372 Rocky Mountain Saints says:-” It was the gayest time ever known in Utah, dancing and theatrical amusements everywhere, while the songs of the Mormon camps, adapted to the popular negro melodies were heard in all their assemblies. The Sunday worship was enlivened with the jovial chorus of Dudah.’ After partaking of the Lord’s supper the following was sung,

‘There’s seven hundred wagons on the way, Du dah!

And their cattle are numerous, so they say, Du dah! du dah day!

Now, to let them perish would be a sin, Du dah!

So we’ll take all they’ve got for bringing them in, Du dah! Du dah day!

CHORUS.-Then let us be on hand, by Brigham Young to stand,

And if our enemies do appear, we’ll sweep them off the land.. ‘Old Sam has sent, I understand, Du dah!

A Missouri ass to rule our land, Du dah! Du dah day!

But if he comes, we’ll have some fun, Du Dab!

To see him and his juries run, Du dah! Du dah day.

CHORUS.-Then let us be on hand, &c.

Old Squaw-killer Harney is on the way, Du dab!

The Mormon people for to slay, Du dab! Du dab day

Now if he comes the truth tell, Du dah!

Our boys will drive him down to hell, Du dab! Du dah day!”

CHORUS.-Then let us be on hand, &c.

“It is too lengthy to give entire-about 16 verses.-From such lyrical effusions as these, sung during divine worship’ in the Tabernacle, the elevated tone of the sermons can be imagined.”

“During this Mormon War,’ the Saints,’ who were ‘spoiling for a fight,’ burned two provision trains, one of 31 and the other of 23 wagons, and drove off their animals, causing great want in the Army. The American officer in command, having no use for 80 of the teamsters after the wagons were burnt, discharged them. They concluded to go to California. In passing through Salt Lake City, a Mormon armed guard was furnished to see-them safe through. The following is a copy of the “ orders “ in regard to these teamsters:-Life in Utah, p. 194.

SALT LAKE CITY, April 9th, 1858.

“The (Mormon) officer in command of escort is hereby ordered to see that every man is well prepared with ammunition and have it ready at the-time you see those teamsters a hundred miles from the settlements. President Young advises that they should be all killed. Every precaution should betaken, and see that not one escapes. Secrecy is required.

“By order of General Daniel. H. Wells.

“JAMES FERGUSON, Assistant Adjutant General.”

Brigham had a Revelation how to emigrate the “Saints,” in which the-Saints were shown how to haul their baggage and food over the plains and ‘mountains in hand carts. This went forth with the stamp of Divinity. “God had revealed it; “ this was the “Divine Plan” of emigration. Think of it, Ladies, fancy pulling a cart with 200 lbs. of baggage over mountains and dales, 1,500 miles. On they trudge pulling the carts. When in the midst of the Rocky Mountains, tremendous snow storms came on. In the heavy snow its hard to pull the carts.

The Revelation promised fine weather. Now their faith fails them; weary and hungry their souls faint within them. Their food, scant at best, nearly gone; they wade rivers and no dry clothing, no rest. What a Divine Plan! Several leading Mormons camped with them one night, made them kill their last calf and ate hearty of their scant provisions; ‘in the morning these kind Mormon gentlemen drove their carriages through the river and waited on the opposite bank to see the women drag their carts through, then bade them good morning and sped on their way, leaving these poor dupes to get to Zion as best they could, finally reduced to starvation, and in the heavy drifting snow 250 souls perished. The reader can get full particulars of this horrid affair in The Rocky Mountain Saints, or at my lectures, where they will also see the pictures of the incidents related in my book besides several others, which space precludes my giving here.

The following is from Mrs. Smith’s “Fifteen Years among the Mormons,” pp. 309:-

“The widow of Hartley, 22 years old, is the most heart broken human being I ever saw. Dressed n deep black, the unrelieved picture of woe she presented, excited our curiosity and sympathy. Accompanied by my sister, went to her, and after some delay and the assurance, that although we were Mormons, we were yet women, she told us her brief story, without a tear; yet with an expression of hopeless sorrow which I shall never forget. Oh! Mormonism is too hard-too cruel upon women. Will it be permitted for ever?

“It was not until I had suggested to her, that perhaps I had also a woe to unburden, as the result of my Mormon life, which might have some comparison to her own, that she commenced by saying:-

“ You may have suffered; and if you have been a Mormon wife, you must have known sorrow. But the cruelty of my own fate, I am sure, is without a parallel, even in this land of. cruelty.

