The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-10-29
PECULIAR DOCUMENT
RECEIVED BY CLERK
Illinois Woman Writes Strange
Epistle to J. [. Ed
redge, Jr.

County Clerk j. L. Eldredgo, Jr.
Wednesday received letter addressed
lust 90 his Office, from a woman N
Metropolis, H.. signing scrself Martha
c. Smith, who processes TO possess
prophetic powers, besides knowing all
about the causes OF earthquakes and
TsikelonsD (cyclones) Mrs. Smith
also modestly claims TO be able to con
troll the elements, aud says that she
predicted the San Francisco disaster
and other earthquakes the night before,
Mrs, Smith declares that God has
taken a special interest in her, and that
the Deity has especially prepared her
10 do His work, but that the people of
Washington City viii not listen TO her
eppea1s for money TO carry on her
labors. She is being held as a white
slave at Metropolis she claims, and
the government would better beware
and send her funds, or she will visit
Upon the country some more 'destruc-
tions and sikelons, as retributive
justice, So therel
Clerk William F. Jenkins, who first got
hold Of the letter, deciphered it and
impaired the information it contained
10 others in the county clerk S Office,
ihe employees thereof found themselves
attempting to dodge every rumble they
heard, and shivered at every small gust
of wind. Only the stnlwart Mr.. Jen"
fins retained his mental equilibrium.
lie SAYS the woman is either a religious
fanatic. or crazy, or both The letter,
capitalization, spelling, punctuation and
all, follows:
Metropolis. Ills. Oct the 202 1908.
TO the county clerk.
az am anxious 10 inform you OF What
IS the cause OF all these distractions that
Inns Ha IA
such as earthquakes and sikclons and IRE
il is because the people at Washing city
Win not do there duty by the people and
do Strive against God the rulers recon
the Senators | am teacher from God
and God Wanted the men in Washington
city To send me some money So ! can
Work for this nation for. God has pre-
pared me 10 do his Work While no one
clce is prepared for this business that
God Wants me 10 do the odd fellow and
the masons and the grand armey men rate
10 them bout me and the dyspatch to
them for my help all so and they said
that they Would Send me some money but
they Would not do 1t and have done
Good work for them and they said that
could get more work out of me to not
help me and they have kept me there
Slave In, this way for long long years
nnd ii is against the law to have White
slaves | am bound in deseprt condition
until they help me and the lord Will not
have this cruel lmbondage lor me any
longer and he Is going to destroy cittys
and the people until the people turn
against them them in this one thing Tor
every city that speaks against my buisi-
ness God will send destruction on if you
please give this TO the gentleman and
ladies 10 read and tell them To rite to
other cittys for ! have told them at
Washington about all of these destruc-
tons that have come on the cittys be-
fore they came and told them about the
ocstructtion at San francisco like 10
night and TO morrow it Was so and they
would not do II but senator hopkins and
senator Cullom has been friend to there
natlor so you Will please help me Gear
ior your cittys and nations by Speklng
against them from
MARTHA c. SMITH"