The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-06-28

GOPaL yINAYAK JOsHEE.
A Letter From Mr.. Willes Con-
corning Him.

El SALT LAKE CITY, June %. 1885.
To the Editor of THE HERALD.
have been, during the past week,
entertaining native of Bombay, India,
at my. house in the Twentieth Ward,
whose name, if we can believe his
statement, is "Gopal Vinayak Joshee. y
met this man first on board the
steamship Rio de Janerio, at Hong
Kong. China, being fellow-passenger
as far as Yokohama, Japan, where we
parted. We mutually agreed to cor
respond, and as a result l received
several letters from him on his arrival
in California all couched in the most
affectionate manner, addressing me as
Father" and styling himself at Son"
On his arrival here he was kindly and
Hospitality entertained by me and my
family. and introduced to a large circle
of my friends and neighbors.
He was at liberty to go and come at
his good pleasure, but he persistentlv
chose to accompany me Wherever l
went.
Twice he requested me to baptize
him; but as he did not fully realize
what was required of him, did not re-
spond, with which he agreed.
On tuesday evening he again applied
to me TO administer baptism TO him, and
as his replies to my questions were sat
isfactory after consultation with Bishop
Sharp, consented TO do so.
I notified him of the time set for
baptism, and also OF arrangements for
him to lecture at one of the leading
assembly halls by invitation from the
bishop. That same evening he at
tended "seance," and on his return to
my house, while was explaining to my
vile and family some of the peculiari-
ties of "spirituaIism, he became very
angry, upon which told him that as he
manifested such a spirit, unless he
changed could not consent to enter
tain him any longer; but as he was
free agent, and had never been re-
strained or even persuaded to associate
with me or my coreligionists, he was
at liberty, as he always had been, to
choose for himself.
/ have in my possession several of his
letters. all expressing the most devoted
attachment to me personally as well as
to my family.
He stated that the ministers of differ !
ent denominations in California and |
elsewhere had tried to rope him in as |
convert; but that he had told them |
they were propogating perverted |
Christianity" and also that he intended
"Mormonism" and the |
"Mormons" at their head quarters, be-
ing convinced that they had the true
system"
Several times he said to me: "If any
inquire about me, tell them that am
not an investigator, but that | am a
Mormon in my heart, and that in
tend being baptized"
In scores ofinstances when questioned
by those to whom | introduced him,
his replies were of the most fiattering
kind concerning myself and my peo-
pie.
This morning when told him it
would be out of the question for me to
baptize him, he replied: "Oh, / can get
any of the bishops or elders to do that.
And this after he had craved in the
most abject and beseeching manner to
consent to my being his friend at all
times"
feel truly thankful that he has aided
me in detecting him as full fedged
which appears to me the
most appropriate appellation for such
character as he has shown himself to
be.
You may rely with the utmost GER
.ainty upon what here state, as facts
ire stubborn things;" and there are
many other points besides, but will let
.hese things suffice for the present.
Respectfully,
VIM. WILLEs.