The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-05-30
rHE N
BUTTE, Ia 90, 1885.
A CRIME.
Salt Lake Tribune.

Salt Lake Tribune.
The particulars OF a most revolving case
of incest in Tooele City ave recently come
to light through an effort Of the Grand Jury
to investigate the matter. For a NUMBER
az wears there has lived in the town refer
red to a man named William A. Peasnall,
who is now 81 or So years OF age.
married. and the father OF a number OF
children, including a married daughter a
Mrs. James,, who is the mother OF TWO OF
three children. Fora number OF months PRIOR
to tho first of last April it was the scandal
Of Tooele that Peasnall was habitualiy
oniJtv IF criminal relations with his dsush-
Ter. and had been so both before and alter
her marriage With James; that in Tact her
Youngest child was the child and grand
child of Peasnall, her father, and that
lanes himself is credited with thinkingsuch
to be the truth. This matter became so
notorious that the authorities Ol the
Tooele priesthood tool it in hand ana IN,
vestigated it, on which occasion Peasnal
acknowledged his guilt before the priests, at
least to an extent which left no doubt o!
the fact that he was guilty OF incest with
his own daughter, and he was accordingly
accommodated from the church Tor I'M
moral conduct" notice Of which appeared
in the Dcseret News about the LIST OF April,
.iyned by II. s. Gowans, President OF the
Tooele County Stake of Zion, to whom and
to Apostle F. NJ. Lyman he had made the
acknowledgement. After that Feasnaii,
who is a carpenter by trade and an Engiisi-
man by birth left Tooele and wa gone lor
some time, but on last Friday he was
seen in Salt Lake City, and on the
next day left for his home in Tooele. Mrs.
lanes, his daughter, who is implicated IN
the shocking affair, is excused to the double
damnation OF her father, on the ground OF
being about half idiOtic. The facts In the
case were furnished to the Grand Jury from
Mormon sources, and the Investigators
were particularly anxious to put Peasnall
in the Penitentiary. After Il consideration
OF the case, and findingthat oseXual crime
is a Offense under the laws OF Utah except
rape, the Grand Jury dropped the matter,
much to the disgust OF the Tooele brethren
who thought Judge Zane ought to make IL
law TO fit the case" In this connection 1t
NAV be as well to state the reason why no
sexual crime, except polygamy, unlawfu
rehabilitation and rape, Is an ohense against
the law in Utah. Some seven or eight
wears ago lewd and lacsiviOus cohabl-
tation wal an offense uuder Ierr1torlal
law. About that time a polygamlst IN the
Second district living openly with
two women as his wives, was sent TO the
Penitentiary for a term OF years under the
Iewd and hiscivious cohabitatiOn statute,
wbereupon the church howled long and
loud at Judge Foreman, and the Mormon
pulpiters from one end of Zion to the other
Numbered forth their maledictions. AT the
next session OF the Utah Legislature the
Territorial statute against sexual crime,
except rape, was repealed by the apostles
and bishops who composed that body OF
law makers, as a church measure, SO that
to-day, such fellows az Peasnall, guilty OF
almost any species OF sexual crime are be-
yond the reach Of the law for the benefit OF
the Mormon's pet institution OF polygamy.