Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-12
MoRMoNs OF IOWA GATHERING
FACTS TO REFUTE STATE
MENTs IN STORY BOOK.
DELvE INTO CRIMES
OF HALF CENTURY AGO
Latter Day Saint. Gather Data to
Show That Members Of Church Were
Executed for Murders and Robberies
Committed by others-Reisn of Ter.
ror in Iowa Recalled.

Logan, Feb. 12.-The story, Bandit
ii of the Prairies," once popular
story, at the request Of many follow
ers of the teachings of Joseph Smith,
has been given consideration in the
past thirty days by Heman c. Smith,
a high official of the Latter Day
Saints church organization at Lamont
AS a result of Mr.. Smiths brief ex-
animation he has succeeded in remov-
ing the stigma that the author of the
book sought to place upon the mem
bers of the church, and in addition
has, it is claimed, established the in
nocence Of the men arrested, indicted
and executed for murder over half
century ago, and by deposition TAX
en- in the past few days fixes the re-
sponsibility of the murder upon others
who escaped punishment at that time.
Heman c. Smith, in tracing the his
tory of Edward Bonney, the author Of
the Banditt, alleges that he was in
dicted in Lee county, Iowa, for four
different offenses, one of which was
murder, and in the deposition it is in
timated that he was a leader Of one
of the bands of desperadOes.
An Old Iowa Crime.
1t is alleged that on the night of
May 10, 1S45, a double murder was
committed in Lee county, Iowa, by
three men who entered house in the
night time and fatally wounded Miller
and Leicy. The murderers made their
escape and were alleged to have been
traced to the road in the direction of
Nauvoo, the Mormon headquarters.
Stephen and William Hodges, aged Is
and 20 years respectively, were arrest
ed, indicted, tried and convicted, and
then executed for the alleged crime,
and the two boys went to their death
protesting their innocence.
The Hodge boys were not members
of the church but other members of
the family were followers of Joseph
nation that the church was responsible
for the crime to certain extent by
the author Bonney.
Mrs. Hines Affidavit.
Since the Banditti story has been
given wide publicity, Mrs. Mary Hines,
Of independence, Iowa, it is alleged,
published in the Cedar Rapids Ga
zette of Jan. Z, 1910, communica-
ton, in which she stated that her de-
ceased husband had confessed to her
that he was implicated in the murder
of Miller and Leicy, and on the 26th
day of January, 1910, the officials Of
the Latter Day Saints church at La
moni secured a deposition from Mrs.
Hines in which she states that she is
member of the Episcopal church, "a
years old, that she was married to
John P. Hines in 1855; that after her
she gradually learned that her
husband bad been a very wicked man,
that he said it was Bonney who helped
Birch and Fox to escape after being
arrested for the murder of Colonel
Davenport; that Granville Young
should never have been hung for the
alleged murder of Davenport, as he
was at Prairie Du Chen when Daven
port was murdered; that the Hodges
boys were not present at the murder
of Miller and Leicy for which they
were executed, and in addition Mrs.
Hines fixes the responsibility of the
muir er upon Mr.. Hines
and George w. Martin as two of the
three murderers; Mrs. Hines also adds
that her husband often told her of
places along the Mississippi river where
they hid stolen property; that the
thefts committed along the river were
committed by organized bands from
the gulf to the lakes and that her hus-
band gave her to understand that
Bonney, the author Of the book telling
Of the capture of the murderers of Col
onel Davenport, was leader Of one
of these bands.
Herman C. Smith also adds that Ed
ward Bonney was indicted in Lee coun-
ty as a counterfeiter and murderer
and that he fled to the adjoining state
and remained there for the reason that
the governor would not permit his re-
turn for trial.