The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-11
moRMoN1sM IN GEORGIA.

MORMONISM IN GEORGIA.
The Killing Of staading-Tho Other Side
,s,s OF the Story.
DALTON, Ga, August o.,
Since 80 much has been said about the
Mormon murder in north Georgia, by
the press throughout the whole country,
perhaps it might be we'll enough to give
to the readers OF the ConStitution.a little
sketch or history of Joseph Standing,
that they may know something about his
character and the circumstances leading
to his murder on the 21st day of July,
1879.
u It appears that Joseph Standing first
made his appearance in Walker county,
and succeeded in making arrangements
to bake his headquarters at a widows
house, the widow having two grown
daughters. After remaining there for a
while he succeeded in accomplishing the
ruin ofboth of the young ladies. After
this he then removed to Catoosa county,
three miles from Vsrnell Station, and
put up with q man by the name of Ell
ledge, who resided near the line of Whit
field county. Eliedge's family was COM
posed of himself wife two daughters and
son-in.law. Pretty soon after these ar
srsngements were made Elledge and his
cson-in:law obtained employment on the
!, Cincinnati railroad, near Chattanooga,
which caused them 10 be absent most of
the time from. their families. Joseph
Standing and companion, Clauslen, con-
tinued foreman and make their headquar-
ters atiElledges residence, and very soon
succeeded in converting Mrs. Elledge
and her daughters to the Mormon faith.
Jane Elledge, the single daughter, had
child by Joseph Standing, which mystic
riously disappeared Immediately after its
birth, which, at the time, caused consid-
erable excitement in the neighborhood.
After the excitement subsidized, in the
course of time, it was discovered that
Jane Elledge had again become enciente
BY Joseph Standing, and was in that
condition when the Elledge family emil
grated to the Mormon country, a few
weeks beforeS 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 Varnell 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 be
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 ,it, 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. and also. to leave the
country; but he could not be prevailed
on to- do 90, 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
.tions, Jasper N. Nations, A. s. Smith,
Benjamin CLARK, William Nations, An
drew Bradley; James Fausett, Hugh
Blair, Joseph Nations, Jefferson Hunter
and Mack Mcclure met Joseph Standing
and Clauslen in the road and informed
them that they intended whipping them,
and carried them near By to spring.
As seven of these men were opposed to
whipping Standing and >Clauslen, while
ait the spring they succeeded in persuad-
ing the other FIVE of their comrades to
abandon the idea of whipping them, and
it was then agreed upon by all the mob
that they would escort Standing and
Clauslen to Varnell Station and board
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 YVES in the act
Of getting q drink of water from the
spring, when Joseph Standing suddenly
snatched the pistol from the ground, and,
cockingit, damanded 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
sad affair more than these men, as they
had no intention of doing anything of
the kind, but necessity compelled them,
and 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 the part of
the officers to arrest them, so far as we
are informed, until reward was offered
BY Governor Colguitt for. their capture
and conviction. These men, on learning
that reward had been offered for them,
went to James county, Tennessee.
A requisition having been made upon
the Governor of Tennessee, the Sheriff
and his deputy, of Whitfield county, &C.
companied by deputy and posse from
Bradley county Tennessee, proceeded to
James county and arrested Andrew
Bradley, Jasper N. Nations and 81. G.
Blair, near Ooltawa, and brought them
and put them in Jail at Dalton. They