Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-12
BEAVER ISLAND MoRNroNs.
History OF Joseph strang aud His Fol-
lOwers-Wreek of the Willis-Driyen
from the Lakes.
from ne CAicqG0 Nelos.

from the Lakes.
From the Chicago Neios.
In coy little home on West Adams
street lives Mrs. Eliza Stearns. She was
at one time follower of Joseph L. Strang,
the Mormon renegade who in 1S46-56 was
the ruler OF Big Beaver island, at the foot
OF Lake Michigan. Mrs. Stearns came to
this city from Northern Wisconsin about
two months ago and is making her home
with her son.
History Of the Strang phase OF Mormon
ism is as yet comparatively unwritten.
About the time the M0rmOns established
themselves at NauvOo Strang came into
prominence. He had been but slightly
identified with the Young, Kimball, Smith
and other factions which were powerful
while the Church was in its infancy, and
1t was doubtless through realization Of
their superior strength that he was led 10
receive revelation" and set himself up,
under alleged Divine guidance, as lead
er. He selected the Beaver islands for
the home of himself and his followers.
In 1916 the inhabitants there were sur
| prised by an invasion of MOrmons num-
bering about two hundred, who pre-
| empted the choicest territory and squatted
| upon it as If they had come to stay. The
Beavers, or Beaver group as they are
called, consist of Big and Little Beaver,
| North and South Fox, High, Gull, Garden,
Hat, Hog and Squaw islands, and are To-
Gated near the mouth OF the straits. At
the time Strang took possession the islands
were inhabited by Indians and halt-breeds,
who made precariOus living by fishing,
hunting and wrecking.
"Strane," said Mrs. Stearns few days
ago, twas feared by everybody and loved
or respected, by none. | knew him for
! two years previous TO 1916 and during the
! ten years while my husband and l were
numbered with the people under him. be
cared nothing for his religion and used 1t
only as cloak to hide his real character.
/ When we first went to the Beavers he had
/ only two wives, but in the course of few
| years the number was increased to six.
| He was about to take seventh wife,
when the blow fell which destroyed his
power and drove out MOrmonism.
! I'VE settled on the northern side OF the
| island, on the bay, at the place now called
/ St.James. The Indians were quite peace
ful and friendly, and gave us no trouble
except that they stole, and in that art they
were soon taught lessons by Strang and
/ his disciples. We lived in log huts, built
mostly of the cedar which grows profuse-
/ ly there, and put in our time fishing, hunt
/ ing, Wrecking and stealing from vessels
which made the port. We had q religion
in name but very little in action. StranR
used to exhort to us frequently, but the
| majority of his time was devoted to devil
! try. He lived in a larger and better house
! than anybody else and assumed all the
authority Of a king.
Everything moved smoothly for a num-
Der Of years, and our numbers grew, there
being at one time over four hundred Nor
mons in the settlement. But the time
came when murmuring arose. The Big
Beaver and the other islands in the group
had been increasing In population as well
as our principal settlement. Fishermen
and farmers began to come in from Michi-
gan and Wisconsin. They were mostly
quiet, peaceful people, who wanted to be-
have themselves, raise potatoes and trade
with vessel owners. Strang had too much
of the devil in him to allow this, and the
result was frequent conflicts between the
! MOrmOns and the settlers. To show the
innate wickedness of Strang the story Of
the schooner Willis might be told. The
vessel came into the harbOr for shelter and
remained Two or three days. On the after
noon Of the last day it was understood
that she was to leave the next morning,
In the morning she was gone, sure enough,
| but her cargo OF provisions and all the val
uables she had on board remained behind
in the possession of Strang and his follow
| ers. They were accused by settlers Of
/ boarding the ship in the night, numbering
/ ;he crew, plundering the vessel, and then
| sending her to the bottom. Whether it
was so or not / am not prepared to say,
and would not say if l could"
Whatever Mrs. Stearns may know, il is
/ a matter of record with lake naVgatOr5
/ that the Willis was seen to enter Beaver
| bay, was not noticed coming out, and that
none of her crew ever appeared to tell OF
| the fate which she met. Three other YES
| sells during 1850 and 1851 are supposed to
h,xr htr Of
! Beaver island.
at was this and similar affairs" con-
| tinued the lady. (which aroused the set
| tiers, and they, in conjunction with vessel
| Owners-fOr the Beavers and the lawless-
ness of the Inhabitants had become ter
rOr to avigators-petitiOned the govern
/ ment to investigate the trouble and en-
| deavor to remedy the evil. This was in
/ 1858. In the spring of 1854 the answer
came in the form OF the revenue cutter
Michigan. Strang had prepared for the
| government officials, and their stay was
round of revelry. They must have had
| too good a time to say anything very bad
about US. Whatever report they made,
| Straug never heard of it, and il deyOlved
upon the settlers themselves TO adjudicate
their troubles.
'Seeing the futllity Of appeals to the
| government, they armed themselves one
night in July, 1886, and made descent
| upon our settlement. We were taken COM
pletely by surprise, and were hardly
awake before our homes were in flames
and our forces disOrganized. In the melee
| Strang was severely wounded and three Of
| the MormOns were killed. Strang, with
his lawful wife, succeeded in escaping TO
| a neighbOring island, where be was picked
/ up by vessel and carried to Milwaukee.
| / heard afterward that he died in q small
| town near there some months later from
| the effects OF his wounds. The settlers
gave the rest Of us the option of leaving
| the islands within twelve hours or OF re-
naming if we would give up our religion
and our habits. My husband and | were
among those who accepted the former
| alternative, as we had enough OF Mormon
ism. The next day a small schooner took
us and quite number OF others on board
and we were landed at a Wisconsin port.
That was the end Of Mormonism in the
Beaver islands"
An old lake captain, who was questioned
on the subject said that he remembered
the time when the Beavers were under the
control of Strang and his following, and
when IL was considered dangerous 20
touch at Beaver bay. The people were
thought TO be not only thieves but worse
than thieves-men who would not scruple
TO commit any crime. The islands, which
raise very fine potatoes and produce large
numbers OF cedar trees, now belong 70
] os,I l..N