The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-11-25
THE ABRAHAMIIC SACRI-
FlCE.
A Parent Kills his Offspring.
While Laboring Under Alleged
Divine Inspiration.

A San Francisco dispatch to the
st. Louis GIo6e-DemocrGt says. Full
Ter details of the sacrifice of their
eldest son by family of fanatics at
Westminster. Los Angeles County,
show that the murder was one of
unusual atrocity. Your correspond
ent visited the scene of the tragedy
and secured the following informa-
ten:
Josiah B. Smith, the father who
killed his boy because, he said, he
had a revelation from the Lord to
do so, is forty years old. He came
to Westminster five years ago, and
since then, with his wife and fam
lily, has been picking up meagre
subsistence by odd jobs. Finally
the family settled down to fishing,
establishing their home on a DESC
late island off the coast which only
could be reached by a boat. 1t was
seldom visited except by
hunters and fishermen, who
hired the boat which the
murdered boy had charge of. The
murder was committed on the 4th
inst, but when a party of hunters
who called out from the shore for
the boy were told by old man Smith
that the boy was dead, and that he
had been inspired by the Lord to
kill his child, The hunting party
secured the services of a younger
boy, and coolly went on with their
sport, only reporting the crime to
the authorities that night. A con-
stable and doctor went out next
day to the scene Of the crime. They
drove down to the beach and shouted
to Smith, and he rowed over to
them. On making the object of the
visit known he gave himself up
quietly. The mother and children
were then brought from the island,
and the entire family taken to West
minister Friday morning. Before
the officers arrived the boy had been
buried about thirty feet from the
house.
On the arrival of the prisoner and
family at Westminster an inquest
was ordered, and Justice Aldridge,
accompanied by DR.. James Mccoy
and others, Smith included. returned
to the beach and rowed across to
the island. Smith pointed out where
the body Was buried. The grave was
opened, a rough box, which the
father had made, was raised, and
the lid lifted. The sight is de-
scribed as most sickening. Decom-
position had set in to such a degree
as to render the moving of the body
a difficult and disagreeable task.
The unnatural parent looked on
complacently and spoke of the muir
der with no feeling. Finally, in re-
Iply to the question as to how he
lstruck the blow, he stopped over the
corpse, thrustshis knife into it, and
drew it out Of the cavity without g
lsign of emotion. The weapon
was an eight-lnch butcher
knife. Mr.. Mccoy carefully ex-
examined the body, but aside
from the fatal cut found no sign OF
any violence. One death-dealing
blow was struck just in the center
of the chest, and with sufficient
power to cut the breast bone and en-.
ter to the full length of the blade,
making a horrible cash eight inches
long.
A few weeks ago Smith gave up
fishing, and being asked why replied
that the Lord had commanded it
and had promised to hereafter pro.
vide for him. From that time on
he has made, and has commanded
his family to make, no effort to gain
a livelihood. The boy, however
put 70 faith in his fathers belief
and from time to time purchased
tea, sugar, ETC., with his own money
On the Wednesday before the muir.
der the boy purchased and took
home some sacks of -four, which an
gered his father, and this was found
emptied out upon the ground, to-
lgether with some other provisions
close TO the spot where the murder
was committed. Except a few greer
apples, nothing eatable was found
in the house.
| The crime was committed about
800 yards from the house. The boy
was taken to a clump Of bushes
both parents being present. They
claim that he knew he was to b.
sacrificed, and made no resistance
whatever, but calmly knelt before
them ready to be offered up. While
in this position the father struck tn,
fatal blow.
One of the first questions asked OF
the arrival of the family at West
minister, was whether they woul,
make further srcrifces of thei
children, and both father an
mother replied that if the Lor
called on them to sacrifice all j
would have to be done. A
the examination neither Smith No
his wife made any effort to conces
anything, but told the whole stor
in its horrible details Smit
pleaded guilty as charged, and wa
committed for trial on the charge (
murder. He is now imprisoned j
Los Angeles. From the first til
murderer has shown no feelin
whatever, and regards the crime q
more than he would the killing of
hog. He has been quite a purchase
of Canada lottery tickets, apd sal
the Lord was going to send hil
money from Canada to pay fl
burying the boy. The family are
good standing. They have bee
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