Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-09-22
A Departed Mormon Saint.
DEATH OF ONE OF THE AUTHORS OE TIL
MORMON BIBLE.

Departed Mormon Saint.
DEATH OF ONE OF THE AUTHORS OE TIL
MORMON BIBLE.
Martin Harris, of the Church of Jesu.
Christ of Latter Day Saints, us Just de
parted this life ut Clarkson, Utah, at the
advanced age of ninety-two years. Mr.
Harris first appeared in print in the yea
1880, at which time, in company witt
Oliver Coudery and David Whitmer. h,
subscribed to the solemn affirmation which
appears on the title page of the Mormon
Bible.
Joseph Smith, the Palmyra imposter
having noticed Harris relish for religious
wonders, and his capcity for receiving
and retaining all the bOsh that folly anC
knavery could furnish. took tinto his hcat
10 use Harris in the matter of getting up
new religion. Harris had seen the devil ir
Il dugway near Palmyra. His contest with
that distinguished parsonage had SO i'm
proved his swallowing apparatus that Joe
smiths angels, revelations, golden bible
sword of Llban, etc. went down at Il sin
gle gulp. He had been something Of a
Friend, then Il Wesleyan, then a Baptist
afterward a Presbyterian. and, If not halted
by the Mormon fraud, he would, in all
probability, have gone the round through
all existing sectaries. Having advanced
so and accepted the position of scribe to
Joseph, he found himself fully committed
to the '-fullness of the Gospel" ami ear
nestly proclaimed whatever foolishness or
blaSphemy Joe might put into him Mrs
! Harris, knowing her husbands credultv
and Smiths trickery. did all she could to
stop the expenditure of money; but Smith
not only piled Harris with revelations, -
but explained the certainty of making a
spec out of the publication of the manu-
scripts. An edition of 1900 would cost.
say 50 900. Joseph had a revelation that
the books would sell for 81. % each and
he went on to assure his victim that there,
was chance to clear $3.50. Mrs. Harris
| objected. Harris explained the gain To be
derived from the investment. She rallied
At his folly, and. getting hold of the man
uscript, burned - the mere history part"
Of Lehi. Harris quarre!ed with and beat
her; they separated. and Smith got his
Golden Bible printed at the expense of
Harris. Any other knave than Joe Smith
would have been backed out by the burn
| nc of Lehi by Mrs. Harris, but as Joe told
lngersoll. he had the fools into it, and
he PROPOSE to put it. through" So with
promises of advancement to Harris, he
had 4 " revelation that his father (old
man Smith) should help sell the Bibles
But the old man was arrested with 4 bask-
ct full of Bibles. and to pay costs he had
" to cut on the Lords prices (Sl .2J) and
sell the lot for eighty cents apiece. This
interferel with prior revolutions given
in favor of Harris, ,and troubles increasing.
Smith. Harris, Coudery. and the Whitmers
cleared out for Kirkland, Ohio Here the
" Twelve Apostles We're appointed-lIar-
rs being left out; but rs he still had some
money, Il little honesty. and increased
capacity for credulou> business, Smith
smoothcd him with new promises and dai-
" revelations. In 1888 the Mormons in
Jackson county. Mo having excited the
wrath of the Jack~onians by their immor-
alitics and fana;ical insolence, were or
icred ont of the State. On learning this.
Joe Smith, Harris, and perhaps 200 others
started for Missouri. to " redeem Zion. -
ca their way they ran into the cholera,
and Notwithstanding Harris was saved
IN drticu'o m0rtiS by Divine interpOSition
twenty of the Saints turned their toes To
the lilies, in spite of Joseph's " laying on
of hands" In Missouri Bishor Partridge
succeeded in getting old Harris to advance
81 200 more to purchase land on which to
establish Zion-Zion never to be removed .
Too many birds of feather having GOT
! together, Joseph found his hands full in
trying to settle the difficulties which besct
the church without and within. Many of
the Saints We're whipped. Jailed and shot
| for bad conduct. and some of the chiefrSt
among the Apostles turned against the
Prophet. Coudcry and Whitmer, two Of
the witnesses. were " cut oft " fors lying.
thicvinr, countcrfrting. etc. and the
brethren mootcd it openly that Joseph WAS
bad. Some of the sisters SAID 81. and
Coulcrv believed it. Coudery and Whitmer
were turned over to Satan. Poor Harris,
who helped Joseph get ont up the Mormon
business. lost $4,000 by the Bible invest
ment, and had recently lent the Lord ST.
200 to fix the foundations of Zion. did not
escape the troubles which excessive piety
had brought upon the brethren. In COM
pany with Parish. who was charged with
swindling. Harris was kicked out of the
camp of Israel. His carnestne>s and
| ignorance had served Joseph to their fullest
extent his money was gone, and he was
named among the negroes with white
skins" and the Prophet posted him in pub
! lie rs Il &" lackey." one SO far beneath con
temp that to notice him would be a sicri-
ice too great for a gentleman like himself
(Smith) to make
Packing his valse he cut.sticks for kirt-
land. where he lived until 1870, when he
went to Utah and ended a miserable life,
raving in his last dclirium over the Book
of Mormon witnesses, facts and tirtionS
of the most deplorable fraud recorded in
history. Never was crelulity or avarice
more useful in Il bad way, or knavery
more successful than in the lives of Joe
Smith aud Martin Harris.
! COhnnlcrclui