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

..Do they read them?'' Eyes, indeed.
You see there is nothing else they can
do being all penned up like a flock Of
sheep" but why do you pen them
up?' ITO keep them from being
robbed" 80; =5
Mormon Victims. ~
New York Morning Journal: What
a pretty lot of girls, and how singular
that they should be Mormons.'' said q
tall, well-dressed, handsome woman
who stood on the deck of the steamship
Wyoming yesterday morning. The
steamer had just arrived from Liver
pool. $3.50. ,,:. :,.2s.*
Il have watched these Morlcons 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-haf women. They
| were in charge of fifteen elders, of
! whom elder Kurz was the leader.
On their arrival at Castle Garden
Commissioners Starr and Stephenson,
who had heard of their coming, were
Oh hand to investigate matters. The
| Mormons were landed like q 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. land
I want to get away from these people,
She blushed and looked down at the
floor.
"What peopleP" 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 q resident Of
Smithfield, 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 een her uncle in years, but she
knew he was a wealthy farmer in Amer
lea; so she decided to go 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 rs 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 tho 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 adj
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
orooo -u,oot;or;or 1row oonoo noo,,1;or
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 II years, with big blue
eyes, a supple form, and rosy cheeks,
attempted to. put on an air of bravado
when she came up to answer the neces-
sary questions. '"t
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.
mo, 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 well 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. y
There is little. question in my
mind" said an attache of the Garden,
'that these young girls are imported
specially by the depreved elders Of the
Mormon Church in Salt Lake City.
They are all young and good looking.
All are afraid to spea6 out on account
of their deadly fear of their elders, who
have obtained absolute control over
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 n else.
There were many hardened faces
among the older women. Many
claimed to have husbands in Utah.
The detention, of the young girls was
greeted with CONSERVATION by the ED
ers.-4 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 81
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 welt as