Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-10-23
THAT MENDON YARN.
Where The Tribune" RunChhauSonS
Got Their Tale.
THE ansrsp OF JAMES LAMONT.


l4uitefsuNy NAlutft lNht W. iNiN '"Ns
are ptrmllted TO pass by without any o.
INSTRUMENTATION. Occasionally,ho
ever, there nre base Misrepresentation
or distortions Of fact that seem to call
for special attention, but even In these
cases the NEws feels TO apologize to It's
readers for reference TO the h6elous
sheet aud IT, vltulefa.ions.
One OF the instances referred to Il
recent publication regarding an occur
renee In Moudon, Cache county. Tho
tale was iirst published In an editorial
OF the paper roicrie1 to on October IL
The assertions therein male we're
vIciausly untrue. The sheet was not
content with that, but on rhutsday,
October 10, there appeared In u a Letter
over tho signature Of J imus Lamont,
purpoftlng 10 give certain details
Tnis was accompanied by communi-
cation from uu alleged minister OF Tue
Gustcl, W the Piusuytufinu ptfHuasloni
Que William Il. Campbell,
rhc tenor Of the editorial anu thc
Lamont letter was ~ the elect thnt
Lamont bad come 10 Utah ns a Nor
mon, AMI couple q years aye re-
moved ~ Mendon from hoc 3
suriufH. Slucs cmirraung 20
America he hnd not actively idcnii'
ned himself with the Church.
Tho allegation was made that last
apflnE be had refused ~ DO fcuhVti1rd,
md that there had been Instituted
aEaln,t him series Ol prosecutions
bpcausp hr was "u0t Ia harmony Win
Tue pitNnuud.n 10 was said that
cattle, horses aud pigs had brvn pur'
potrly driven On his inrm, destroying
lie cfOp, ANA that when ne demanded
damage rom the bishop aud Others
he's was subjected 90 Hlll iufihtr OUT
rage. On the gan Ui September ho
wis placing Two la.months-1ld colts iu
tue utalulc when uU received injuries
whiuu, 70 was claimed, were itilictud
By "a wUuld.bo assassin, whom Lamont
dpslgnatrd ne "a teacher OF the
Chuich,n aud whom ht said had
thrratei Ell MS liir. Ho uid not give
any names. but credited u all To-
or -, etc,
The communication Of the Rev.
CRmuhrll related now Kind he, NJ a
mini,trr, had been 20 the people, uut
now thry had turned against HIN
was pleased g. tenn q "uurriulU
tragedy" Tor which the Church
should be- hclI responsible. MI.
Campbell also stated that Lamont htd
had a COW and cali puisuuul, while oil
the otnrr animals IA the snmr herd
oscaped without harm. He further
inserted that ca the evening Of Situf-
day, October a. his house was twice
assaulted, the first time with "a yullvy
OF rocks against mo building, and ,he
second time 10y suUt bsing nfci
thTau ia the window. For oil this hC
engaged IN "A vicioui TRADE against the
Mormon Church.
Tue whole story urose from the du'
pliclty ami malice Of - pscuIu.Chnstluu
minister who used tho nutlrlolsly
Earrulous ami simpiu'mlnded Lamont
~ his tool, The iuct' Ia the wholu cast
are, briefly, that this tall the herd boy,
who took tue stock 10 common pas.
tuTo rATelessly permitted some OF tho
animals to wander ON 90 the grain
field, LANNON'S small patch among
the othotf. Instead Of bis being 80
leutod ~ special oil jrct OF impIsitlOt
Ia this direction, otheTs, who were 1t
good slnudiug Ia tho Church, wtT'
tuujec 81 70 much scvorer los. Lamuu
demanded uamHges from every Out
whose animals ne found on his place
aud from others, lie was paid Witl-
out complaint, partly because IN
was poor aud his family were sym
pathiLed vita, and partly because hi
held had been Invaded, by his owl
statement he received much more /,
tAmagts than his entire crop wa
worth, and II was only partly Injured
Ia only one case was there objection 4
his claim, because II was regarded a
grossly excessive, aud even In that Ia
was paid an amount with which Ia
expressed himself ~ being fully satis
He'd. Ga the night OF sunday, Sept
can, hu took his TWO colts TO the pas
lure, NJ the end Ola street which run
through the town, anu wheu no wa
opening tho gate the animals SUDDEN!
pulled back iromhim. ThegfouudAt tina
place IL hard ahd rocky, aud has con
siderable slope, and II ~ probable tina
the animals pulled him down, thougl
lac says he noes not remember VIVA
occurred. In this part OF his story Ia
evidently desires 10 conceal the truth
for during the ptTIOd IN which he CA
remember nothing no was ahie 10 gain
control vt his colts, take tuviT halter
or aud place them In the pas
ture, where they were foun
next morning. Ho says that who
on the way 10 the pastur
lac met stranger on a grey horse, VIII
inquired for mare that was lost, an
Lamont pointed out horse that wa
IA the pasture, but II was not IN
animal desired. The stranger passu
on, anu Lamont Gays he was too lar Of
a. render assistance when tho accideu
occurred. a short timo after the Incl
dent ut the gate, Lamont made his wa
home. There was II scalp wound abou
two inches long over tho Iight ear Inn
could have been made by sharp etOn
or by the blfhUd wire VI which III
fence around the pasture n constructed
LImOupa face Hul ono hand W0r
scratched as though he hal bee
dragged along the ground by the colt
ana when ha reached home his fac
was covered with blood, lie wife cay
hrt.li her the colts had done 10. Nt1
morning the Presbyterian miulstgr. %
whuse house he had been working
persuaded him 10 go 10 a doctor d
Logan, thOugh MH, Lamont uid 90
think lhv injuries were severe euCuy
t0uqulTe tue services OF aurgt On
TnRt Jay the minister begun 10 wOr
up the attempted as'us inntiuu fake,
As 20 MLCumpbrlPs statement Rb0u
Lam1nps cattle being the only one
poisoned there this iall, II IL equal
untrue with the other allegations h
makes IN connection with this piIai
Auimals belonging 10 ether person
wtreIO glurd aUd died ah.ut the sam