“I married Jesse Hartly, knowing he was a Gentile,’ but that made no difference with me, although I was a Mormon, because he was a noble man, and sought only the right. By being my husband, he was brought into closer contact with the members of the Church, and was thus soon enabled to learn many things about the Heads of the Church, that he did not approve, and of which I was ignorant, although I had been brought up among the Saints; and which, if known among the Gentiles’ would have greatly damaged us. I do not understand all he discovered, or all he did; but they found he had written against the Church, and the Prophet required as an atonement for his sins that he should lay down his life.

That he should be sacrificed in the Endowment House, where human sacrifices are made. They kill those there who have committed sins too great to be atoned for in any other way. The Prophet says, if they submit to this he can save them; otherwise they are lost. Oh! that is horrible. But my husband refused to be sacrificed, and so set out alone for the United States. I told him when he left me, and left his child, that he would be killed, and so he was. William Hickman and another Danite, shot him in the canyons. My child soon followed after its father, and I hope to die also for why should I live? Here the murderers of my husband curse the earth, and roll in affluence unpunished.

“She had finished her sad story, and we were choking down our sobs of pity in silence, when she rose saying, I trust you will excuse me,’ and went away, still wearing the same stony expression of agony, as when we first saw her. But this is but one case among a thousand others, that have never seen the light, and never will, until the dark history of the Danites,’ or Destroying Angels,’ is unveiled.”

In a work by Mrs. A. G. Paddock, “The Fate of Madame La Tour,’ page 296, is the following:-

“ During 1870 and 1871 the juries empanelled by the United States. Marshall were composed altogether of Gentiles and seceders from the Mormon Church.

“During these years one hundred and twenty nine persons were indicted for the commission of murders, unspeakable mutilations, and other atrocious crimes.

These Juries not having been empannelled according to the laws of Utah – everyone of these indictments were set aside and the accused all set free.

“More polygamous marriages were contracted during 1880 than during any year since the settlement of the Territory.”-]bid, p. 324.

“An Englishwoman, who a few years ago abandoned her husband and children for the purpose of gathering with the Saints to Zion, has been divorced and re-married five times since she came to Utah. Another, after being divorced from five husbands, is now living in Polygamy with the sixth. A district judge reports the case of a Saintess, living near the place in which he holds court, who has been divorced fourteen times.-Ibid, p. 342.

I now extract from “The Prophets, or Mormonism Unveiled,” by a lady who had a fearful experience in Zion. It is published by Wm. White Smith,. 195, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, U. S. On page 255, she says:-” This modern pandemonium, in which vice unchecked ran riot, would have rivaled Hades in its motley crew. It was a safe retreat for the forger and bogus. coiner, house thief, and murderer. I should not dare to chronicle it had not others done so, as well as the passing papers of the day, and they have never been disproved.”

This lady tells a fearful tale of a wife who killed the other wife of her husband. The story is too long to give entire, but from it I glean as follows:-

“A wife, who refused to consent to the plural marriage, cautioned her husband not to trifle with her feelings: that if the unnatural knot was tied death should speedily sever it. Notwithstanding this, one evening at suppertime, the husband returned from the Endowment House with his new bride; the wife sternly commanded the intruder to leave the house at once, or submit to the consequence. This was all she said. The husband escorted his bride to her room and bade her prepare for supper.

The bride, of course, must obey her husband and not his wife; and having arrayed herself gorgeously for the occasion, the husband conducted her to the table to partake of the evening repast with the family. The wife, always a woman of few words, seated herself at the table also, and remained silent. But still waters run deep,’ and away down in the depths of that woman’s heart were feelings unutterable. And while the husband and bride were exchanging loving glances and affectionate words, the wife and mother was deciding in her mind how best to end this fearful torture.

A serious mental struggle ensued; finally the predominating thoughts were, ‘Why should I make my children motherless? How can, I destroy myself and leave my dear children to the care of this hated intruder? No, never! I cannot; I will not. But to live on in this state is impossible; to be constantly worried in mind over this will either dethrone reason or hurry me to a premature grave. This must not, shall not happen.’

The idea now uppermost in her mind was slay the rival,’ and thus put an end to all this vexation. This decided the matter. ‘Death shall end what folly and crime began.’ The supper ended, the husband and his bride retire. The husband partly turned and said, ‘Good night! ‘ to his wife. Imagine the feelings of that wife as she witnessed the disgusting and revolting scene. Her husband who swore at the marriage altar in England ‘to forsake all others,’ had now forsaken her to revel in the unlawful embraces of another; and in her own house and before her very eyes, this wrong was being perpetrated.

