Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-05

met for the first time, we doubt not
that everything was as satisfactory as it
would have been bad their hands been
clasped when they were made man and
wife. UeiG a# Ha ..GHt" si ~
#i.5u -4--4L----,-4as- .--~----i o. T-t1
y MORMON THUGS IN IDAHO. .w
Driving Gentle from His Homestead
sat a a Men Tell no Tales. -u.. ff
Salt Lake Tribune. ~ a.a a
Another Mormon outrage is reported
from Cache Valley, Idaho Territory. A
short distance above Franklin there was
living an old man named James
Dwlggings and his wife. When this
Old couple were married, Mrs. D.,
then Mrs. Sharp; was d widow with d
grown-up family of sons and daughters,
who objected to her marrying again.
But the chief opposition came from her
son, Joe Sharp, who is a fanatical Nor
mon, who swore that his mother should
never live with "that old apostate
Dwiggins." Notwithstanding this
threat, the old couple lived happily
together, and prospered. They got
around them a nice herd of cattle, a
good farm, and a comfortable home.
Last August Mrs. Dwiggins, although
nearly 60 years old herself, got word
from her sister in Tooele county that
their father, man "a years old, was
about to die, and requested the pres
enee of all his children. Mrs. Dwiggins
left her home on the 9Th of August, and
went to Tooele county, with the I'M
derstanding that she should remain
there until her fathers death, which
might be several weeks. About the
1st Of September her son, Joe Sharp,
went to Dwiggins' house and severely
maltreated him. After beating him,
Joe tore the clothes from the Old mans
person, and was in the act of stabbing
him when Mrs. jeff Sharp, a sister-in- law,
threw herself between the lrate Joe and
the old man, thus saving the latter's
lite. Joe then went for the ak with
which to finish the job, but the old man
closed and locked the door, and pre-
pared to kill the first who should cross
his thres hold. isss sBl sa r.Sl ms1
A Mormon mob soon gathered about
the house, and Joe Sharp told them
that Dwiggins had been guilty Of an at
tempted outrage upon one of his little
girls. Lynching was talked of in the
hearing of the old man, who was in a
perfect nest Of Mormons and knew his
danger, though the charge Of Sharp
against him was without a shadow of
truth. That night an old man named
Quinn, who protested a friendship for
the apostate, went to Dwiggins house
and advised him to leave the country,
as the brethren would otherwise surely
kill him, and at the same time offering
to advance him $500 to held him
away. For the money, however, Quinn
wanted a deed and transfer to the prop
erty owned by Dwi ggins, which was
given. The Mormons allowed him to
square up his little bills the next day
and depart on the road towards Wash
ington territory since which time nothin
has been seen or heard of the old man,
and 1t is supposed the sainted Thugs al
lowed MIN to get just far enough on the
road northWard to be chilled by
Indians" ......I
A short time ago Mrs Dwiggins re-
turned to her home in Cache Valley to
learn that her house, farm, and herd
were all owned by Elder Quinn, and
that her husband had "gone west"
Mrs. Dwjggins was now left homeless,
unless she would consent to be rebap-
lized and join the Church again, in ac-
cordance with the request of her son
Joe, who would thereupon give her a
home with himself Mrs, Dwiggins
saw fit to retain her independence, and
therefore came to this city, where she is
now, stopping with friends. Our re-
porter interviewed her, and she corrob-
Grated the facts In the case as above
Set forth. On being Intercepted as to
the charge preferred by Joe Sharp
against her husband, Mrs. Dwiggins
said: THAT was al false. 1t was man
ufactured simply to drive my husband
from me and get me back into the
Church, and will never be Norm on
again. Before left home, perhaps ten
days, Mr.. Dwiggins went to thu garden
patch, q short distance from the house,
to pull some beets for dinner, and was
followed by two of my little grand
daughters, one Of Joe's and one OF Jeffs
little girls. Joe's little girl is a weakly,
delicate little thing, and when the three
got to a piece of newly-plowed ground,
DR.. Dwiggins, whom they always called
grandpa, reached down to pick up the
sickly child, with the intention OF carry
ing her over the plowed ground. But
as he raised her on his arm she lost her
balance and fell over backward. He
picked her up and just then her mother
called her. This occurred in front Of
my door, and I saw itall. Nothing was
ever thought about it or said about it
afterward until | left home, when it
was construed into an attempted crime,
for the sole purpose of driving him
away and separating us as man and wife.
And all because we had seen fit to leave
the Church. / had pleaded with my
husband to sell out and emigrate, for I
knew the Mormsns would not let as
live together among them. But he was
d quiet, inofensive man and thought
there would be no trouble.
+ Mrs nuirnirc fbir,ESli f bo - q 1.-Two h q