Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-13
BANISHED FOR LIFE,
THE OuTcAST OF CHURCH ISLAND IN
GREAT SALT LAKE.
He Has Tor Years Lived the Life of q Wild
Man and Rarely Sees n Human Being
Branded For Robin: the Dead by Order
of Governor Brigham Young.

Man and Rarely Sees n Human Being
Branded For Robin: the Dead by Order
of Governor Brigham Young.
In the center of the Great Salt lake
in Utah is a large body of land known
as Church island. This land consists of
mountains and valleys, with trees and
vegetation. and has always been used
as herding ground for cattle belonging
to the Mormon church. Several years
ago the water on the east side of the is
land was shallow and cattle could be
driven across easily, but now the water
Is deep and everything must be convey
ed to and from the land III 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 a
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 en- the
charge Of robbirg the dead
jean Baptiste Was a 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
correspCndingly small. He resided in a
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 traffick-
ing with Il few Jewish secondhand
clothes dealers who had the hardihool
to engage III business among the Nor
mcls. A regiment of United States
troops was then camped near the city,
and the gentiles engaged in business
were assured protection.
The little Frouchn,an 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 packiIS articles cast away by the
soldiers were especially we'll cared for
by Jean Ear.istc, the sexton. He dress
Ell as scavcnger and resembled the
| modern saloon loafer, who is always
searching thesluns for barrels and box
=.
The actions # the sexton created some
comment, and not little curiosity was
| aroused among people who had occasion
to visit his residence oE the mountain
side, over the city.
One day jean appeared On the streets
dressed III IN elegant suit of broadcloth.
A few days before a wealthy stranger
had died and was buried in the Gene
tery. The suit i'll which the 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 most
startling discovery. The graveclothes
OF over 200 persons wero found in the
baskets and boxes slowed away in his
ghoulish cabin. Excitement ran high in
Salt Lake City. The boxes Of clothing
We're enptied and the contents taken to
the city hail, where many fond moth
er identified the burial robes of her
child. Elegant silk dresses. at that time
luxury even to the rich, We're 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 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 the following
Inscription: Branded For Robbins the
Dead. Two men escorted the culver
ing, naked form from the city of venge-
ance. n canoe was entered near the
city, and the doomed prisoner was takc,
III chains to the island which in future
was to be his home. Without clothing
| or food he was landed upon the shore,
the boat returned TO the mainland, and
the ghoul remained Il hopeless exile. He
| could not leave the island, because in
slant death would follow should he he
| seen by any of the inhabitants Of the
Mormon land of Zion. He was forced
to seek food and shelter amid wild ami
mails, the birds and reptiles.
The island was soon known as the
land OF Punishment. People Stunned its
shores as they would haunted house.
Many persons were lost upon the lake
while rowing i'll canoes against heavy
winds. The general supposition of all
was that those unfortunates drifted 10
the island and Were devoured by the
| wild man. Even the fearless cowboy
has ever refused to intrude uuon the
home land of the exile. Wild horses
| roam over its acres of broken CANYONS.
rugged cliffs and grassy meadows. The
sea Sulls and other birds find a home IN
disturbed Oh the 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 the fated island. The
! crags, bluffs. dark caverns and lonely
canyons warn every boatnan nearing
the shore to keep away from the hidden
dangers.
In dark cave about half a mile
from the shore lives tie wild man. His
home is strewn with the wrecks of
boats. bones of victims and other can
nibalistic indications. Away back in
| the deep darkness Of the cavern is his
sleeping place, made Of clothing strip
ped from unfortunate victims ship