Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-12-14
A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY G

Inc morning papers luVlH" 'fNNNf
DISPATCHES with heavy headlines and
dated Dec. 10, announcing a wonderful
discovery said to have been made near
Dongola, Illinois. The Herald account
is entitled. illinois Farmer Says He
Found the Manuscript Of Moronl." The
Tribune heading Is The Book Of
Mormon. Original Manuscript Claimed
to Have been Discovered in Stone
Case Near Dongola. H." The Herald
special" says;
Carbonate, Ills, Dec. 13.-Marshal
Penrod, who lives on farm near Dom
COLA. recently grubbed an oak stump
out OF a field near his residence and
found q stone about foot long and
eight inches in diameter. The peculiar
shape OF the stone. which resembled a
pocketbook, attracted his attention, and
upon close examination he found
carved on its face in the English Ian
guage the following words.
This stone contains the original
manuscript Of Maroui (Mormon)
JOSEPH SMITH
"The rayages Of time had apparently
made little Roadway on the stone. A
hole had been drilled entirely through
the stone and al the bottom end red
cedar plugs had been driven In. Upon
removing the plugs several sheets OF
parchment containing writing IN HERO
glyphlos, which could not be deciphered'
were found"
The Tribune Special is similar, but
states that the words In English on the
face Of the stone were:
This stone contains the original
manuscript Of the Book Of Mormon
Now as to the facts The specials
to our contemporaries dated Dec. 10,
were manufactured from a Dongola
paper about two weeks old, the follow
ing from which was sent to us on De-
cember Srd. ten days before the
specials" were dispatched:
"a farmer living near here by the
name Of Penrod, while digging In his
garden a few days ago unearthed
relic which Is perhaps a great curiosity
OF some value. II was an oblong-
shaped stone, about three inches In
length covered with undecipherable
hleroglyphlos. Upon Investigation, Mr..
Penrod found the stone 20 be hollow
the opening having been cemented
over Boring into the hollow he found
a small roll OF manuscript, several
pages OF whlSh were covered with char
acters similar to those on the outside
OF the stone. on one sheet written In
Il tal "A eli -
the Mormon Prophet and founder OF
the Church, Is the Information that the
stone contained the original manuscript
OF the Book OF Mormon, and was buried
there IN 1912 10 keep II from falling into
the hands OF the enemies Of the Church,
who were in pursuit Of him. We have
not seen the stone nor manuscript,
consequently are unable to give much
account Of IT,"
That clipping was mailed TO us By
Elders William c, Wilson and William
l.. Waite, who are missionaries In
Southern Illinois. They had visited
Mr., Penrod, who resides about seven
miles west Of their meeting house at
Vienna, Union county. They say they
found him 10 be IAN honest looking
farmer about SS years OF age" He
showed them the stone, which he
found while digging potatoes close to
an oak stump. His hoe struck the
stone and he dug II up. Noticing It's
peculiar shape. he examined II closely
end saw the inscription on IL, which
was This Stone contains the Book
OF Mormon. 1Si2"
The Elders thus describe the stone
as they saw &C.
1T was OF an oblong shape
about Sk inches long "a inches
wide and inch thick. II was
beveed Of to an edge each way,
and looked as II the ends were cut on
square, with hole half an inch In
diameter IN one end and three-elghths
Of an inch at the other II is OF a red
cast and looks Ike it might have been
a piece OF petri0ed wood"
Mr. penrod said that inside the stone
was a roll Of paper, which DE showed
them and which they say was of light
yellow color and when opened Was
about eight inches wide and nine
inches long IL contained seven lines
Of heroglyphics or peculiar lookius
characters" and the following Ia Eng.
lish.
'BeIpg driven from, ,.l,,. ,o r,o.o DID.
the enemies of our faith / Mace tbIs
original manuscript in this cabinet of