Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-23
FIRST MARTYR OF THE CHURCH.
A Correspondent Calls Attention {, au
Interesting Item Of History.
Editor Dsseret NewG

Editor DsSeret NeUG
In brief history Of the Church
written by the late President George
A. Smith, for the Peoples Journal.
and published Ia the DEsEREr News
Of September 5, 1855, the histor nu In
describing the attack on Joseph Smith
tho Prophet and Sidney Rigdon by
mob In Hiram, Portage county, Onio,
In 1899, refers to a little iild who lost
its life through being exposed to the
night air at the tins OF the mobbing,
and says She may therefore be called
the first martyr Of this dispensation."
The account given OF the affair is oil
correct, except that which mentions
the sex OF the little martyr. II was
little boy, and not n girl who lost his
lie on that dreadful night And IN
order 10 establish this fact beyond O
doubt 30 that furturc historians may
not, a. 1 have doue, perpetuate the
error (which perhaps was mere typo.
graphical one In the first place., l Will
give the particulars m have obtained
them from Elder John IL. MUIR
dock, OF beaver, and Bishop Gideon
A, Murdock, OF Joseph city, SEWER
county, both brothers Of tbs child VINO
died.
On the aOlh Of April, s3i, In War.
renevilie township, CuyahOga county,
Ohio, the wifeof John MurdOck gave
birth TO twins, n boy and glfl, who
were named respectively Joseph
lin honor OF tho prophecy
and Julia. The mother die
aix hours after their birth. The
Prophet Joseph, who Mt that time re-
sided at Kirkland, about 10 miles from
warreusvillr, heard OF the clrcum.
stance, ana came 10 visit Brother Muir
dock, VINO agreed to let the Prophet
have the two little children % raise as
his own. Emme, Joseph's wife, having
lost child ABOUT the same time anu
had no other children. In September,
1881, Joteph Smith removed with his
family 10 Hiram, Portage county,
about thirty miles from Kirkland,
where he still resided In Mafcn, 1882,
when he aud Sidney Region were
dragged out OF their beds ia tho
night, tarred and feathered and
nearly killed. The little boy (elevon
months Old) who Lost his life on that
occasion was In bed with tue Prophet
when the mob attacked the house. The
twin sister (Julia) VINO on the night Of
the Outrage slept with Emma smith,
this Prophetic vile, was raised la the
Smith family; anu after attaining the
Ave OF womanhOOd married Elisha
DICKSON, who was accidentally killed
blythe explosion OF n steamboat, OF
whiNh he was partly owner. Subse.
aucnly she married lawyer OF
tho nNme OF Middleton, with who m
she lhei until her death which Oc-
curredl rear NnuvOO, Illinois, Sept. 10,
1850. bic ulud from cancer In the
breast.
Under d,te OF February (shouli read
MaTch) a2, sac, Joseph smith writes
In HE d. story: "Beiore going to
Hiram to live with Father johnson,
my wife had ken two children( twinsj
OF John Nun ick to bring vi. She
received them when they were nine
days old; they were now nearly eleven
months. Referring to the MODELLING
ON the night OF Match 25th (shouiu
read the 2Ilh) the Prophet Gays
"During the moDhing one OF the twi 4
received severe cold, and continued
20 grow worse I'll Friday when T. died
(5ee MH. Star, vol. XIV, p. las. 1911.
AZ the Hiram mob had no Other
cause Tor attacking the Prophet than
that he was u servant ot the Lord anu
had been preaching the Gospel wit Il
considerable success In the nuighbs I
hood, 1t Is eminently proper that u \
lutte boy who lost his life under q =.
circumstances here mentioned shoul ,
be clnosed among the martyrs. Her
the following corrected Item Of hiFlD }
Joseph Murdoch, who may be cnli 4
the fret martyr m this uispensslio..
was son OF John Murdoch, and wa,
born In Warrenaville tow nship, CayR
hogn county, Ohio, A Ri 3Oth, 1881
died at Hiram, Forage county, ohio,
Friday, March 3Jlh, 1882, from the
effects Of AN exposure. Being sics
with the measles, he slept with Joseph
Smith In the night between Saturday
aud SUNDAY, March 2i.h and Goth,
1882, when mob attacked the house
In which the family lived ami dragged
the Prophet out OF bed, leaving the
child exposed to the night air, which
gave II severe cold ro-ultidg In II,
death. ANDREW JENsOS.
SAIY LAKE Cry. March %, 1888,