ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT BY MORMONSA TRUMPED-UP STORY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 314, 7 November 1888, Page 3

ALLEGED ILL-TREATMENT BY MORMONSA TRUMPED-UP STORY.

I American sources are never considered I trustworthy in the dissemination of news' and the latest example was an item of news which we published in a recent issue of the Stak Supplement, alleging that a woman had been barbarously ill-treated by the ' Mormons, and even hinting that her husband had met his death under circumstances so suspicious that it was concluded he had been foully murdered. I The woman (Elizabeth Turnbull liuHer), >so the story went, had made her escape and told the tale alter a most sensational experience. These statements have leceived full and categorical contradiction in the lltah newspapers, and affidavits by a number of people who were connected with the Rutfrei'B, have been published. We give the following- summary of these statements :—: — Charles (Jreenwell, a Mormon elder, in hi& kwoin .statement, says that when preaching in England in 1882, 'he became acquainted with Mr Thomas Rutter and family at North Shields. Mr Rotter was at that time a member of the Salvation Army, while his wife, son, and daughter were membeis of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Mrs Rutter was anxious for her husband to join the .Mormon Church, and he became favourably impressed with its doctrines. A few months afterwards ho again visited the Ru tiers, and Mrs Ilutter told him that her husband desired baptism, which ordinance was perfoimed that same evening, Mrs Ruttev, at her own request, being re - baptised. Subsequently they expressed a great desire foi their son John to go to Utah under his charge. He consented and promised to provide him with a home. On their arrival at C)£rdcn Cil\ he took the boy to hi" house and gave him a home. The boy remained with him until the latter end of Mirch, 18S4, when he piocured him a situation with Mr Joseph Alvord, in Wc=>t Weber, with whom he stayed until the latter part of 1886. Pie afterwards came to Ogden where he remained until he returned to England.. All this time the boy was treated with the greatest kindness and he used to correspond with his parents in England, uiging them to come to Utah as soon as they could. lv the fall of 1884, Mr Rutter came to Utah, and shortly afterwards obtained employment with Mr Alvord, of West Weber. In the spring of 1886 Mrs Rutter and daughter came to Utah and joined Rutter at Alvord's farm, where they remained until after he was drowned in the Weber river. At the death of Rutter the people of the settlement were very kind to his wife and daughter, giving them lood, clothing, etc., for their comfort. John Alvord, of West Weber, in whose employ the Rutbers had been, said the boy used to assist about the farm. He found him in board, clothing, and pocket money, and paid his school tuition. When he met the father the latter was looking very dejected. He went to his (Alvord's) farm house, and remained there for sonae months. During that time he received little wage 13 , as he was not of much use on a farm, but he was found in clothing, tobacco, etc. He then obtained a situation at a sawmill, but he soon threw this up and returned to Alvord's farm. After this be worked in a coal mine for a few months, and on leaving that he again returned to Alvord's place. By this time^ he had saved a little money, and was anxious to send for his wife and daughter. lie placed 50dol in the hand of his employer, who added oldol to it. This sum he sent to an immigration agent, who brought the wife and daughter out. When they arrived he (Alvord) took them to his place and boarded them free until they obtained situations. Rutter remained in his employ, and shortly after daylight on the morning of August 11th, he started on horseback to fetch the cows. As he did not leturn within a reasonable space of time seaich was made, but no trace of Rutter was found. Alvord says a search party was then organised, and they searched until two next morning. The search was resumed at daylight next morning, and at nine o'clock the body was found in a standing posture in u hole in the river. No marks of violence were noticed, and it was evident that deceased's horse must have stumbled over the back and thrown him into the river. An inquest was held, and the following veidict wa* returned :: — '• The undersigned on their oaths do say that Thomas Rutter, whose body is now lying dead before them, came to his death acci dentally by drowning in the Weber River on the 11th day of August, 1886. — George Jamie^on, Wheatley Gibson, and James Hogge, Jurors/ Alvord also sa} 7 s he paid the funeral expenses out of his own pocket. He saw Mrs Rutter before she left for England, and had a friendly conversation with hei\ Whcitley Gibson, one of the jurors, and who took the body oue of the river, swears positively that there was no hole in the back of the head of deceased, neither were there any marks of violence whatever on the body.