New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-01-15
.BANISHED FOR LIFE.
The ouTcAsT OF CHURCH IsLANDIN.
0 ~ . GREAT SALT LAKE.

GREAT SALT LAKE.
He Has For Year. Lived ths Liz q ) wild
Man and Rarely Sees Human Being
Branded For Robbing the Dead by Order
OF Governor Brigham Young.
In the center of the Great Salt lake
In Utah lisa 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 ahallowsand cattle could be
driven across easilS ,abut now the water
is deep and everything must be convey
ed to and from the, landsin boats. A dis
tanee Of about. I've miles coyered.with
salt water must be'gone over " canoes
to get to Or from the island. On this
famous 'spotsamid millions Of pelicane,
sea g1lls3 6h6 other fowls, wanders q
lonely old man; without clothing and
devoid of language or any of the in
stincts of humanity. he was banished
yearsaago by the Mormon church on the
charge of robbing the dead. 100.
Jean Baptiste was a Frenchman who
came orSah Lake city asyoung 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 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 traf6ck-
ing with 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 camped near the city,
and the gentiles engaged in business
were assured protection.
The little Frenchman was an avari-
cious 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 Baptiste, the sexton. He dress
ed as scavenger and resembled the
modern saloon loafer, who is always
searching the slums for barrels and box
-es Of garbage and cast off garments.
The actions Of the sexton created some
comment, and not little curiosity was
aroused among people who had occasion
to visit his residence on the mountain
side, over. the city. rsssg.s, 49,
One day Jea1sapp esssd 6he streets
dress din alasb ant suit IL bfos doloth.
~ fskd lthy itt ranger
lhadli1e ana ~ l6riSd sin itiaa ceme-
I'd TIE sui61n Whitn thbody was
dressed resembled that worn by the sex
ton. An examination was ordered, and
the corpse was found to have BEEN rot:
bed Of its clothing. A committee wait
ed upon he seitoa a1da1h adsshl 4 ilf
5atltlfng sdisoovesy:A Md aravHfbes
olaiqysf 100 perd0nssw GtM lbunds + shx
baskets and boxeS slowed Swxy ID hill
ghoulish cabin. Excitement ran high, in
Salt Lake City. ~ TIE boxes Of oaatRna
a aFetsmpttsd andsfSes cdnienls td1ElFt6
ttlh1ss city han, whSrS 1h, O. Y l6nd moths
er identified the burial robes Of her
child, Elegant silk dresses, at that time
a luxury even to the rich, were found in
the various bundles. Il The man was ar
rested and cast into jail, pursued oby 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 Robbing the
Dead. y Two men escorted the culver
ing, naked form from the city of venge-
ance. A canoe was entered near the
city, and the doomed prisoner was taken
in 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 hopeless exile. He
could not leave the island, because in
slant death would follow should he be
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 banishment People stunned it's
shores as they would haunted house.
Many persons were lost upon the lake
while rowing in canoes against heavy
winds. The general supposition of all
was that those unfortunates drifted to
the island and were devoured by the
wild man. Even the fearless cowboy
has ever refused to intrude upon the
home land Of the exile. Wild horses
roam over it's acres of broken canyons,
rugged cliffs and grassy meadows. The
sea gulls and other birds find home un-
disturbed on 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 boatman nearing
the shore to keep away from the hidden
dangers.
In a dark cave about half a mile