This was more than human nature could endure. She had already decided, now she felt an irresistible force urging her on to slay the guilty pair. But she reasoned, is he not the father of my children. She gave a deep sigh, then softly the words escaped her lips, with all his faults I love him still.’ Then she hesitated for a moment, and concluded to spare him, but she would teach him that night that two wives could not live in that house. She thought of the dagger her husband had given her to protect herself in his absence. Now she would protect herself from this intruder in his presence with that very weapon. Grasping the dagger she silently approached the door of the bride-chamber and listened. Then peeping through the key hole she saw in that bright moonlight what she should never have seen.

“Her brain reeled, and sinking to the floor, she remained a long time in a dreamy, half-conscious state. The moon’s bright beams had ascended still higher, and every object stood revealed in silvery light when she once more peeped into that room, and now they slept, and the sight of the peaceful slumber of her rival, reposing on that breast which should have been all her own, again aroused the demon in her heart; she tried the door: it was locked. She thought of the window, which was on the ground floor, and having no fastening, she could easily reach it from the garden. Proceeding thither she raised the sash, quietly crept in, bent over her rival, marked the smooth, beautiful brow, the finely chiseled features, and full voluptuous form, and contrasted them with her own faded beauty, once as lovely as that before her, but now with the roseate hues faded-faded in his service, and now trampled upon as valueless.

She gloated over the sleeping victim, then the steel glittered once in the air, descended, and was raised reeking with the victim’s life’s blood! Again it descended, when the temporarily insane wife leaped through the window, fled to her room and caressed her sleeping babes!

The terrible sequence of this horrible affair is too lengthy to give here, for I could go back to that bride chamber and detail the death of the bride who expired accusing her husband; how she was quietly buried in the garden with her mother who had silently yielded up her troubled soul on her murdered child’s bosom. It was indeed a blessing for that broken hearted and widowed mother to die, within a few hours after her only child had ceased to live. And when afterward the husband found out the truth of the matter-it was as he had supposed-and now that the affair was hushed up, the husband and wife passed on in their career as if nothing had occurred, although her’s was not the first blood that cried aloud to heaven for vengeance on betrayed and murdered innocence.”

I could enumerate cases of this kind, and of others who have committed suicide. While I write this, scores of instances crowd into my mind. But I have made a mistake in contracting for a book of 200 pages. I should have had at least 800 pages more.

“A married woman, Mrs. L–, young, beautiful, and hitherto of unblemished reputation, fell a victim to the arts of the Prophet, and was to him as his plural wife. Her husband, a Gentile, knew nothing of it, and within a few months after he died; as it happened, many men died whose presence was not desired by the saints.”-Madam La Tour, pp. 331.

In the same work chap. 18, Mrs. Paddock tells of two women brutally murdered, and adds:-” Julia H-, plural wife of a man who fills important offices in this city, was allowed the alternative of death by poison; but in the two cases named in this chapter, they were sacrificed with attendant barbarities which could not be paralleled outside the darkest abode of paganism.”

I now quote from a petition from the women of Utah. “To the Senate and Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled.”

“During all the years that their will has been law in Utah, no man’s life no woman’s honor has been safe, if either stood in the way of the despotic rulers of this people. Never in this world will the history of their dark and bloody deeds be fully written, for the victim and witnesses of many a tragedy are hidden in the grave.

“We adjure you in the name of the mothers who bore you, of the wives you love, of the sisters whose honor is dear to you, not to turn a deaf ear to the cry of those who ask protection from the tyranny of a system that, throughout its whole existence, has sought only to crush and degrade womanhood. Thousands of women in the Territory of Utah are today in a condition of abject slavery. Many of them would proclaim their wrongs to the world if they dared.”

This petition is signed by 474 of the women of Utah. Mrs. Paddock in her book says;-” Many women to whom the memorial was presented said Every word in it is true, and we want to sign it, but we dare not.”-Page 337. “Fate of Madam La Tour.”

Did Congress Listen to this appeal? Yes! It “went in at one ear aid out at the other,” and though shortly afterward it did seem that justice in Utah was at last possible, Brigham Young was imprisoned by Judge McKean for the alarming space of 24 hours. Yet almost immediately afterward President Grant deposed the incorruptible Judge, whose only fault was the faithful and fearless performance of duty. Perhaps U. S. Grant will let me know why he did so, and I shall be pleased to insert his reason for so doing in future editions. At present I, and all those acquainted with the circumstances, are at a loss to understand why Judge McKean was removed from office.

From the Rocky Mountain Saints, page 462:-” In the controversy between Rigdon and the Twelve Apostles, at Smith’s death, for the ruling supremacy of the Church, one Parrish said, he would follow the Twelve if they led him to hell.’ Ten years later his zeal cooled, and he resolved to leave Utah.

