Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-03-08

raised with debts which he hoped to liqui-
date by the proceeds Of this facinating
story Of ancient America. But he could
nor lind a printer in Ohio wiling to pub
fish It at his own risk. And So in quest
of printer, he went to Pttsburg Pa, to
a good Presbyterian printer by the name
Of Patterson. But he was unable to per-
Suadc Patterson to undertake the print
ing. and the preacher gave up In despair
left his manuscript in Mr. Patterson's
printing ofiice-removed to the state Of
Now York and died two years later He
left Pittsburg about the year 1915.
RIGDON AND HIS SCHEME.
Five years later a Baptist preacher by
the name of Sidney Rigdon. afterward one
of the pioneers of Mormonism, came to
Pittsburgh and was pastor there for near
~ two years. He became so well ac
quainted with Mr. Patterson that he made
the printing office his loailnE place. One
day he discovered Mr.. Spaldng's discard
ed manuscript covered with rubbish and
dust, read and reread It, becoming deeply
interested in it. Thus far / follow Mr..
Patterson'S own plain statement. But
Mr.. Patterson was unable to tell whether
Mr. Uicdon copied 1t or not This is not
material for Mr.. Rigdon had good mem
DRY. After the latter was excluded from
the Baptist church for heterodoxy, he re-
'naihed In Pittsburg for some time, osten-
siby to study the Bible. really to hatch
out and perfect a new system OF theology,
which for eight years thereafter he pro-
claimed under the wing of Alexander
Campbell. who had just begun great
work in this country. He was, however,
watching his opportunity to blossom out
into reformer after his own ideals
Some time between the years 1923 and
lS2b Mr.. Rigdon, as the account relates
heard of Joseph Smith as a rising FOR
tune teller and money maker" and i'm
o. "a m "a ms n
he had been waiting for. He hunted him
up and together they concocted the whole
plan of the Book of Mormon and the kind
of a church they should found upon 1t.
SMITHS PART WE'LL PLAYED.
Mr.. KIgdon put into Smiths hands the
materials for the new Bible. Mr.. Spald-
ingS story was worked over into a. book
filed from beginning to end with Rigdon-
ian Campbellisn Smith took the mater
ials thus finished him. got lot of tin
plates covered them over with bronze so
MS to look like old gold. (perhaps | should
say that the very existence of plates is
stoutly denied by some-as Mr.. Smith
never allowed any one to see them; but
my method Is to accept the Mormon state
ment as far as I possibly cam scratched
upon them certain characters that would
give the appearance Of hieroglyphics-and
then hid them in a large hill about one
and a half miles from his home, called in
Mormon literature the sacred hill Gu
morah."
In due due time Smith had a vision OF
an angel who told him about the won
derful treasure hid in the hill. and after
some years delay--in 1S27-he went, dug
out the plates, and proceeded to trans
late them
1t is proposed to relate in n subsequent
article some of the facts regarding this
alleged translation. with specimens of the
contents of the book-and then leave it tc
be inferred which of the two stories is the
true one-and whether this book is a reve-
laton from God. or one of the most mis-
cradle and satanic frauds of the 18th CEN
fury.