The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-15
;fiE oUTcAsT OF CHURCH lsEm
GREAT SALT LAKE. Y

I.or Robbing tho Dead by Order
OF Governor Brigham Young.
In the center of the Great Salt lake
in Utah is a largo body Of land known
as Church island. This land consists Of
mountains and valleys. with trees and
vegetation, and hns always been used
as a herding ground for cattle belonging
TO the Mormon church. Several years
ago the water on the east side Of tbs is
lapa was shallow and cattle could be
driven across easily, but now the water
is deep and everything must be convoy
ed to and from the land in boats. A dis
lance of about FIVE miles covered with
salt water must be gone over by canoes
TO get to or from the island. On this
famous spot, amid millions of pelicans,
sea gulls and other fowls, wanders q
lonely old man, without clothing and
devoid of language or any Of the in
stincts of humanity. He was banished
years ago by the Mormon church Oh tho
charge Of robbing tho dead.
Jean Baptiste was q Frenchman who
came to Salt Lake City a young man
nearly 40 years ago. He grew up among
the saints, and, after marrying, was
made sexton of the small cemetery. His
duties were light and his remuneration
correspondingly small He resided in O
little cabin on the mountain side over
looking the city, and spent his time,
when not employed in the cemetery, in
collecting junk and trading and trafick-
ing with u few Jewish secondhand
clothes dealers who had the hardihood
TO engage in business among the Nor
mons. A regiment Of United States
troops was then oamped near the city,
and the gentiles engaged in business
wero assured protection.
The little Frenchman was an avari-
clous man and was noticeable because
of his picking up every cast away arti-
Gle and carrying it to his home. Old
dry goods boxes, barrels, tin cans and
other packing articles cast away by the
soldiers were especially we'll cared for
by Jean Baptistc, tho sexton. He dress
ed rs n scaveDger and rcsembled the
modern saloon loafer, who is always
searching the slums for barrels and box
es OF garbage and cast off garments.
The actions Of tho sexton created some
comment, and not q little curiosity wa
aroused among people who had occasion
to visit his residence on tho mountain
side, over the city.
One day Jean appeared on tho streets
dressed III an elegant suit of broadcloth.
a few days before Il wealthy stranger
had died and was buried in tho come
terry. The suit i'll which tho body was
dressed resembled that worn by the sex
ton. An examination was ordered, and
the corpse was found to have been rob-
bed of its clothing. A committee wait
ed upon the sexton and made d most
startling discovery. Tho graveclothes
OF over 200 persons were found in the
baskets and boxes slowed away in his
ghoulish cabin. Excitement ran high in
Salt Lake City. Tho boxes Of clothing
were emptied and the contents taken to
the city hall, where many q fond moth
er identified the burial robes of her
child. Elegant silk dresses, ut TINT time
a luxury even to tho rich, wero found in
the various bundles. The man was ar
rested and cast into Jail, pursued by a
mob who sought his life.
Brigham Young, then governor and
general dictator in Utah, ordered the
man to be branded with a hot iron and
banished to Church island. During the
quiet hour of midnight Jean Baptiste
was taken from the Jail, and his whole
forehead was scared with tho following
inscription: Branded For Robbing the
Dead. Two men escorted tho CULVER
ing, naked form from the city of venge-
ance. A canoe was entered near the
city, and the doomed prisoner was taken
Ill chains to the island which in future
was to be his home. Without clothing
or food he was landed upon the shore,
tho boat returned to tho mainland, and
the ghoul remained q hopeless exile. He
could not leave tho island, because in
slant death would follow should he be
seen by any of the inhabitants Of the
Mormon land of zicn. He was. forced
to seek food and shelter amid wild ami
mails, the birds and reptiles.
Tho island was soon known as the
land OF Punishment. People summed it's
shores as they would a haunted house.
Many persons were lest upon the lake
whllo rowing in canoes against heavy
winds. Tho general supposition of all
was that those u~nfortunates drifted to
the island aud were devo1red by the
wild man. Even the fearless cowboy
has ever refused to intrude upon tho
home land Of the exile. Wild horses
roam over its acres of broken
rugged cliffs and grassy meadows. The
sea gulls and other birds find a home IN
disturbed on tho deserted shores. All
the natives, including Indians, warn
newcomers of the fate of scores of
pleasure seekers who have been drifted
upon the shores of tho fated island. The
crags, bluffs, dark caverns and lonely