The Lamar register., 1895-09-14


S bloodshed that had
prevailed in the country to a greater
or lesser degree since the Mormons set
tied in Nauvoo in ls3s-40 or course,
the Mormon war. which occurred In
1s45. and which resulted in one or two
deaths only, was also historic incident
OF these troubles. but the murder OF
Smith, the leader and king Of the Nor
mons, forever immortallzed him In the
eyes of all Mormons and made Mormon
Ism peculiar. yet unwritten history.
The writer. who has studied the sub
ject for years, claims that no true his
tory of Mormonism In Illinois has ever
been written, ard never will be, from
the fact that those who were once COM
petent to perform the work are dead'
and while they lived they made no ef-
fort TO gather the data necessary Tor
true and impartial history.
Joseph Smith came with his hun
dreds. aye. thousands of people. to III
nois in ls3e-40 They had been driven
out Of Missouri and Ohio, and were In
a demoralized and almost starving con-
dition. But the pioneers OF Hancock
county received the outcasts kindly.
and the Mormons located a city on the
bank OF the Mississippi river and called
the spot Nauvoo-"pleasant land. Here
a city grew to the unusual size. In
those days. OF $1,000 inhabitants in
year or two. Smith had little trouble
in getting several illegal charters grant
ed him by the state legislature, and II
was through the rascaliy acts OF this
body largely that led to most OF the
troubles in Hancock county with the
Mormons. Whenever Smith or any OF
his followers would svade or break the
Law and were threatened with arrest,
or were arrested. they would resort to
the protection of the habeas corpus act.
and by this method escaped the clutches
of the law
The late Judge Hibee and his brother
Francis were living in Nanvoo during
the reign OF Joseph and became very
weary of the methods employed by
Smith and his followers. So. about
June 20. they issued the first number Of
the Nauvoo Expositer. which fairly
screamed with denunciations Of Nor
mon methods. This was the first and
last issue OF that paper. BY order OF
Joseph Smith. mayor and president Of
Nauyoo, the Expositor office was de-
molished, and the press and type
thrown into the Mississippi river.
Joseph Smith. his brother Hyrum and
Dr. Taylor. who was the late head of
the Utah church, were arrested for this
act. ard were placed in jail at Carthage
in the debtors room. Gov. Ford and the
local authorities Of Carthage had
promised Smith protection from mob
violence. as the feeling in the county
against Smith was very strong. But
the local militia placed around the
jail to guard it played into the hands
of the mob. which came out OF the
timber near Carthage on the afternoon
Of June %, 1874. and shot Joseph and
Hyrum Smith to death and badly
wounded Dr. Taylor.
The citizens OF Carthage fed after
the murder wes committed. fearing
vengeance from the Mormons, but the
Mormons did not attempt any retalia-
tion. After Smiths desta Brigham
Young tried to run affairs at Nauvoo
and trouble ensued PosygaTay was
then, as alleged. introduced into the
church. At any rate. Hancock county
people resolved to drive the Mormons
out of the state The Mormon war oc-
CURED in 1s45. and in the spring Of
1915 the Mormons left Nauyoo. In 1915