Year: 1879

/


[Atlanta constitutional


The dispatch that was published


in the Constitution of yesterday


relative to the killing of the Nor


mon editor who was engaged in an


attempt to get up a colony for Salt


Lake City has history back of it.


For several years the section of


country adjacent to where this kill


ing was done has been infested with


Mormon apostles that have spread
their infamous doctrine right and


left. About two years ago two of


these priests or elders came into
Floyd county, and spent some time


about Floyd Springs and in, lower


Chattooga. They were audacious


and aggressive, and invaded house


hold after household for the pur-
pose of preaching their polygamic
creed. They made many converts,


and, it is said, carried away a colony


of fifteen or twenty persons, many
of them reputable and well to-do
people. One man that we happen to
know of made up his mind to go,
and determined to sell his farm.
His wife declared that she would go
with him. They offered the place
at 81, 900, when it was clearly worth
$4,000, and sold, we believe, at even
greater sacrifice than this.


1t appears that sort of head
quarters for these travelling elders
is established on or near Lookout
Mountain. Here they have sort
of settlement, from whence the eld-
ers issue for their tramps through
the rural districts, to which all the
converts, male and female, are sent
until a crowd of twenty or thirty
are collected, when they are sent on
to Salt Lake City. It is said that
several squads, amounting to sew
eral hundred in all, have been
drained from the Tennessee and
North Georgia and Carolina coun-
try within the past six or eight
years.


OF course the greatest indigna-
ton has been felt by the country
people at the work of these men.
Daring, plausible and full of argu-
ment and persuasion they under
mined the most stable characters |
and carried grief and CONSERVATION
into many household. A sturdy |
farmer once said to us: 81 would |
shoot man just as quick for talk
ing polygamy to my wife or daugh
ter as if he tried TO seduce herp
This feeling has been shared by
many, and it is really a wonder that
there has not been trouble before.
The arguments used by these apos-
ties of Brigham have not been, as
might be supposed, on the line of
sensuality or lust. They have rather
been pleased to talk about the fer
tile valleys or Utah, the fine city of
Salt Lake, in which every Mormon
had part ownership-in short, the |
pretty pastoral life wherein the
richest valley of earth, with little |
work and a powerful and contented |
life, was offered to all comers. This
picture won the fancy of many a |
poor farmer who had scratched for
years IN the scanty soil of our hills |
at home, and could hardly keep |
body and soul together, and of |
many a woman, young and old.


There have been many threats
made against these itinerants, which
they have not tried to turn away by
soft answers. Inspired by sort of
they have been without
personal fear, and have been care
less of threats or assault. When |
they once set themselves on pos
sible convert, nothing could turn
them to one side until they had
all persuasion or had
made a full capture.


1t must not be understood, how
ever, that we have recited the above
for the purpose of excusing the kill
ing of Standing IN Catoosa county
the other day. That killing seems
to have been without excuse. The
mob of ten or twelve men had no
right to halt these men for the pur-
pose of whipping them, and it will
be hard to make it appear that there
was any real need of killing one
man who had snatched up a pistol
and demanded the surrender" of
twelve or fifteen armed men. He
could have been disarmed without
being shot through the head. The
killing was done outside of the law,
and should be punished.


Gov. Colquitt received a dispatch
from gentleman at Catoosa springs
yesterday announcing that the kill
ling was ''a cold-blooded murder"
and asking that a reward be offered
for the perpetrators. 1t is said that
the names of the crowd who halted
the Mormons can be easily obtained
The Governor has not yet received
full enough particulars TO justify
him in taking action in this matter,
but he will probably offer a reward
as soon as he gets accurate informa-
tion as to the nature of the killing,
the locality, etc. We understand
that the remains of the dead elder
left yesterday for Salt Lake City.
1t is also said that there were sever
al converts, or almost converts,
shooting to the polygamic faith
when the starting took place, and
the spell of argument was broken.


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