Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-15
BURNING OF THE NAuvoo TEMPLE.
Geo. H. Rudsill, Now Of Bowling Green, fa.'
Tells How it Was Done The Man
Who Did Il.
eft. Madison. Ia. Democracy

y,
Nauvoo Temple, which occurred fiftS
years ago, In the following words:
Judge Sharp of Carthage, Squire Me
Cauley of Appanooce and j. Il. Agncv
OF Pontoosue, Illinois, We're the mei
that planned and carried out the deg
truction of the Temple.
A French colony came into posses
sion of Nauvoo, but the temple re-
manned the property Of the Mormon
stewards, the temple being dedicated
prior to their departure.
At the time of the Smiths arrest
the Prophet was having the NnuVot
mansion erected down on the fiat neal
the river. The house was of large pro-
portions and was of brick and II was
near its completion of the secnno
story. Many years after the Nor
mons had gone. the writer was In.
speeding the ruins of this mansion ana
/ accidentally discovered an optnlht
In the wall and upon investigation
found IL to be the end of a tunnel archl
and after clearing way. i succeeded
in gaining an entrance. / followed
the tunnel for at least half a mile In
the direction Of the temple. The arch
was made OF brick laid with cement
and was high enough and wide enough
for two persons tn walk SIDE ny sue
and / am satisfied that the arch leo Ia
the basement of the temple ana no
uOuDt 1fhI uINil 10 H'i'i -
and intact today. | have been In
formed that Colonel Bidamon the nus
hand of 1oseph Smiths widoH. had a
part of the mansion finished Up INTO n
residence after my visit there IN lo9''
Well. to the burning of the Temple,
1 will give IL In Mr.. j. H. Ashew . uWi'
words as near as l can recolIect'
which was Just before his death IN
the fall OF 1870. After telling me his
story he asked me as n friend not 10
let II be known until after the death
OF all parties concerned, as they hnd
pledged themselves to secrecy IN the
matter. This / told him | would 90,
and now that those parties are all
dead, 1t will be no harm to let IL be
known. and IL Will satisfy many an
old settlers curiosity,
Mr.. Agnew was In failing health at
the time he came to me. He told me
that he was going to die soon, which
Thought was true. asked him
if he had repented of his wrong do
inps. and he smiled and said Yes,
ali but one thing" asked what that
was. and he said it was the burning
OF the Nauvoo Temple. Says ]. Did
you do that?" and he said, Yes. |
did 1t with my own hands. Sit down
and will tell you all about it, which
is MS follows. as near as j can recol-
is as follows, AZ near as / can give II
In his own words.
"The reason why ! burned 1t was,
that there was continual report In
circulation. that the Mormons were
coming back to Nauvoo. and we were
afraid that they might take 1t into
their heads to do so. and as we had
all the trouble with them we wanted,
Judge Sharp of Carthage. Hyrum Nc
Cauley OF Appanooce, and myself of
Pontoosue determined the destruction
of their Temple. and by so doing they
would not be able ever again. to try
and come back. So on the afternoon
of the night that the Temple was
burned. in order to make arrange
ments we three met on the prairie hve
miles south of Fort Madison. in IL
linois the judge coming from Garth
age, the squire from Appanoocc and |
from Pontoosue. and we met about
where the Mormon Church stood. five
milesc south of Appanoose, and there
We pledged ourselves to destroy the
Temple II 1t cost us our lives. so we
journeyed toward 1t on horseback, and
on the way tried to perfect some plan
to work on. After a while we decided
to get the steward to show us through
the Temple, and then watch our
chance to get in our work. So we
hid our horses In the bushes In n Sc
cluded place u mile from town and
walked in. We looked about town un-
til o'clock In the afternoon, and In
the meantime had prepared bundle
of kinding by taking corn sack and
cutting arm holes In the top OF
It, so could put 1t on like a coat under
my coat. l then stuck in as many
tarred rags on sticks as | could carry
without being noticed. | then put II on
and secured some matches from store
to light my pipe and we were ready. We
had but little trouble to find the stew.
ard and after laboring with him some
time he at last consented to show us
rnnNntp Nn claimed 10 he
strangers in the country and were going
away that night and 1t would be our
last chance perhaps of ever having an
opportunity to visit the Temple So on
those conditions he would ohige us,
provided we would hurry, which We
agreed to do, as 1t was getting late
and would be dark before we could get
through. SO after good deal of delay
the key was at last Inserted, 1t not
seeming to fit. but at last the door
swung open. We went In with n rush
and kept a going, the man being left
behind working with the door. He
called out for us to stop, but we kept
on and noticed that he left the door
with the key in It. | stepped In n
side room, and the other two kept on.
The man ran on after them and after
he had passed me, I went back to the
door and unlocked it, and put the key
In my pocket ana then ran after them.
By this time the man had discovered
that / was missing, but when | came
up to them and explained to them that
j had stopped to look at the crucifixion
he seemed to be satisfied but looked
suspicious at me, and from that time
on he kept close at my side and would
not allow us to stop, but walked us
right around and out. 1t was getting
dusk and we had no chance for me to
light my fire, and l saw that It was
telling on my companions-that they
were bitterly disappointed when we
We're compelled to walk out l told them
To come on In haste, that we were late
going away on. SO they came along and
we stopped behind house. where | told
them what | had done, which made
them two OF the happiest fellows / ever
saw. We had to watch but n few min
utes until we saw the steward start
away on n run, and we knew he
was going for key or some one. and
that this was our chance; so leaving
the judge and squire ON guard / ran
back to the Temple. / started for the
top. which ] soon gained, and found "
good place to starr my FIRE where II
would get a good start before n would
shed any light 10 he seer from the
outside. After seeing 1t start 10 sue
cess l began to retrace my steps with
JOY and IA light heart, for l was sure
that the Temple was as good as burned
But I now saw that there was good
chance for me to burn with It. for
had lost my way and did not Know
which way to turn to get out although
] had been through the Temple a num-
her Of times before, ! had Thought II
! would succeed at last in getting out,
that ! would be sure to be caught by