The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-05-18
Hartford County MOrmOns.
Preaching Joseph smiths RcvelatIOl
but Repudiating the PoIygamists.

The paragraph in last weeks Asgis concerning
the dissemination of Mormon doctrines in Har.
ford county has caused considerable comment
A representative of the Baltimore SIN visited
the Rocks, a few days ago and gathered the fol-
lowing facts in relation to the matter:
Thirty years ago there were some Mormons
in the county but their abominable practices and
principles obtained no foothold and the sect
disappeared. 1t is thought that the ideas of
that creed have been working in the sec.
tion of Hartford adjacent to the Pennsylvania
line for several years. but the first public meet
ing since the revival of the doctrine took place
ing was held on May 6. Both those meetings
were held at the house of Joseph Eckert, a shoe.
maker and n farmer, residing near the Rocks of
Deer Creek, on the southeast side of the Rocks.
The sect is known as the United Brethren of the
Latter Day Saints. Al the last meeting be.
tween GO and 100 persons wei @ present, the males
outnumbering the females or 1 to
The meeting was organized by Joshua Fowler,
farmer, residing in this immediate ncighbor-
hood on farm Of about so acres belonging to
his mother. He is said to bear intelligent man,
though not well educated. lie YVES raised in
Philadelphia, and came to Hartford county eight
or nine years ago. His mother at that time was
housekeeper for the late Il. Stanley Rogers, at
Rocks of Deer Creek. He married Miss Mat
thews, of Fawn Grove, York county Pa n
in Hartford county and was a Mormon preacher.
This DIR. Matthews kept a store at Deer Park,
fifth district, Hartford county, and afterwards
at Muttonsburg, Pa. He preached the
Mormon doctrine in Hartford until he became
unpopular and ruined his business He then
moved out West with his family. Fowler by
marrying this daughter of Dr. Matthews is said
to have become charged with Matthew'S Mormon
notions. Fowler is about 25 years of age, slim
and sandy haired. He is plain in dress, fair in
nnan Of n1I o
ton would be good speaker. In opening the
meeting he did not state its object He said
| that he ought to be at home, as his wife was
sick, but Almighty God had relieved him of the
charge and sent his wife's sister down to take
care of her while he came to the meeting
Those present, he said were not like the Nor.
mons OF Utah, but were opposed to polygamy
lie belonged he said, to the original Mormon
Church, not to Brigham Young's part of it, and
was follower of Smith. He introduced his
hrother-n-law Montcvile o. Matthews, of New
Park, lork county, Pa, as the regular Mormon
preacher. Matthews lives near Fawn Grove,
Pa, near the Maryland line, is a clock mender
by trade, and is about forty years of age
Though he has little education, he has a furcible
way ofspeaking. Matthews prayed before he
institution ofthe Mormon Church of the prophet
Joseph Smith, but repudiated the church of
Utah, which he held had departed from the true
faith in ENGRAVING polygamy upon the original
Mormon doctrine. In fact the Hartford county
Mormons appear to be small fragment of n BODY
which is quite numerous in Iowa and Illinois,
good deal of suspicion is however, entertain
ed the movement lest may cloak polyga.
mist tendencies, such as is declared we're mani
tested thirty years ago.
Several women were present at the meeting
near the Rocks on the 9th instant. One of them
said that meeting would shortly be held o,
top ofthe Rocks of Deer Creek, and that mai
named Stewart, n Mormon preacher Of Phila-
delphia, had promised TO be present
A Mormon congregation numbering 200 per-
sons, it is said has recently been established in
Washington, and IA congregation of GOO exists
in Philadelphia.
Witnesses have been summoned before the
Grand Jury, now in session at Bel Air, to nves-
tgae the practices of the sect, and ascertain if
they are amenablr to the law.