The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-06-21
MORMON RECRUITS,
The Work of Propagandists Among the
Poor White Trash of North Caro,ina


The Work of Propagandists Among the
foor White Trash Of North Carolina
Two OF the propagandists recently gave a
reporter OF the Charlotte Journal an outlir
of their operations in North Carolina. They
arrived Ia that state some time last March
There are seventeen OF these apostles of
prostitution at work in North Carolina, and
since that time they have been holding
meetings and making converts. Thew
have had considerable success. The propa,
gandists work separately, but meet at stated
times and places to compare notes and man
out new programme. They work ouietIy
and systematically, and their presence IS
known only to those who show a willing
ness TO attend their meetings The propa.
gandists must be good takers ana Judges
| OF human nature. They begin
| by riding about the neighborhood
stopping at houses and asking for drink
OF water or for meals until they know the
women, ana the weaker OF these are select1 d
as victims. They are informed of meetings
10 be held, and invited to attend, and at
these meetings the prostitution business is
never disclosed, and the converts rarely
know the fate that awaits them until they
reach Utah. Before converts are received
into the so.called church, they are "bap.
l2ed,' and the rule is to strip them naked
for that purpose. These naked baptisms
occur at night, and the propsgandists are
supposed to have a good deal of fun on
their own hook. In one county in North
carolina the emlssaries had an adventure
Wnich they related to the newspaper man
with great gusto. They saw two women
hoeing cotton in the field, approached and
soon converted" them. They then took
them Off to creek, stripped them and
baptized" them.
A dispatch from Rutherford, n. o., saws:
Great indignation and talk of lynching
were the result of the first public services
held at Duncan's creek by the Mormon
missionaries who have been gathering re.
crults here for the past two weeks. The
iour missionaries have been holding prayer
meetings and presenting flattering induce
ments to converts. This evening seven
women and three men who had professed
the faith were baptized in Duncan's creek.
Several hundred people, about half being
women, gathered on the banks to witness
the ceremony, The place was lit up by
pine knots and torches. The converts and
missionaries arrived about 7 O'Clock and
went to small house adjacent, and
when night fell the entire party
OF converts, male and female. &C
companied by the four missionaries, lett
the building. all of them entirely naked
and Invested of every article of clothing.
At first as they marched away to the water
there was mumur of surprise among the
crowd, soon followed by Kisses, but they
did not interfere with the party. The rite
was performed in the middle of the creek,
where the water was scarcely waist-deep
two OF the missionaries carry ing pine knots
in their hands. After the ceremony a com.
nit ee OF citizens waited upon the Nor.
mons and gave them notice to quit the
county at once on pain OF summary Justice
Several OF the women in the party are
quite pretty and have borne good charac
tiers. The Mormons are demoralzed and
gave assurance that they would leave to-
morrow for Utah."