The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-26
SPIRITED GEORGIA GIRL.
HOW MARY JOHNSON ESCAPED
FROM THE MOkMONS.

| YOunR-A Wild Ride on kuleback
Followed by a Fight Against Odds.
Mary a Better Man Than Her Father.
Charles B. LetCis IN the Nst0 York Sun.
Very few people who were not in direct
contact with Mormonism during its palmy
days can realize the sutocratic powers pos
sessed by Brigham Young His will was
law. Not law either, for there was no law
He had simply to order this or that to be
done, and it was done. No chief Of tribe
in Africa could have followed his course for
month without creating rebellion among
his subjects. For years be held the gov
eminent Of the United States at bay,
and for years his Danites hunted
down and murdered Gentiles without fear
of ever being brought to account. The
spectacle of 200 Danites riding up to Fort
Bridger, in another territory, and demand
ing fugitive Mormon of the commandant
under penalty of instant attack is quoted as
an instance Of their arrogance There were
only forty men In the old ruin, called e fort
by courtesy. and six or eight OF those were
sick or disabled by wounds, but the brave
commandant ordered the drum to beat TO
arms" slowed his two old field pieces around
to command the gateway, aud replied to the
threat:
The man you want is here, but you
can't have him until the last one of US is
wiped out!n
1t is doubtful II one convert out of
tHen ty had suspicion Of the real situation
until his arrival. Brigham YouuG's ines
sengers" worked entirely among the lower
classes, both at,home and abroad. The
great majority of converts accepted all
statements in perfect good faith, and it was
| only after arriving in Utah that they had
their eyes opened. Then 1t was too late.
1t was en- inflexible rule of the church that
no convert should return to the outside
world. Now and then one did escape,
| but for every one who succeeded hundred
| we're recaptured or killed when overtaken.
| The Mountain Meadow massacre included
| more victims than any other recorded, but
there were plenty Of other instances where
emigrant parties OF Gentiles were wiped out
| by Danites or Indians, or led astraY bv falee
guides to perish miserably on the desert or
| among the hills
Among band of seventy converts made
in the mountains of Georgia during Xoung's
last year of active reign we're q widower
named johnson and his daughter Mary.
The man was about so years of age. the girl
about Is. While they belonged to the
Cracker" class, it was owing to misfortune
more than to birth and training. They
were poor, but neither uncouth nor ignorant.
johnson was something OF a religious exs
horter, and had rather queer ideas on re-
ligion, and the Mormon elder put things in
such light as to captivate him. He be-
lieved he had found the true religion at last.
and Utah was described "a a perad Sc on
earth. 1t was expressly stipulated that he
could embrace polygamy or not, as he felt
inclined, and that Mary should remain with
him until she elected to marry. Once safely
arrived in the Mormon kingdom, they were
not long in discovering that they had been
basely deceived. They we're sent, with
about 200 others. to found town almost
directly east of Salt Lake and on the south
side OF the Uintah mountains. This town
was to be known as Salvation City, and the
real object of it was to guard the pass In
the range known as williams pass
Some of the converts who had bean
settled In the Green River valley had
tried to reach Fort Bridger by this route
and two or three had succeeded. Mary
johnson was q robust, flne-lookiDg girl, and
her fate had been decided within an hour
after the party had arrived at Salt Lake.
She was permitted to 20 with her father,
however, and it was three months later be-
fore the plans OF "the Lord" we're revealed
60 her. Upon arriving at their destination
nearly every one In the party was taken
down with mountain fever. and about one
third OF the number died. Work was begun
on several buildings, and the walls are to be
found there to-day, but before anything of
account was accomplished the remainder Of
the party wers recalled to assist in building
the town OF Provo.
Neither father nor daughter had the fever,
but from one who was attacked and TO
whom they gave the kindest care came the
information that Mary was to be the sixth
or seventh wife of a certain elder. while her
father himssk would shortly be expected to
fully embrace the faith by taking two or
three wives. He was not man OF much
- -
| escape was hopeless, and that rebellion
against the authority of the church was
punished by death, he decided to obey
whatever order was given. Not so with
Mary. She received the news
with horror and indignation, aud
entreated the father 30 at least
make an attempt to escape. He
hadn't the nerve to do it, There were men
in the camp who had him under espionage,
and he felt certain he would be overhauled
1 in short order. That would mean some
! terrible punishment, II not death. At that
time and for several years later there were
inclosed in circular wall at the mouth of
the pass the skeletons of four or i've people
who had been overtaken and killed while
| seeking to escape. The wall was eventually
| torn down, and the bones were buried in a
| common grave by United States soldiers
| While her father was cowed and crushed
| Mary determined to make the attem pt alone
NO one OubSluo OF tue ClrCl6 Oh trusted
converts was permitted to possess a
| map or chart or any drawing which
showed the geographical position of Utah.
| Every effort was made to confuse and de-
csive the people as to its position and
boundaries. The rude map issued by the
church for general distribution, of which
many copies are still in existence, made the
north and west a vast desert infested by
| poisonous insects; the south WIS described
as a country full Of ferocious Gild beasts
and fierce Indians, and the country to the
| east-except over the route they had come
was alkai plain, sterile mountains and
valleys, in which every flower and blade of
| grass exuded poison.
| The sick man had told johnson that the
| only hope OF escape was by way of Williams
| pass, and had made pretty fair guess as to
the distance-100 miles. Mary determined
| to try for the fort. While her father could
| not be induced to make the start with her,
| he provided her with rifle and ammunition
and three or four days provisions and ad-
| vised her TO the best of his knowledge. Per-
haps he did the best thing under the circum-
| stances, as be was under surveillance, while
| the girl was not. No one could have sus-
pected that she would attempt TO escape out
| OF that valley alone. He was one Of a
party quarrying stone for building pur-
1 poses, and he managed to secrets the rife
| and provisions in the mouth Of the pass