The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-13
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
THE UNEASY CHAIR

THE UNEASY CHAIR
Confession Of an OFFICIAL Assassin Of the
Mormon Church.-Some time ago we read
a book by Rider Haggard in which there
was character known as the Lord Of
Murder. He ruled a mythical people
somewhere in the eastern Mediterranean
country In The Mormon Menace we have
the head OF the Mormon church in the
fifties pictured as a veritable lord of muir
der, and the book Is not fiction, we are
assured, but fact
The Mormon Menace" Is the autobiog-
raphy of John Doyle Lee, who was exc
cuted by government officers for his part
IN the famous Mountain Meadows mas
sacre in 1857.
On the title page Lee is called a DANTE.
an official assassin of the Mormon church
under the late Brigham Young"
Lees confession was first printed wears
ago. He had written it out while await
ing execution, and when the hour for his
taking off came he handed the manuscript
TO the executioner. thru whom it was
afterward printed. The Mormon church
became alarmed and endeavored to sup
press the book, buying III all Of the copies
1t could find. Two COPIES at least, es-
capped 1T, and from these a new edition
has been printed, with a striking introduce
ton by Alfred Henry Lewis.
Lees story is CHASTITY record Of hide
GUS bloodshed, corruption and deceit. He
himself seems to have been sincere in his
faith In the teachings of his superiors in
the Mormon church, and in his belief in
MS obligations to his oath as a servant
OF that church. It was because of this
faith and belief that he was such a ready
tool in the hands Of Young and others.
and consented to become the leader in that
most horrible of crimes Of Mountain
Meadows, an account of which is enough to
give one nightmare. The story is far
more than enough to prejudice one
against anything Mormon in any degree
One becomes quite convinced that a
church., built up by the methods which
Lee shows up, is capable Of doing any
thing which will enable it to resist at
lacks that may prove to its disadvantage
such as that being made upon it now.
Mr. Lewis, in his Introduction, sounds a.
warning as to President Smiths purposes
| as follows:
President Smith looks forward to time when
one senate vote will be decisive. He cannot
prophesy the day, but by the light of what has
been he knows that it must dawn. =
What was, will be, and President Smith intends
when the moment arrives and the senate is in
pose between the parties to have at least one
Utah vote, and as many more as be may, to be
a stock in trade wherewith to traffic security
for his church of Mormon and its crimes. Given
! SoQaLe-QnQ 1t might
easily come within his hands-Presdent Smith
could enforce such liberal terms for Mormonism
as to privilege it in its sins and prevent chance
I of punishment.
There is something Of poetic justice in
the fact that this story of Lees should
rise to haunt the Mormon church lust now.
when it is striving to get a seat in the
United States senate Is it to be a, case
OF reaping what has been sown? Surely
If ever an institution sowed to the wind
| the Mormon church did; will it reap the
whirlwind?
Home Protection Publishing company,
New York.
Value of ItaIy's Art Patrimony.-Re-
cent statistics from the ministry of public
instruction show that the art patrimony
of Italy is valued at $47000,O0O. 1t in
cludes books and manuscripts in the
libraries, musical instruments, natural
history collections and all objects Of art
In the museums and galleries of the
| state.
"PrIsoner Of Zenda" Tale, with 1t.
Scene In Servia.-Mr. Marchmont's The
Queens Advocate Is stirring romance
of the Prisoner of Zenda" school, where.
in young and dauntless American mil.
lionaire, with unlimited confidence in his
own prowess, backed by the convincing
language Of the dollar, becomes entanglec
In Balkan politics and the fate of an OBJ
renovics princess. Unlike his exemplars
thesauthor has chosen a real kingdom and
historic events for the basis Of his story
The scene Is Serv1a and the political in
trigues leading up to the assassination Of
Ferdinand and Draga and the restoration
Of the karageorgeovics dynasty to the
throne. The historical outlines are pre-.
served with remarkable accuracy and ye
with them Is interviewer a story Of con
siderable interest. Some of the wonder:
wrought by the young American and hi
superintendent dog will scarcely bear an
alysis-but why stop to analyze If thu
tale is one to stir the blood? The style
Is simple and direct and not without crud
tiles, but there is no straining for effec
and the story reads well. w. B. G..
Frederick A, Stokes & Co., New York.
$3.50.
Another Valuable Reprlnt.-The Baro,
de Lahontan's New Voyages to Nortt
America, an exact reprint Of the Englisl
edition Of 1903, with an introduction AM
1 notes by Reuben Gold Thwaites, LID.
is soon to come from the house Of A. C
McClurg & Co. Of Chicago. The work will
be up to the standard Of the recent re
prints of valuable historical works issue.
by the same house.
| Book by Local Versifier.-Dr. Edison B
Russell of Minneapolis, in a small vol
I ume privately printed, includes Lotea,
Story of the Ancient Cliff DweIers o
) America, and many other poems, the boo]
taking its title from the longer poem. 1
} is in the shorter poems, however, tina
the author shows his greatest versatility
In the preface he states that his poem
: have been produced without the ad
vantages Of leisure and in section Of tn
world that is composed largely of ray
material. That this raw material Is
source Of inspiration is shown by tn
fact that his most striking poems ar
those that touch upon the new land an
not upon the iackneyed fields of senti
ment and reflection. for example:
The west, the west, the youthful west
With giant arms unfolding
: In regal strength and purpose grand,
The nations life is moldng.
DR.. Russell follows many schools, bu
only when singing of his native lakes an
9 fields are his poems impressive. s.3:
- '<-: " Il. 8. X.