Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-09
DUPED THROUGH RELIGION
Farmers Who TOiled for Years for q
False Prophet.
STRANGE STORY OF AN IOWA COLON
Founders of tbs Jehovah Presbytery
of Zion and Their Final Re-
volt Against an I'm
p~rincipled Leader.

- ~ ~ ~ WN10H "
the estate Of Guy C. Barnum Of Columbus.
Neb.. recalls an almost forgotten page OF
lows history.
In southern Monona county. Iowa, where
thu picturesque Soldier river sweeps
proudly about a high, wooded hill. are
nestled a half dozen venerable houses, a
diminutive store and a depot One train
stops there each day. The brakeman calls
Preparation" Here, in this memory OF a
town, was set up the Arst printing press In
western Iowa: here was printed the first
publication west Of Des Moines; here was
established that wild, fanatical dream. the
Jehovah Presbytery Of Zion. Guy G. Bar
mum was one of the two men who named
this town "Preparation"-for II was here
that men were to be groomed for trans
mission to heaven; It was to be the earthly
preparation for the life beyond
beginning OF the Cult.
When Joseph Smith, father of the Nor
mons, was shot in the Carthage Qll.) Jail
that Jun night In 1914 the Mormon faith
was more or tess demoralized. Numerous
candidates for the mantle Of Smith sprang
up. Living In st. Louis was a man named
Charles b. Thompson. Little more than an
adventurer, he was attracted to the Nor
mon church as q glorious opportunity for =
rare escapade. He became a teacher IN the
faith. He gathered about him in St Louis
a constantly increasing flock and finally
enlisted as assistant the services of Guy G.
Barnum, then q young man. One night
Thompson had a vision. Next morning he
announced to his flock that God had ap-
peared TO him the night before my chill
dren," he said, "it is the Divine will that
we shall journey to the far west and there
set up an earthly kingdom to prepare for
the better life beyond"
A few months later some hundred prairie
schooners that had numbered slowly all the
way from st. Louis, carrying some 400 per-
sons, halted at a bend in the Soldier river,
where grass and trees grew verdant In fer
tile soil. Wagons were unloaded. men fell
to work hewing logs and a few weeks later
appeared q branch community of the Nor
mon church that lived and died without
winning a place on history's page. This
was In 1855. Thompson now had another
vision. To. his eredulous following he an
nounced the Deity had again appeared to
him.
1.-THE Divine spirit has appointed me his
steward" he said. II am the steward Of
God. You are my stewards. AS your stew
ard. 1 must, under the Divine will, possess
all you possess. Go. then. buy lands and
deed them to your steward"
ThOmDsOn's Little Game.
The community, now grown TO full 1900
men, obeyed. They pre-empted two whole
townships. They established stores n
blacksmith shops and livery barns n
hotels. Every dollar Of profit was re-
ligiously turned over to the steward Of
God. The community prospered- The men.
honest ~toilers. reaped bountiful crops. and.
incidentally, Thompson enjoyed a yearly
income Of $4,000.
The men were little short OF slaves to
the unbending will OF Thompson Men and
women were sent on the most absurd mis-
sions by the steward One man had gone
on a several days journey to bring back a
load Of lumber. He was met by q mes
senger Of the steward.
you must stop where you are; you must
journey to Virginia; you must enter the
halls Of the legislature at Richmond; you
must pronounce the curse Of the steward of
God upon the legislature. because It has
said things and lone things that reflect
upon the steward OF God and his Divine
Master"
This was the command. The lumberman
obeyed. The messenger took the seat on the
wagon and drove back to Preparation. The
lumberman. after weeks Of laborious toll
ing. reached the Richmond legislature, pro-
nounced the curse. and iourneyed back
again to his Iowa home.
Dupes GrumbIe Mt Rapacity.
BY the time the Jehovah Presbytery OF
Zion had reached It's third anniversary the
faithful at last began to grumble. The
steward was Unsuitable in his demand for
the profits. When the people demanded
a share he would have another vision and
play upon their superstition to max way
with the money. His absences from the
community became more and more frequent
In reality, he went back to ST. Louis and
INDUCED in the most violent debauches,
leaving the community In charge Of Bar
mum. When he returned he would resort
to the visional exercise to repiete his fnan-
ces. But his followers found at last the
nature Of his mysterious pilgrimages.
Visions became more and more necessary
and constantly less impressive.
One night in 1850. when the steward and
Barnum were gone, the peopfe held an
indignation meeting. 1t was solemnIy de-
cided to hang both Thompson and Bar
mum. The entire community set out for
onawa to carry out their purpose. Thomp-
son and Barnum had Just left onawa for
Preparation They came near driving
straight into the mob. When but a quar-
ter Of a mile way from the avengers they
were met by a girl who had worked in
Thompson's household mere slip Of a
thing.
run. run for your lives" she shouted.
They are going to hang YOU"
Flight of h Twain.
The two men naedad M sacond warnfn0
Horses were dashed to a run. The mob
caught sight OF the f~ugitives and gave hot
chase. When in the shelter Of = high
hill the horses were loosed from the wagon
and. each man mounting q horse. they rode
like wild men to onawa. shll pursued by
the Infatuated mob.
mo, / don't believe any one knew where
Thompson hid himself" says Judge Addi-
son Oliver OF onawa. stIl living. II know
he was kept In my attic for near TIRES
weeks. TIL men from Preparation searched
the whole town for him. but could not nnd
him"
One dark night Thompson skunk from
the oliver home. A horse and wagon were
ready. He took his wife. a peck or two
Of cash and Jewelry and made quick night
to Fort Dodge. From there he made his
way back to St. LOuis. He tried to star
another colony and failed. Finally he
died In Philadelphia penniless. Barnum
went to Nebraska. where he later became