Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-09-15
Mormon Victims,

robbed"
Mormon Victims.
New York Morning journal: What
a pretty lot of girls, and how singular
that they should be Mormons." said a
tall, well-dressed, handsome woman
who stood on the deck of the steamship
Wyoming yesterday morning. The
steamer had just arrived from Liver
pool.
II have watched these Morrons on
the VOYAGE she added, land am
quite sure some of these girls have
been lured away from home"
Others in the ship had heard and
seen the girls cry in secluded parts of
the steamer. In all there we're 25O
Mormons. Nearly one-third were
young girls and one-half women. They
were in charge of fifteen elders, of
whom elder Kurz vas the leader.
On their arrival at Castle Garden
Commissioners Starr and Stephenson,
who had heard of their coming, were
vi ASAA w ASOoI11oCO "dlCClS. 1uC
Mormons we're landed like a drove of
sheep and marched ashore under the
watchful eyes of the elders, like slaves.
A murmur ran through the herd as a
young and pretty girl of IS years broke
from her companions and asked to see
some one in authority. She was re-
ferred to Superintendent jackson.
my name is Margaret HAWTHORNE"
said she in a sweet English voice, ''and
/ want to get away from these people,"
She blushed and looked down at the
floor.
''Wha people?" kindly inquired Mr..
Jackson.
From these mormons,'' she replied
in a quivering voice.
Several weeks ago, she said, she re-
ceived a letter from her uncle, John
hawthorne, who was a resident of
Smithtield, idaho. He requested her
to come to America and make her
home with him. In the letter was a
ticketfor the steamship Wyoming. She
had not seen her uncle in years, but she
knew he was a wealthy farmer in Amer
lea; so she decided to 90 to him. She
had never heard anything of Mormons
or their practices.
One of the first persons she met on
the steamer was a Mormon elder. He
introduced himself, and spoke of her
uncle as a Mormon brother, and told
her he would see that she reached his
home safely. She gave him her letters,
money and tickets.
What followed on the vessel is not
known, but it is said that she COM
planned to a fellow-passenger that she
had been insulted by one of the Nor
mons, and did not wish to travel in
company with them if she could help
it.
She was advised to continue on friend
ly terms with the MormOns until she
reached New York. This She did.
On hearing her story Superintendent
Jackson Immediately ordered the tick
cts, money, and letters returned to her
and sent her to her uncle in ad-
vance of the Mormon herd.
When the crowd came in to register
Commissioner Starr and Commissioner
Stephenson stood by the clerks TO in
vestigate the cases Of the young girls.
Their efforts were successful. A sharp
cross-questioniAg drew some peculiar
facts from the girls.
Without exception they failed to
fully explain how they obtained funds
to pay their passage over. One young
English girl, jeanette Williamson, a
pretty miss of IA years, with big blue
eyes, a supple form, and rosy cheeks,
attempted to put on al air of bravado
when She came up to answer the neces-
sary questions.
She said she was a Mormon and was
gong to friends in Utah who had paid
her passage out.
What friends? Relatives?" queried
Clerk Silberstein.
''No, sir,' she faltered, %blushing and
lowering her eyes.
"WhO thenp'
She could not answer and was at
once placed in charge of Chief Clerk
Van Duzen.
Soon the Commissioners had a score
of the girls locked up in the office
away from the rest Of the herd. All
We're young, pretty, and we'll dressed.
All had been posted what replies to
, make to the usual questions and all had
failed because the questions were too
pointed. Commissioner Starr said:
1--WE are tied hand and foot and
cannot act except in such cases as we
can prove to be assisted immigrants"
There is little question in my
mind,' said an attache of the Garden,
THAT these young girls are imported
specially by the deprived elders Of the
Mormon Church in Salt Lake City.
They are all young and good looking.
All are afraid to speak out on account
of their deadly fear of their elders, who
have obtained absolute control w
them.''
None of the girls would talk after
being taken into the main office.
They asked to see the elders, and
would say nothing to any one else.
There were many hardened faces
among the older IN Many
claimed to have husbands in Utah.
The detention OF the young girls was
greeted with CONSERVATION by the eld-
ers. They had expected to be on their
way to Utah last evening. 1t forced a
delay. and their action and looks
plainly showed that they feared their
prey would slip through their hands
and perhaps be sent back.
The Mormons consisted mainly If
English, Scotch, and Germans. Many
appeared educated, but the majority
were far from prepossessing.
Bright Things.
A cute little girl of three is the
delight of a Washington Boulevard
family for her prettiness, as we'll as
for the bright and odd things she
says. The other day a company of
militia passed down the street in front
of her home, ard her minute black
and-:an barked furiously through the
window at them. The little girl
arose in alarm and said: 'Shut the
door, mamma! Fido will bite the