Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-06-09
A VlLLAIN0US ISLANDER.
Es q seindli Of Truth Ia The Whole Sorry
tumble Of Misrepresentation,
FACTS CLEANED BY "NEws"


stan Correspondence.
SPANISH Fork. June 9.-Thc highways
and byways Of this somewhat staid old
,,vn are ringing with laughter at the
expense OF the Salt Lake Tribune.
Acting under instructions from tho
SAT- Lake onicc representative Of the
'Neua" has devoted a day to running
to earth the Tribune sensation" OF
thursday morning regarding the birth
oftwonty-one children In Spanish Fork
20 alleged polyEamoua parents.
The result OF the Investigations
would be stunning II It were not 90
ludicroua It stamps the Tribune aa
riii being what II has ever been, the
monumental prince OF faklra, sensation
mongcn and manufacturers OF ma
lcious fabrloatlona.
The Trlbunc's article. an editorial set
IN triple column form. gave a list of
twcnty-ono mon and women. alleged
polygamista. 90 whom "a child had been
torn within the past year. intimnting
that the list was un official one fur
nlahod by Mary Baker" who Il pre-
tumcd" was the recorder OF spanish
Fork.
The frut fact your correspondent
established was that the recorder ~
Spanish Fork h not Mary Baxter. Il Is
not a lady NJ all. but n gentleman, AFR.
John Moore by name.
The ncxt fact was that the only
Mary Baxter known In Spanish Fork
was midwife OF many years standing.
The next fac, ascertained was that
the Tribune list was that iiled by Mr.
uaxtcr In the course Of her business
with the usual authorities. as required
by law Of all midwivca here and else
where.
Fact number four n that Of the
tWenty-ono names In the Tribune list
nineteen aru those Of well-known
spanish Fork people. an monogamlats.
an Of the highest reputation. everyone
q whose children were born IN hon.
onblc wediock. without the least at
tempt az secrecy, In fact with an the
Joyous juhllatlon usually attending
such cxonta. one IN that OF a non-"Mor-
mon who was arrested and convicted
for the trouble In which he found
himself and one n that Of a --pman
Who married his plural wife not loss
than twelve years ago.
What mlnlcd the vordant, eager and
nly news manufacturer whose anx-
iety TO work up a scandal against the
'Mormona" totally blinded them 10
what any child In Spanish Fork could
have told them the truth about and
caused them TO fail into tho most
ludIcroua and stupid blunder that ever
befcll a aearcher after nows-la this;
Mru. Baxter, In nlinE hor list. put
Gown the name % the male parent ard
the maiden name Of the mother, think
ihs this was a LEGAL requirement. Mr..
tribune editor. In his mad search for
'anii-Mormon stun either overlooked
'hH fact or preferred not TO ind Il.
ana the result II the great boomerang
Ia Thursdays paper.
have said the highways ana by
ways In Spanish Fork were ringing
with laughter nt tho Trlbune'a expense.
should have excepted those particular
hlghways whore the people alandercd
uy the Tribune reside. There the sen.
ument IL one OF outraged wrath and
recruitment.
II the Tribune does not hear from
MS burg In the very near future In tho
way Of batch OF the llvelicst libel
suits that ever scandal breeder had
70 stand up against, then the talk hero
forms no Indication OF the real feelings
OF the community. on every hand.
NOSE / have interviewed, "Mormona"
and uentllea, city councillors. business
men hl think an example should be
made Of a sheet which daroa 70 print
such a mess Of unjuatinahle rot against
people OF an orderly and moral COM
munlty.
Hon, VIM. Greer. ox-member Of the
Legislature, said. II In an outrage Of
the vllent kind. No words u condem-
nation could be strong enough for IL.
and sincerely hope the Tribune viii be
made to suffer FOR H.
John Jones, superintendent Of the
spanish Fork Coop, faidi In the
Tribune list Of 81 couples OF alleged law
breakers, 10 couples are young, moral,
Industrious, law-abldlng citizens No
more polygamlsta than the propretors
Of the Tribune are"
Mt John Moore, city recorder said;
III Is all the Hheerest nonsense, II Is
Incredible how any paper, " It wanted
the truth, could have printed such a
horrible mass OF mlsstatomon,s, but
lot the record speak for itself, Here Ia
the Tribune list Of alleged polygamista;