Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-02-07
Remarkable Escape from the Mormons.

OnlO, gives long account. OF the ad-
ventures of a young girl named Louisa
Black, who recently escaped from the
Mormon community in Salt Lake City |
and endured terrible suffering. The
substance of the story is as follows:
"On Thursday evening, 4th inst, as
a boy was returning from school, |
across the fields, near Petersburg, on
nearing a couple of hay stacks he
heard plaintive means, apparently pro
ceeding therefrom, accompanied by
faint calculations of human voice
He distinctly heard the ejaculation,
My God my God The boy hur-
ried to his home, which was in sight,
and told Mr.. Davidson what ne had
heard. Mr.. Davidson at once started
back with him, and meeting two neigh
bors on the way, took them along to
the stack of hay.
"On reaching the spot and going
round one Of the stacks from whence
the sounds proceeded, they discovered
some rags protruding from the base,
and, on investigation, what was their
surprise to find a young girl, an en-
tire stranger, literally burrowed in
the hay, seemingly helpless and in
dying condition. She raised pair
Of blue eyes to the gentlemen's start
led faces and impIored them not to
move her, TO let her lie there and die.
for she was frozen and starved and
aid had arrived too late! However.
the gentlemen raised her as gently as
they could, and, though the gentlest
motion aggravated her sufferings S c.
ceeded in carrying her back to Mr..
DavidsOnS farm house. She was evil
IDENTIFY not more than sixteen years of
age, and scantily and miseraby clad.
A tattered dress chung around her, and
a garment that had once been an I'M
der-5kirt she had torn in two, one
strip being tied about her head, ana
the other wrapped about her feet.
"She AYERS that h G resided in
Missouri until the fall of 1864. when
her father became infatuated with the
Mormon faith "a number of Mormons
being settled near thcm,) and in OPP
position to the wishes of his wife and
family, made preparations to remove
to Salt Lake city. AS he could not
be turned from his purpose, his family
reluctantly accompanied him, and were
numbered among the inhabitants off
that city, while Mr.. Black was at once
enrolled among the saints" They
had been there for six months, during
which time matters had been growing
from bad to worse, when the crisis
arrived, III the shape Of Mrs. Black
No. ,. The family were now wrought
up to desperation, and Mrs. Black No.
|, with her three daughters. resolved
to make their escape from Utah, at the
same time being cognizant that the
way was rife with danger, ard that if
captured death would be their doom.
Louisa goes on to say that they sue
ceeded in Guiding vigilance and made
their escape from Salt Lake city on
the 10th of last June, with only twelve
dollars in their purse, and turned their
faces toward the States.
The girl says they kept mostly to
the woods and royineo, ond oil covert
places, to avoid discovery, and gave
their former home in Missouri wide
berth for fear Of the many Mormons
there. At length one OF the sisters
died from exposure and privation,
and covering her up in the woods.
they still wandered on. Soon another
sister persisted, and Louisa and her
mother alone pursued their flight
At length Mrs. Black lay down, never
to rise again. Louisa thinks it must
have been in the vicinity of Cleveland
that her mother died Instead of ask
ing any assistance she wandered on
ward alone. She tells of being at
GreenviIle, Pennsylvania, and Of final
ly arriving at Middlesex, where she
says she lay for three days on the
farm of Edmonson. This was about
the 9th OF December.
She proceeds to relate that she was
here fouhd by a couple ofhorse thieves.
and we next find this young girl, ON
the eve Of December 18th, employed
as an emissary by these rogues to
ride off a horse that they had Just
stolen from Mr.. Edmonson's field
She states that they instructed her
to 90 to Oil City, and gave her d. !
rections how to get there; also that
one Of them gave her two bills, ten
and five, with which to procure sub
Sistence for herself and horse on the
route. " hen asked what she did |
with the money, she at fl. st did not
seem to recollect, and at length said
she spent it, but did not say what
for, However it is supposed she lost
the money. These thieves told her
that they would take another route to
vi ClCy, where they would meet her.
and take charge of the horse, and also
that their gang had their headquarters
there, and that they run off many a
horse to Oil City. They furthermore
6oasted that they had stolen a span in
Cleveland, worth $500 They placed
her on the horse, and started her off.
II
and that is the last she saw of them.
Instead of taking the prescribed route
Lonlsa changed tn e programme by
taking route Of her own choosing.
"She finally took refuge in the hay
stack where she was found, badly
frozen"
CONSOLATORY.-"W hic h of these
roads leads to the village of W."
q tr1ypIpr 90 no oo,,o - : .