Show MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE On Oct we received a visit from Elder Joseph S Allen Alien who re- re returned re returned turned yesterday Oct from a mission to the Southern Sta States s He Heis Heis Heis is a resident of Richmond Cache County and left Utah for his field Oct 1887 He labored in the State of Mississippi until last Jun June JuneAs As a rule h begot along well weB although he had a hot time occasionally hav hav- having having having ing booR been assail assailed d by mobs three f t r times Th The first occasion was on the J of May 1888 in Lafay Lafayette tte County and at oth other r times subsequent subsequent quent to that time Elder Allen thus tells the story of these episodes Elder W Wood and myself were la- la laboring laboring la laboring boring in Lafay Lafayette tte together and started for the postoffice about two miles proceeded distant When When Wh n we had pro pro- proceeded pro proceeded mile half-a-mile or so we came upon a vacant house and sat down upon the porch to rest having not the slightest suspicion of what was to follow Shortly afterwards greatly to our surprise about abou a dozen men came around the house from both sides eides carrying shotguns in their hands They drew their guns down upon us and informed us that we must consider ourselves their prisoners W We asked them what we had done to call for this but some few min min- minutes minutes minutes utes elapsed before they gave us an answer Presently one of the number spoke up saying It is for that d- d d rotten doctrine you are teaching You can consider yourselves under arrest now and you must come with us With this the mob marched us to toa toa toa a large pond mill-pond where a number of Other men upwards of thirty were awaiting our arrival Most of them had shotguns They elected a committee who were deputed to togo togo togo go on one side consult and resolve what should be done with us in the way of punishment The decision of the committee was that I and my companion should leave the he locality before four o'clock o clock the same after after- afternoon afternoon afternoon noon This was at nine o'clock o clock in inthe inthe the morning so we had the day be- be before before be before fore us I told them however that they had better call can another vote on the matter as I did not think we could gather ather up our books etc and leave leavey leavey by y the hour named hour named for our depar depar- departure departure departure ture The suggestion was acted upon and a second vote taken The maJority ruled that the committee adhere to its original resolution The mob then declared that th they t themselves would save us some BOme t trouble by getting the books to together to- to together together gether and burning them Simul Simul- Simultaneously Simultaneously 1 about a dozen of the young younger r members of the party started off ff to provide themselves with hickories but before their re- re j t jt j F 1 turn we managed to collect together some of our belongings and get clear away before the hour of four Just a year from that day Kay Jay I was traveling with Elder J Brinkerhoff In Chickasaw County of the same Etame State We had been y previously warned not to go there W were anxious to visit a friend in inthe 0 the neighborhood and thought we might journey JournAY to his house by night a returning also cover of cover of the darkness without molestation By fi 2 some means however it leaked out f that we were in the place and on onI our return journey while going I I through a narrow trail twenty r arm armed d men suddenly sprang upon f us Two of the sand nand were chosen to slap us in the face as an indig indig- indignity indignity This done we were 1 marched off to a store by bythe bythe r the roadside Two friends of i the Church had accompanied us on our way thus far and tbt they y were now driven back at the point of s shotguns ns Before we arrived at the theL store half of the crowd acted as a L c- sort of guard and after we had been partially stripped of our cloth cloth- clothing clothing C ing we were whipped on the lower 1 parts of the body At the same J time came the warning given in emphatic language that if we ever dared to come back into that neigh neigh- neighborhood neighborhood again our lives would be betaken betaken taken We left and that night went back about 15 16 miles to the house of Brother Berry N Next ext day we journeyed on foot to Randolph a further distance of some 15 miles other members of t where there were the Ch Church located We were there informed by a son of Brother Berry that an indignation meeting of the residents had been held and und that it the Mor 0 was intended to drive mon missionaries from the district We got away from the place as quickly as possible and very short short- shortly shortly shortly ly after atter our departure of departure of which not the aware the mob made the they were aware their their appearance They were dis disappointed dis- dis appointed to find we had escaped them It appears that a paper pa r had been prepared and signed by b some persons Dersons calling upon us to quit Randolph or we would suffer death Brother Lee was with us at this time but soon after returned to Alabama Elders Thomas and Baxter had joined us the night be- be before before be before fore the mob intended to sweep down upon the missionaries It seems that another organized mob being unable to discover us went to the cottage of an aged widow named Waldrup in Pontotoc Co and commanded her to surrender those Mormons Mormons threatening that unless she did so that they would blow her brains out and spatter them all over the wall wan She re- re replied re relied f Mormons plied lied that there were in hiding on her premises and even if there were she would not give them that up-that up that if the did carry out their threat and shoot hex hel they would not seeing her ad- ad advanced ad advanced age ch cheat t her of very many days of life The old lady candidly admitted further that she had previously fed and sheltered Mormon missionaries as well as carried food to them when in the timber and she fearlessly added Y J h- h hY tl t I Ill ilo do lo it again if it is necessary They answered these assertions with a volley of oaths and abuse and then went off Subsequently they called at the houses of other persons whom they warned that if they gave food to a Mormon t Elder under any circumstances it would go hard with them they were determined to clear out all Mormons s by the fall Upon our return to Randolph later ater I on for fur our clothing etc the mob moh again learned of our presence In order to escape I and my com com- companion companion companion panion lay in the timber for three days and nights food bei being ng brought to us by our friends Having taken the first opportunity to reach the railroad station we started for eastern Chattanooga I went afterwards s to south eastern Missouri and Elder Thomas to Virginia In Missouri I was treated well and met with great kindness from the people gen gen- generally I was one of those who were en- en engaged engaged en engaged in searching for the dead deai body of Elder Alma P Richards in Meridan Miss when we were sur sur- rounded surrounded by a mob and attacked Elder Baxter and myself were the first two arrested this remark be- be be ing being made by the ringleaders s in reference to myself We will hang the short-necked short one first I am glad to say however that the ex was not carried into effect |