Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1851-06-26
BEAVER ISLAND KiNoDoM.-This set


months carrying out their "higher law"
notions to the great scandal Of the
neighborhood, and to the great injury
Of all good citizens. We understand
that the Federal authorities have exhib-
tied as little regard for this new devel-
opment of the "higher law" as for its
manifestations on other theatres; and
that the most prompt and efficient meas
ures have been adopted for bringing its
disciples TO justice.
Various and grave charges have been
alleged against the inhabitants of Beav-
er Island of violating the laws Of the
United States such as that OF spola-
ting the public domain by cutting tim
Der; counterieiting the coin of the Uni
ted States and obstructing the United
States mail. In order to arrest the par
ties accused of these offences, the rev.
enue cutter Ingham and the iron steam
er Michigan were recently placed at
the disposal Of the United States Mar
shal Of Michigan, in order to enable
him to serve process in the "higher
law" kingdom. The marshal succeed
ed in making the contemplated. arrests
but the Mormons, It seems have been
guilty OF still further outrages, which
have made il necessary for the Federal
authorities to apply again for the aid of
the steamer Michigan 10 aid in the Ser
vice of additional warrants. The fol-
lowing despatch, received last evening
from an official source, gives the latest
advices from the seat of the pending
difficulties.
MAckisAo, (via Detroit,) June 8.
The captain of the sloop Planet, who
arrived here this afternoon from Beaver
Island, reports that the Mormons yester-
day morning murdered Thomas Ben
nett in his own house, and dangerously
wounded his brother Samuel he says
the excitement among the Gentiles GALL
of whom are not saints) at this cold
blooded murder OF pcaceable and indus
trious citizens Id ieariuIy alarming, and
that nothing short ola general fight and
massacre can allay their rage. AT the
time he left there, ten o'clock, the fish
crmen and Indians were collecting at
Mackinley's Point, preparatory to an
attack on the Mormons, who were also
mastering their forces in anticipation Of
this fight; and while am writing this
communication the work of death may
be going on. The plea set up by the
Mormons in justification of this sangui-
nary murder OF an unoffcnding man
within the sanctty of his domestic rules
is, that the Bennetts offered resistance
to fifty or sixty Mormons who came to
arrest them, with warrants, on charge
of having said the previous day that
they would not recognise Mormon law.
After they had riddled the body with
rifle balls they broke in the door Of his
cabin and brutally dragged the corpse
by the hair Of ths head to the axe shore
and put beth brothers in their own fish
ing-boat, one dead, and the other near
ly so, and carried them twelve miles be-
fore the Mormon justice who issued the
warrants.
These are the men whose houses they
burned last Winter, and whose lives the
king doom ed to destruction if they did
not give their farms to the saints and
leave the island.
Those here who have always, right
or wrong, got the Mormons from the
hands OF justice by the abuse of judi
cial authority and the habcas corpus, are
morally responsible for all this blood
fer, rjusice was allowed to have its
course on them for some Of their often
ces against the peace and property Of
the community, they would respect the
power of the law, and would not repeat
these things, at least with impunity; but,
rs every attempt to bring them TO legal
punishment here has proved Intellectual,
the people, unwilling any longer to sui-
fer their annoyances, are determined to
fall back on first principles and right
their own wrongs.