The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-13
THE ODD STORY OF
AN AMERICAN KING
Was Actually a Sovereign Inside Yankee
Boundary Lines.
THE AUTOCRAT OF BEAVER ISLAND
James Jesse Strang Received the
Mantle of Joseph Smith and Ruled
His Little Mormon Colony with u
High Hand for n Time, but the
Stars We're Against Him--nis
Tragic End.
M. L. Raync, in Timcs-Hcrald.

M. L. Rayne, in Timos-Hcrald
Recent word from Lamont, Iowa. an
nounces the death of Mrs. Elizabeth
Strang, the second of the four polyga-
nous wives of James Jesse StranC,
who forty years ago became the self
elecNd successor of Joseph Smith, the
Mormon prophet and King of Beaver
Island. Mich In that state King
Strang is a name to conjure with. Men
are liking who remember the clever
dipomatic young lawyer, who with
bright future before him gave up his
promised career in the halls of lcgis-
lation to espouse an unpopular relig-
ious movement upon which blight of
doubt and dishonor rested. Strang's
energy and hardihood in overcoming
difficulties in his study of a profession
attracted the attention of the Mormon
leader, who sent for him and invited
him to visit Nauvoo. He went, and at
once fell under the influence Of the
American Mohammed and yielded to
his baneful charm
On Feb. 20. 1874 Strang was baptized
into the Mormon fold. and on the third
day of the following March was or
dained as an elder. He was a fervid
speaker filled with enthusiasm and
well Informed on many subjects, and
at once became an earnest and trust
ed ally of the Mormon leader lie
went to Wisconsin as a promising field
for the new religion, and there at
tempted to plant a state for Zion"
but before he had time to arrange
matters the two Smiths were killed
by n mob at Carthage, ILL.,, where they
had already surrendered to the gov
ernor.
There is little doubt that Strang
himself was the author of an auto
graph letter purporting to come from
Joseph Smith, in which God command
ed him to make known the decree that
he was chosen as Smiths successor
The new stronghold was foretold in
this vision "to he established on White
river in the lands of Racine and Wal
worth And l will have a house built
to me there of stone, and there will
show myself to my people by many
mighty works. and the name of the
city shall be called Noree. which is.
being interpreted, Garden of Peace and
Rest, and there will they wax fat and
pleasant in the presence of their enc
mics"
CROWNED A KING.
-
St"ang at Spring Prairie, Wis, where
many credulous people became his fol-
lowers and assisted him in establish
ing the new stronghold of Mormonism.
There he lived the inspired life of n
seer and pretended to have a vision Of
some records engraved on brass and
stone which We're laws delivered to the
ancient 1sraelites, ami which he pre-
tended to discover in an old embauk-
ment.
AS Voree grew larger and nourlshcd
Its founder looked out for more worlds
to conquer He saw Beaver Island and
Mt once decided upon its settlement. 1t
was a wild, romantic spot, one of a
group of three nestled in the north
western shoulder of the lower peninsula
Of Michigan. He moved there in the
winter of AZ with half dozen Nor
mon families ard established a colony.
Unpopular as the now religion was with
the masses, there were converts flock
ing to Beaver Island by hundreds, an
in tie face of fierce gentle resistance
raised their standard for the new
Zion
The village founded on the island by
the Mormon population was named
"The City of James," after their leader.
James Strang, but it was soon chang
ed to st. James and was organized into
q kingdom, with Strang as king This
restless, energetic apostle. seer, dscov-
erer, revelator and organizer was cap
able of great movements, and he in
stituted q system OF tithng, the fund
created being applied to the use OF
poor members to pay general expenses
HAD FIVE WIVES.
Strang published a newspaper called
the Northern Islander which was fill
ed with vigorous editorials and bright
literary matter. He owned his press
and his paper was issued weekly foi
some years and then turned into q
daily. 1t advocated prohibition, which
was one of the vital PRINCIPLES of his
administration, which. aside from its
observance of the doctrines of pOlyg-
amy, was moral and progressive.
King Strang had five wives one being
his gentle wife, who, while she never
Joined the community, but lived apart
retained her legal position as his wife
by his own laws Strang could have
four wives, but his followers We're only
permitted to have three. The Mormon
women wore boomers and gave dutifu
allegiance to the husbands to whom
they We're sealed" The men were
UlOSlly rOuSH anu ignorant, greatly IN
ferior to Strang himself, but they fol-
lowed their leader and We're complete
ly under his control.
Strang had the fascinating power o
the religious fanatic, was fervid an,
impassioned in orator. and fun Of
strong personal magnetism. His au
thority over his uneducated proselytE:
was absolute.
Border feuds existed from the be
ginning between the native islander
"a rough, half-Indian element-anC
the Mormons, but finally the Mormon
drove the gentiles out, and they swor,
revenge. Whenever the two faction
met the result was open warfare
They stirred up enmity against tn