The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-02
ALOOKED-FOR EXPOSURE
SECRETS OF THE ORIGINAL NOR
MON BIBLE.
oaath of the Man Who Rengiously
Guarded the Manuscript - Some
oueer Mormon Memories.
Eron az Netu York Times.


. mart of it, at ''Gold Bible HILL" in the
town of Manchester, four miles from Pal
,nvra. on the road to Canandaigua. Mr..
Whitmer was one of "the three witnesses,
who swore by everything that was holy
that they saw an angel of God come down
with the golden book, which Joseph Smith
interpreted Subsequently all of these three
men renowned Mormonism and declared
their testimony false.
The Smith family came here from Ver-
mont. which State was at that time-about
7815-very much stirred regarding the mys-
faries of the divining rod. The elder Joseph
did odd jobs all about this neighborhpod.
The Younger Joseph Smith (who was after
ward the founder of the Mormons) gave his
assistance occasionally. One day in Septem-
Der. 1919, Joe's father and brothers were
engaged in digging well for MIR. Clark
Chase and Joe was lounging about the work
with some of Mr.. Clark's children when the
stone, which resembled a childs foot was
thrown out of the we'll The Chase chill
dren claimed the curiosity, as it was con-
sidered, but j oe seized and retained it, sub
seuuently claiming that by its use he was
enabled to discover the whereabouts of
stolen property. locate the place where
treasure was buried and such like impos-
spectacles with the golden book-the spec
tacles thenceforward taking the place of
the stone. This small stone was the famous
t'peek stone" with which young Joseph
Smith claimed miraculous powers. In a
kneeling posture, with bandage ON his
eyes, so luminous was the sight without it,
with the stone in large white stovepipe
hat, and this hat in front of his face, he
saw things unutterably wonderful. He
FIJI rN1an
where stolen property or wandering
focks could be found. Caskets Of
gold stored away by the Spaniards
or Capt. Kidd, Golfers of gems, Oriental
treasures, the wealth of Ormus and of
Ind" cleaned beneath the ground in ada
cent fields and woodlands. Digging became
the order of the night and sleep that of the
day. Father and brothers, decoyed neigh
bors, and all who could be hired by cider or
strong drink were organized into digging
phalaux. They sailed forth in the dark
ness Solemn ceremonies prefaced the work
Not sod was disturbed by the spades till
Joes mystic wand, the witch hazel, guided
by the sacred stone pointed out the golden
somewhere. Ecs:re silence was one con-
dition of success When hours had passed
and the answering thud on the priceless
chest was about to strike the ear, some one
in rapture of expectance always broke the
spell by speaking, the riches were spirited
away to another quarter, and the digging
must be resumed another night.
This air of mystery prepared the way for
greater pretensicns on the part of Smith.
Only mile from the dwelling house of the
Smith family was the farm of Alonzo Sand
ers which included what is to-day known
rs the Gold Bible Hill. To Joe Smith it
was known as "the Hill Cumorah," where
the Angel Moroni announced to him the
presence of the Golden Plates giving an
account of the fate which attended the
early inhabitants of America. With these
plates would be found the only means by
which they could be read, the wonderful
spectarles known as the "Urim and Thum-
anim.n Joe was not averse to such
revelation, for his hazel rod and his peek
stone" had already failed him. There had
been various religious awakenings in
the neighborhood, and when the various
sects began to quarrel over the converts
Joe arose and announced that his mission
was to restore the true priesthood. He ap-
pointed number of meetings, but no one
seemed inclined to follow him as the leader
of new religion. In September, 1928, an
angel appeared to him, forgave his many
lapses from grace, and announced t:2e gold
en- plates.
These plates, however were not found
for several years In the meantime Joe
Smith had been absent at Susquehanna and
other places to work up the religious side of
his assertions.
The time having come to secure the treas.
ure, Smith returned to Palmyra and COM
1nenced to dig for the golden plates. The
late William Van Camp, of Lyons, told the
writer that as boy at the time he heard
that one night the spades struck strong
box. Thunder and lightning followed.
The box sank deeper, and Smith expl ined
the loss by the lack of faith on the part of
the diggers. AT last the plates were secured
on the night of Sept. %, 1926, the Prophet
relating that he had been hit hard by the
chief devil, who wished to have the plates
remain concealed. Of the three witnesses
named above Martin Harris came back to
this vicinity and died here; Oliver Cowdery
moved to Missouri with the Mormons and
was expelled, and David Whitmer aban-
doned them to their fate.
Time would fail us to give many of the
details Of the alleged translation of the
plates in the small farmhouse in Susque-
hanna. No one about here had any faith in
the book, Clark Chase even refusing to make
box in which the plates might be trans
ported to Susquehana his prospective pay
being in the profits of the book So Smith
nd them in bag of beans and took them
over to Susquehanna on horseback. The
translation from the plates was matter of
several weeks Martin Harris, of Palmyra,
FURNISHED Jne money LOT Une WORK w nen
1t was done Joe Smith and the three wit
nesses brought the translation here. At that
tlme-from September, 1929, to March,
lsSt-Mr. Van Camp quoted above and
Maj. John H. Gilbert were working in the
Office of the Wayne Sentinel, E. B.
Grandin, proprietor During these months
The Book of Mormon was in process
OF printing. The office was in the third
story of building now known as the 'Ex-
cnange Row." in the principal street of Pal
Imayra. The foreman was Mr.. Pomeroy
tucker, who afterward published work
on Mormonism. Maj. Gilbert was a com
positor. and also a dancing master. His
duties in the latter calling took him away
from his ease" so frequently that Van
camp distributed" in order to give him
chance to work the next day. The copy"
was on ruled paper-an expensive thing in
Vhose days-and the letters were so closely
crowded that words like land" or the
We're divided at the end of the line. The
copy was in Cowdery's handwriting, but it
was produced from a tightly buttoned coat
every morning by Hyrum Smith. One
DAYS supply only was given at time, and
Ibis was taken away at night.
There were no marks of punctuation in
the copy-a sore trial to both Tucker and
gilbert in reading proof" AT such times
Sowdery occasionally "held the copy" In
the absence Of Cowdery the proof-readers
olten resorted TO the orthodox Bible to
verify somea foggy passage. The matter"