The St. Louis Republic., 1901-02-24


I'VE believe and confess that II any on
| has So far fallen OF. either by a wicke'
| life or a perverted doctrine. that he Is sep
arated from God. and consequently justi.
separated from and corrected and punishe'
| by the church, such person must b
Stunned, according TO Christ and the apos
ties. and avoided without partiality by al
| members Of his church especially BY thos
| to whom 1T is known. whether In eating o
drinking or similar temporal matters. ant
they shall have ave no dealings with him =, Z
| by intercourse with him, nor be made par
takers of his sin. but that the sinner ma,
be made ashamed, corrected and again ieC
| TO repentance"
| 1t was in compliance with this section OF
the creed. according to Moser. that his ia.
any communication with him after his crime
was discovered. making no efforts TO secure
counsel or in any other way defend him
IN q letter Moser recently rectted that his
parents were kept from him by reason. OF
the fear that had been inspired In them by
p fhe preacher, che and elders OF ~, me e Am,
that to in any way help him would be to
place them beyond the saving grace of the
church or OF any Christians.
Whatever the arguments that may pro-
ceed from discussion of the belief of the
Amish people. there can be none as to the
They are among the most prosperous OF
the communities In which they live. and
they are very numerous in half dozen
ciate neighborhood.
TEMPORAL PROPERTY ATTENDS
AMIsH COMMUNITIES.
Their barns are always well stocked with
grain; their cattle are numerous and In
good condition; their lands are among the
most productive: they are free from debt;
eSmpara1veiy con iitt,s hs crime Is Sommittsd In
their church. and the moral integrity of
the members Is almost universally above
The Amish people began to evidence
strength in Tazeweii County about ten
years ago. They began TO buy land with
S 10 @ nn acre sys
tirnated at N,oooooo; now the estimate is
Most Of the members Of the community
are foreigners. and q majority Of them have
When an Amish man desires to buy a
piece Of land and has not the necessary
money. other members OF the community
soon as possible he repays the amount from
the proceeds OF the crops that he raises on
Their community is quite appropriately
called peace land" for there 10 very little
quarreline, and what suffering cannot be
relieved IS borne In silence.
The homes of the Amish people are conn.,
Portable. after a rough. plain fashion; but
nowhere about them IL there any evidence
Of Twentieth Century luxury. The church
forbids, The walls are bare OF Ornament.
the floors are carpetless. the furniture is
plain and rarely upholstered. musical in
stiumentS are not numerous. The dreSa OF
the people is severely plain, and personal
ornaments are very few. indeed, almost no
jewelry being worn ~
1t Is conceded that there is nothing In the
life of the members Of the Amish com
rnunity to suggest such a crime as that
which Moser confesses that he committed.
HIS murder of his wife and children was
atrocious. It was committed on Nav II
last. at night. all Of the victims beiur sbof
After the commission Of his crime Moser
locked the door Of the house leaving the
bodies of the murdered woman ard chill
dren where they had fallen. and fied No
trace Of him was found until about two
weeks later.
One. night about June J Policeman ~
ward Palmer of Salt Lake City found a
man leaning against a lamp post. Blood
was. flowing from pistol wound in his
forehead.
The man asked the policeman To helm
him. He was taken to his room, where he
said that he had tried to commit suicide.
He pointed out three letters that had been
written by him. and which he intended
should be read after he was dead.
In these letters Moser said he was a
"mupderer from Illinois," and that he sup
posed1he deserved the rope" He corfeseed
that he had murdered his wife and three
littls children in Tasewell County. Illinois,
hut added that the Deople of that county
would know that he did II because MS hone
had been ruined By the Amiuh Church