The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-08-07
NUMBERING A MORMON.
How and Why Joseph Standing was Killed
by Gcorgians.

homicide which is deeply regretted by
the Community. The victim was Joseph
Standing, Mormon preacher and elder
About one week ago Standing and two
other Mormons came to Catoosa County
and went about proclaiming their doc
trines and trying to work up colony to
partake of the wide freedom and matri-
monial liberty which prevailed in Utah.
The men went down into Whitfield
County, and tried there to arouse an in
terest in their religion. They met with
cold comfort all around there, and were
about giving up their project when the
fatal affair took of one OF them. The
fact that these men were proclaiming the
doctrine of Marmonism boldly put the
men very much against them, and it was
proposed more than once to take them
out, and after giving them q healthy les
son to warn them not to linger in that de-
lightful atmosphere. On the 2lst Stand
ing and one OF his companions were 60
ing along the road when they were met
by dozen men. They stopped the Nor
mons and told them they wanted to whip
them on the spot. The Mormons tried
to argue the point, and in the consulta-
ton one of the party Of regulators laid
down his pistol. Quick as thought
Standing leaped forward and seized the
weapon. Cooking it he turned toward
the party and demanded that every man
surrender. Just as he said this one of
the party fred. The ball entered Stand
ing's temple and he fell dead in the road.
His companion was not touched. Stand
ing's remains were carried to Ringgold
and given in charge of his Mormon
brother, who will carry them out to Salt
Lake City to be buried. The other
Mormons will leave at once. The Gov
ernor has been telegraphed to about the
matter.
The Atlanta Constitution, alluding to
the affair, says:
The dispatch that was published yes
terday relative to the killing of the Nor
mon elder who was engaged in an at
tempt to get up colony for Salt Lake
City has history back of it. For sew
eral years the section of country adjacent
to where this killing was done has been
infested with Mormon apostles that have
spread their infamous doctrine right and
left. About two years ago two of these
elders came into Floyd County and
spent some time about Floyd Springs
and in lower Chattooga. They we're au-
dacious and aggressive, and invaded
household after household for the pur-
pose of preaching their polygamic creed.
They made many converts, and, it is said,
carried away colcny of fifteen or TWEEN
ty persons, many of them reputable and
well-to-do people. One man that we
happen to know of made up his mind to
60, and determined to sell his farm.
His wife declared that she would go
with him. They offered the place at
81 900 when it was clearly worth $500,
and sold, we believe, at even greater
sacrifice than this. 1t appears that
sort of headquarters for these travelling
elders is established on or near Lookout
Mountain. Here they have q sort of
settlement, from whence the elders issue
for their tramps through the rural dis
tricts, to which all the converts, male
and female, are sent until crowd of
twenty or thirty is collected when they
are sent on to Salt Lake City. 1t is said
that several squads, amounting to several
hundred in all, have been drained from
the Tennessee and North Georgia and
Carolina country within the past six or
eight years. Of course the greatest in
dignation has been felt by the country
people at the work of these men. Dar-
Ing, plausible and full of argument and
persuasion, they undermined the most
stable characters and carried grief and
CONSERVATION into many household.
A sturdy farmer once said to us: II
would shoot man Just as quick for talk
ing polygamy TO my wife or daughter as
would if he tried to seduce herp' This
feeling has been shared by many, and it
is really q wonder that there has not
been trouble before. The arguments used
by these apostles OF Brigham have not
been, as might be supposed, on the line
of sensuality or lust. They have rather
been pleased to talk about tho fertile
valleys of Utah, the lavish fruits and the
luxurious crops, tho fine city of Salt
Lake, in which every Mormon had part
ownership-in short, the pretty pastoral
life wherein the richest valley of earth,
with little work and peaceful and con-
tented life, was offered to all comers.
This picture won the fancy of many q
poor farmer who had scratched for years
in the scanty soil of our hills at home,
and could hardly keep body and soul to-
gether, and of many a woman young and
old. There have been many threats
made against these itinerants, which
they have not tried to turn away by soft
answers. Inspired by sort of fanaticism,
they have been without personal fear,
and have been careless of threats or as
sault. When they once set themselves
on a possible convert, nothing could turn
them to one side until they had exhaus-
ted all persuation or had made full
capture.
1t must not be understood, however,
that we have recited the above for the
purpose of excusing the killing of Stand
ing in Catoosa County the other day. That
killing seems to have been almost with
out excuse. The mob of ten or twelve
men had no right to halt these men for
the purpose of whipping them, and it
will be hard to make it appear that there
was any real need of killing one man
who had scratched up a pistol and ode
manded the surrender" of twelve or iif-
teen armed rlen. lie could have been
disarnled without being shot through the
head. The killing was done outside the
law, and should be punished.
Governor CoiGuitt received dispatch
from 4 gentleman at Gatoosa Springs
Yesterday announcing that the killing
was "a coldblooded murder" and asking
that reward be offered for the pcrpe-
traitors. IL is said that The names Of the
crowd who halted the Mormons can be
easily obtained. The Governor has not
yet received full enough particulars TO
Justify him in this matter, but he will
probably offer reward Us soon rs lie
gets accurate information as to the ma
ture of the killing, the locality, DC. We
understand that the remains of the
| do,J ol1or Iof, vnctnrlnv FIR Salt Lake