New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-01-08
BAN'ISHED 70 & LEI
THE ouTcAsIoF CHURCH ISLAND IN
GREAT aALT LAKE.

IHes OUIGAS soF CHURCH iolANo IN
GREAT SALT LAKE
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In tho osntsEs of !. tin ateat Salt lake
IN sUtah Elsa lasgssbodyof aand auovn
- Church !; ~ ppi,li e q
mopntatns andevallaJa,,Wit hl. tsea -
vegetation. and 1hae always bon .uaed
- harding glounds fos caitles bslopeina
to the Moscn schplph Several 4 800
ago tho Naken On tha.ea aidssok lie. II
Land. Wa sshallow and cattle could bo
driven adroas eaGily but now the .Wateue.
10 deep and evegythtn9 must Be conyey-
ed e, and from the land In, boats. "a rdia--
taneo OF abont dvo miles covered with
ealt water must Be gone over ~ canoes
e, get to or from the island. On. this
lannon's spot, amid mill Lions ct; spelieana.
sea guls and other fowls, wanders Q
lonely Old man. without clothing and
devoid OF language or any OF the in
stlncts Of humanity. He was baniahed
years ago by the Mormon church on tho
charge OF robbing the dead.
jean Baptiste was q Frenchman who
came to Salt Lake City: Q young man
nearly ~ years ago. He grew up among
tne SAINTS, and, after. many1ngs,was
made sexton OF the small cemefefy; His
duties were light and his remuneration
ooa!espond1ng4y small He resided In 4
little cabin on the mountain side over-
look1ng the, city, and fspent his time.
when not employed IN the Cemetery, in
collectlng junk and trading and atra1aok-
lngS with with. 9, few Jewish secondhand
c1othes 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 gentlles engaged in, business
were assured protection ~.<<s-.
The little. Frenchman was an avari-
cious man and, was noticeable because
Of his picking up every cast away arti-
ole 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 a 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 a little curiosity was
aroused among people who had occasion
to visit his residence on the mountain
side, over the CITY,
One day Jean appeared on the streets
dressed in an elegant suitof broadoloth.
A few days before a wealthy stranger
had died and was buried in the ceme-
terry. The suit in 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 it's clothing. A committee wait.
ed upon the sexton and madesa most
startling discovery. The graveclothes
Of over 900 persons were found in the
baskets and boxes slowed away in his
ghoulish cabin. Excitement ran high in
Salt Lake City. The boxes Of clothing
were emptied and the contents taken to
the city hall, where many fond moth
er identified the burial robes, Of her
child. Elegant sill dresses; at that time
luxury even to the rich, were found in
the various bundles. The man was ar
rested and cast into Jail, pursued by
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. 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