“On the evening of the departure of the Parrish family, Potter and Durfee, two Danites, professed to aid them in leaving without observation while in reality they were leading them to the place where they were to be killed. In the dark, Potter, who decoyed the elder Parrish, was accidentally shot and killed; old man Parrish was stabbed to death; his eldest son fell dead upon the road, and the younger son, though severely wounded, escaped ‘ and got back to town.” [The Bishop, in command of this affair, still lives in Utah, the husband of numerous wives, six of whom are sisters; none of these guilty wretches were punished.]

“A month after the Parrish murders, Henry Jones and his mother were both killed. The mother was killed in the house, and the son, who tried to escape was pursued and killed. They are to come forth in the first resurrection, for they paid the atoning penalty, and are, therefore, entitled to the honours of the immortalized Saints.-/bid, p. 469.

“A young man named Skeen was suspected of a disposition to apostatize. Thereupon he was arrested on a trumped up charge by Sheriff Ricks, who was also a Mormon High Priest. After Skeen lay down to sleep Ricks said to the guard, named Chambers, Whatever you see to night, your business is to keep still.’ When the sleeper’s breathing showed his slumber to be sound, Ricks placed his gun to the young man’s breast and fired. The victim sprang up, ran to the door, fell, and in a few minutes expired. It was given out that he was killed in attempting to escape, but the testimony of Chambers, who saw the affair, was corroborated by several other men who swore that the gun had been held so close to Skeen’s breast as to set his clothing on fire. Yet a Mormon jury pronounced Ricks, Not Guilty,’ and his fellow-saints escorted him home with a band of music, flags flying, &c. I saw the procession and everybody understood the meaning.” Fate of Madam La Tour, p. 347.

[I also “saw and understood.” I have myself talked with Skeen’s mother, and with Chambers about the affair. The burnt clothing shows that if young Skeen was “attempting to escape,” he was running toward and not from the Sheriff who shot him. This is but one of the many cases where men have been so arrested and foully murdered.]

The murder of Yates, extracted from Bill Hickman’s Book, p. 524 Yates had a fine gold watch and 900 dollars in gold. Joseph A Young, a son of Brigham’s, said his father wanted that man Yates killed. Col. Jones, Hosea Stout, and another, whose name I do not recollect, came to my camp fire and asked if Yates was asleep. I told them he was, upon which his brains were knocked out with an axe, a grave three feet deep was dug, the body put in and the dirt well packed on it, after which our camp fire was moved on to the grave.

We were off before day light, and arrived at Salt Lake that day. My comrade and I went to Brigham’s office. He asked what had become of Yates? I told him. He said that was right and a good thing. I pulled out the sack containing the money; the money was counted and we left.”

From The Rocky Mountain Saints, p. 736, I extract from the speech of Governor J. B. Weller, of Utah, on the murder of Dr. Robinson:-” Dr. Robinson, aged 31 years, was an amiable, quiet Christian, universally loved and respected. Six months ago he married a young lady of one of your most estimable families. An armed force of the police, sent by the City authorities, destroyed his building and ejected him from his premises. Afterward, between 11 and 12 p.m. a man goes to the doctor’s house, wakes him up, tells him that a brother of his (Jones) had broken his leg. The doctor hastily dressed and proceeds with this man upon what he regarded a mission of mercy. About 175 steps from his dwelling he was struck over the head with a sharp instrument, and then shot through the brain.”

“ Apostle “ Snow, in a sermon distinguished by its profanity and brutal ferocity, which was not reported and can only be stated from memory:-” He plainly told the audience that whoever should be the executioner of divine justice and slay the apostate, their wives and children, would receive a bright crown of glory, and, what is more to be lamented, it was approvingly responded to by the audience. It was a sphere of murder, plain, palpable, frightful and sickening. The picture can never be effaced from the mind-a preacher in the pulpit ferociously enjoining the murder of men, women, and children for a difference of opinion, and thousands of faces intently gazing upon him with fanatical approbation. The regions of the damned could scarcely present a scene more truly diabolical.-Secretary Ferris, p. 332, Utah and the Mormons.

Utah is a rich mineral country, and many Gentiles came to “ Zion “ to open the mines and get rich. Apostle Woodruff preached for their benefit the following:-” Men that come here to seek for our gold and silver find that it is now too hot for them. The day has now come that they cannot bear the burning heat of Zion, and I am glad of it.” Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, 13- 141.

Brigham talked a little plainer and said, “If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats,” and all the people said Amen! ‘ Ibid, p. 253.