The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-11
VANISHED FROM EARTH.
The Tragic story of n Mormon Dis
nppcarnnce.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.


The story of Mormon outrages is one Of
those dark chapters in history. the details
of which will never be known. II should
be remembered by those who blush to
think that such atrocities were permitted
on American soil, that the territory did
not belong to the United States at the time
the Mormons took possession Of 1t. that
for many years it was separated from
civilization. and that those who suffered
had voluntarily embraced the religion and
put themselves into the power of its lead
ers.
The following story is from THE Dyna-
inter-" by Robert L. Stevenson. and vivid
ly describes the mystery and terror sur
rounding Mormon crime:
THE blow has come" my father said.
after a long pause.
could hear my mother start and turn,
but in words she made no reply.
Yes" continued my father, Il have re-
ceived to-day list of all that 1 possess;
| of all, say; of what have lent privately
to men whose lips are sealed with terror;
of what l have buried with my own hands
on the bare mountain, when there was
not bird in heaven. Does the air, then,
carry secrets? Are the hills Of glass? DO
the stones we tread upon preserve the foot
print to betray us2 oh, Lucy. Lucy. that
we should have come to such a country
But this" returned my mother, "is
no very new or very threatening event
You are accused of some concealment
You will pay more taxes in the future
and be mulcted in a fine. 1t is disquiet-
| ing, indeed, to find our acts so spied
| upon, and the most private Known. But
is this new? Have we not long feared
/ and suspected every blade of grassg
a a
| But all this is nothing. Here is the let
ter that accompanied the list"
| / heard my mother turn the pages, and
| she was some time silent.
Il see" she said at last and then with
the tone of one reading:
| From a believer so largely blessed
by providence with this worlds goods"
| she continued, the church awaits in
confidence some signal mark of pety.'
| There lies the Sting Am a. not right?
| These are the words you fear?"
These are the words, replied my
father. Lucy, you remember Priestly?
! me to the summit of an isolated butte;
| we could see around us for ten miles, sure
If in any quarter of this land a man were
| safe from spies, IL We're in such station,
| but it was In the very ague mt of terror
| that he told me. and ! heard his story.
He had received a letter such as this ana
he submitted to my approval an answer
in which he offered to resign third of his
possessions. / conjured him, as he valued
his life, to raise his soffePihgH nd before
we parted he had doubled the amount
Well, two days later he was goneNgone
from the chief street of the city I'm the hour
OF noon-and gone forever. Oh, God" cried
| my father, by what art do they thus
| spirit us of life and solid body? What
death do they command that leaves no
| traces? That this material structure
these strong arms. this skeleton that can
| resist the grave for centuries should be
thus Pett IN moment from the world of
| more awful than mere DEATH"
rs there no hope in Grierson?" asked
Dismiss the thought.v replied my
father. He now knows all that L can
teach and Will do naught to save me- His
| power besides, is small, his own danger
| not improbably more imminent than mine
| Tor ne, too, lives apart he leaves HIS wives
neglected and unwatcheds he is openly
| cited Tor an unbelieYer and unless he buys
security at more awful price-but no. 1
will not believe it; have no love for him.
but will not believe it,
| believe what?' asks nv mother and
then with change of note, But Oh. what
matters it?' she cried. "Abimeiech' tbera
1T is in vain. returned n au my ~ father 20
Shoulu out involve you in my fate To
leave this land is hopeless, we are closed
in II as men are closed in life and there
is no issue but the grave"
We can but die them replied my moth
e ec+ A Le1 us at least die together. Let
doomedv Oiu Nc
My father was unable to res,s+ ,,ar Co.,
|
nourished but one spark of hope. he CON
sented to desert his whole estate bevond
some hundreds of dollars, that he had nv
MN at the moment, and to flee that night
which promised to be dark and ciondv
As soon as the servants We're asleep he
was to load two mules with Drovisions
two others were to carry my mother and
myself, and striking through the NOM
talns by an unfrequented trail, we were
70 make fair stroke for liberty and life
As soon as they had thus decided I
showed myself al the window, and owning
that l had heard all, assured them thar
they could rely on my prudence and devo-
ton. had no fear, indeed but TO show
myself unworthy of my birth / held mn,
me me IN my hand without alarm, and when
my rather, weeping upon my neck. had
| blessed heaven for the courage OF his cbiid
1 II was a sentiment of pride and some Of
the JOY which warriors take IN war that
began to look forward to the perils az
our flight. HiiS u
Before midnight, under an obscure and
| starless heaven we had feft far behind re
| the plantations of the valley and were
| mounting certain canyon in the hills
narrow, encountered with great rocks, and
| echoing with the roar of a tilTnuIfuous
| torrent. Cascade after cascade thundered
| and hung up its flag of Wilderness In the
night or famed our faces with the wet
| wind of its descent. The trail was break
| neck and led to famine guarded deserts
1t had been long since deserted for more
PRACTICAL routes, and 1t was now. part
of the world untrod from year to year bv
| human footing. Judge of our dismay when
! turning suddenly an angle of the cliffs
| we IOund bright bonfire blazing bV it.
self under an impending rock, and on the
face of the rock, drawn very rudely with
| charred wood, the great open eve, which
is the. emblem of the Mormon faith. We
| looked upon each other in the fire light
| my mother broke into a passion of tears
| but not word was said. The mules were
! turned about, and leaving that great eve
to guard the lonely canyon, we retraced
our steps in silence. Day had not yet brok-
en- ere we were once more at home con-
| demned beyond reprieve
I / s,.4
told, but two days later, a little before
shutdown, saw plain, honest looking
man ride slowly up the road in a great
| pother of dust He was clad in home
| spun, with a broad straw hat wore a
| patriarchal beard, and had an air Of a
| simple rustic farmer that was, in nv
| eyes, very reassuring. He was indeed a
| very honest man and a pious Mormon
| with no liking for his errand, though
neither he nor anyone in Utah dared to
| d1sobey, and IL was with every mark of
diffidence that he had himself ANNOUNCED
| as Mr.. Aspinwall and entered the room
| where our unhappy family was gath
| cred. My mother and me he avkward.v
| enough dismissed and as soon as he was
1 alone with m father laid