The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-11
MoRMONIsM in GEORGIA.
Tho KILLING of standing-Tho Other sIdo
OF the Story.
.DALroN. e. Anrnst o2.

~ CiuCo bO LiuCil uhS Decu 6alQ ABOUT the
Mormon murder in north Georgia, by
the press throughout the whole country
perhaps it might be well enough to give
to the readers of the C6nstitution o little
+ sketch or history of Joseph Standing
that they may know something about hi.
4 character and the circumstances leadine
to his murder on the 21at day of July
1879.
1t appears that Joseph Standing first
made his appearance in Walker county
and succeeded in making arrangements
b TO make his headquarters at widow:
house, the widow having two grown
daughters. After remaining there for 9
while he succeeded in accomplishing the
ruin of both of the young ladies. After
this he then removed to Catoosa county
three miles from Varnell Station, and
put up with man by the name of Ell
ledge, who resided near the line of Whit.
field county. Elledge's family wac com.
posed Of himself, wife two daughters and
son-in.law. Pretty soon after these ar.
rangements were made Elledge and his
son-in-law obtained employment on .he
Cincinnati railroad, near Chattanooga,
which caused them 10 be absent most OF
the time from their families. Joseph
Standing and companion, Clauslen, con.
tinued to remain and make their headquar.
ters at Elledge's residence, and very soon
succeeded in converting Mrs. Elledge
and her daughters to the Mormon faith
Jane Elledge, the single daughter, had a
child by Joseph Standing, which mystic
riously disappeared Immediately after its
birth, which, at the time, caused consid.
erable excitement in the neighborhood
Alter the excitement subsided, in the
course of time, 1t was discovered that
Jane Elledge had again become enciente
oy Joseph Standing, and was in that
condition when the Elledge family emi-
grated tc the Mormon country, a few
weeks before Standing death. And we are
panied to say that his intimacy with wo-
men was not, by any means, confined to
this one family. Some three of four, if
not more, young ladies living in the vi
cinity of Varnel Station, whose names
we prefer not now to mention, met With
their ruin by this man; one Of the young
ladies Is the daughter of one of the MUIR
derers. Nor does this tale stop here, as he
has caused trouble in several families by
being too intimate with their wives, and
trying to get them TO adhere to the Nor
mon faith, and persuading them to emf.
CRATE to the Mormon country.
So great were the troubles in one fam.
lily, ON account of Standings intimacy.
that it caused the husband and wife to
separate.
Now, as the good citizens of the coun-
try began TO find out what kind of man
Standing was, and seeing that he was be-
coming bolder and more daring in his
undertakings every day, they became
tired Of il, and thought it should be
stopped, and they approached Standing
on several different occasions, and en-
deavored to persuade him to leave their
families alone, ard also, to leave the
country; but he could not be prevailed
ON to do 80, and finally some of the citi-
Gems in the neighborhood concluded that
they might be able to frighten him of,
and to do this they threatened to give
him trouble, by whipping, etc., but as
Standing continued to remain in their
neighborhood and did not seem to be at
all frightened, these parties decided to
put their threats into execution.
On the morning of the 21st of July
last, the following men, David D. Ma
tons, Jasper N. Nations, A. s. Smith,
Benjamin Clark, William Nations, Ar.
drew Bradley, James Fausett, Hugh
Blair, Joseph Natiens, Jefferson Hunter
and Mack Mcclure met Joseph Standing
and Clauslen in the road and informed
them that they intended whipping them,
and carried chem near by to spring.
As seven Of these men were nnrnsad 70
whipping Standing aud Clauslen, while
ut the spring they succeeded in perauad-
ing the other five Of their comrades to
abandon the idea of whipping them, and
1t was then agreed upon by ali the mob
that they would escort Standing and
Clanelap ~ Uo-pall Ct,4:,,,
them on the train and have them leave
this country. Now, as this was the ar.
rangement determined upon, and that no
violence should be done the parties, one
of the men, Mr.. Clark, perhaps, laid his
pistol on the ground and was in the act
Of getting a drink of water, from the
spring, when Joseph Standing suddenly
snatched the pistol from the ground, and,
cooking it, damanGed the whole twelve
men to surrender. One Of the men real
izing their situation, attempted to raise
his gun, which caused Joseph Standing
to fire the pistol, wounding one man. by
the name of Nations, in the cheek, and
before Standing could fire again, lie was
shot down by one of the twelve men
above mentioned. None regretted this
cad affair more than these men, as they
had NO intention; Of doing anything of
the kind, but necessity compelled them.
anG they regard their action in the whole
matter as being entirely justifable.
After the killing Of Joseph Standing
these men continued to remain at their
homes and in the settlement. No at
tempt was made on their part to escape,
nor was there any effort on tha part of
the officers to arrest them, 80 far ss We
nre informed, until reward was offered