Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-09
WAY DOWN IN ALABAMA.
Mormon Elders Pursuing a Cours,
That Leads to ssIartyrdom.,,

| CINCINNATI, March S.-An Atlanta
Ga, special says: The Mormons have
chosen Alabama as a missionary falf
and have been vigorously prosecuting
their work during the past six months
Among other things, your correspondent
hnds that the Mormon elders, under the
gulse OF travellers, 60 from house to house
distributing little twenty-five page pam.
phlets entitled Doctrines of Latter-day
Saints, by Elder John Morgan" The
book contains their articles of faith, and
gives an account OF the revelations made
to Joseph Smith. 1t also proclaims that
Norm onism is
THE ONLY TRUE RELIGION.
When person joins them, the elders
give him what they call their "mystic
slgn,'" which consists of paper upon
which is written their articles of faith and
the name of every convert in that section.
The possession of this proves the owner a
true saint.
One of the most enthusiastic converts
in Shinbone Valley is w. J. Conger.
Living upon Conger's farm is a young
man by the name of Bollings, who has
been very bitter towards the elders and
their converts. About six weeks ago
Bollings found paper near his house.
which stated that Mormonism was the
only true religion, and that unless he
joined them within thirty days and used
his influence to get his neighbors to Join,
he must leave that section of the country.
The paper was
SIGNED BY ALL THE ELDERS,
By Conger and number of other con-
verts. Boiling has not left and it is
stated that he did not intend to leave,
and SO far no effort has been made to
force him to leave. Last September or
October, Elder Davis came over into
Choccoolocoo Valley, within five miles of
Oxford, and in a short time he was joined
by Elder Allrod, who came direct from
Utah. H In little while they had made
converts of James Tilliman and his wife,
and later on, Hiram Harrison and his
entire family. Tilliman soon became
much enthused with his new religion,
and declared that che thanked God, the
Lord, for sending Mormon elders to teach
him the true religion" The elders,
Davis and Allrod, spent most of their
time while in this section at the homes of
ago committee of citizens surrounded
Harrison's house and
CALLED FOR THE ELDERS.
They happened to be spending that night
at the house of Thomas Richards, and
the committee not finding the objects of
their search, notified Harrison that he
must not let the elders stay at his house
again. Next day Harrison bought gun
and a supply of ammunition, and his son
wrote the following note to the citizens
"Come to our house another night and
some of you will eat breakfast in hell
next morning" After writing the notice,
young Harrison shot a ball through the
paper and then stuck it on the gate post
of the man he supposed was one of the
of the citizens. The Shinbone
Valley elders were reinforced in January
by elders Butler and Wilson, and in that
section they have not brought only their
but many other ignorant people
to believe that the entire Territory of
Utah is the
EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE MORMON
CHURCH,
And that the land is overlooking with
riches, long life and happiness, and nat
lrally most of the converts are anxious to
get there as soon as possible. The elders
nave Very little to say about polygamy,
md tell their converts that only the
Church officials or any pious members
are allowed to have more than one wife.
The elders are fed and clothed by their
converts and also receive regular Install
nents of money from Salt Lake City.