The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-05

The doctrine OF blood atonement" at.
tributed 10 the Mormons in connection with
the Pulitzer murder has figured prominently
In English literature for more than half q
century. II seems TO have sprung mainly
from the incidents connected with and fol
loving the Mountain Meadows massa-
ere In 1857.
Scores OF books and pamphlets on this
subject have been written. host Of them
BY the pens Of those whose opposition 10
Mormonisn IN any form was intense and
uncompromising. The opposition TO the
doctrines OF the 'Latter-Day Saints prior
to iS7 seems 10 have been caused mainly
BY an adherence OF the doctrine Of polys-
amy. because Of which the followers OF
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were
driven from one place to another until
they finally settled in Utah.
Up 10 this time little or nothing Is said
about blood atonement." but after the
Mountain Meadows horror the books
upon MOrmonism written by its enemies
TEEN with assertions that the term means
nothing else than a pTetext for numbering
such persons az stood in the way OF the
elders Of the church when they wanted TO
seal unto themselves the wives or
daughters OF the unfortunate victims. Upon
this belief Is based much OF the anti-Mor-
mon literature now extant.
JAMES d. LEES TRIAL
The story OF the massacre Itself forms an
mLtAG1AAAA EAIRAEE III AAE AsSNtAg OA lnt
United states. II was fully told for the
drst time during the trial Of James ID. Lee
a Mormon Bishop, who was convicted in
1877 Of having taken part In IT. tn facts
as brought out at the trial showed that
the Mormons had induced the members
arms under promise Of protection, after
which they. together with their Indian al
lies. slaughtered men. women and children.
leaving their bodies injured on the plains
= lew miles from salt Lake City.
Lee was taken to the scene OF the mas
Sna ~ em 6o5yi1S Inc above fsots
The persons selected 10 carry out the al
murderous mandates Of the church
"Avenging Angels" Sir Conan Doyle. in
his novel. a Study In Scarlet. Uses their
alleged methods and crimes as the basis
tlves. In Il John Ferrier. & Mormon. is
made 20 refuse TO seal. his adopted daugh-
ter, Lucy. 10 a Mormon elder: and with
cape from the country.
HEROINE DIES OF GRIEF.
They are followed, FefTier Is killed. and
Lucy Is compelled 10 return snd marry the
nan selected for her BY Brigham Young.
she soon dies OF grief, and Hope follows the
slayer OF Ferder and the husband of his
former sweetheart until he finally kills both
In london years attef wards
OF the MoTnons and their practices. Sir
Conan Doyle says:
sThe victims of persecution had now
turned prosecutors OF the most terrible de-
scriptfon. Not the lnquisluon. OF Seville
he German VehmgeFecht. nor the Sc
cret societies OF Italy. were ever able 10 put
= more formidable machinery In motion
than that which cast a cloud over the State
Robert Louis Stevenson also made use OF
the ''AvenEiuE Angel" IN his novel o. that
name, in which ne depicts most graphically
the horrors OF the alleged system, The main
feature OF this story Is the killing Of the
fnther OF the he-ofne BY one Doctor Grter-
son. who Is also eommanded BY the Sacred
Of Four to marry the unfortunate
daughter and the Erief-strieksn widow and
4 play entitled rThs Danitss." which .s