James Thompson recalls that Grandison Newell "used to drive about the country and buy up all the Mormon money possible," and then, the next day, "go to the bank and obtain the specie."

Date
Apr 1888
Type
Periodical
Source
James Thompson
Critic
Hearsay
Direct
Reprint
Late
Reference

James Thompson, Statement, Naked Truths about Mormonism 1, no. 2 (April 1888): [3]

Scribe/Publisher
Naked Truths About Mormonism
People
James Thompson, Joseph Smith, Jr., Warren Parrish, Daniel McFarland, Grandison Newell
Audience
Reading Public
PDF
Transcription

JAMES THOMPSON'S STATEMENT.

I was born in Whitesborough, Oneida County, New York, Nov. 14, 1804, and settled in Willoughby, Ohio, in June, 1834. I married John Gould's daughter Harriet. Her father had been thirty years a Free-will Baptist minister in New York, and knew Jo Smith there.

He became a Mormon and moved to Kirtland in the spring of 1832. I have often heard my wife and her parents tell about Joseph, the prophet, attempting to restore to consciousness their child which they claimed had been drugged. The child was buried. Jo Smith advocated having spiritual wives. One night he got into a second story window, with a ladder, of a house south of the Temple. He was not well received, and it caused much talk about the town. Jo claimed he had the right to, by revelation. Father Gould told me Mr. Parish said Jo Smith bought a farm in Mentor and agreed to pay $1,000 the next day. Mr. Parish went up stairs and obtained the Mormon money, returned and handed it to Jo to put in a package for his brother Hyrum to take to Mentor in the morning. Hyrum returned and demanded $100 saying Parish gave him but $900. Parish insisted he gave Jo $1,000. Jo had some trouble with his brother Bill who was present when Parish paid Jo the $1,000. Bill said he saw Jo put $100 in his pocket. Jo's hired man said when Jo came home the night before, he told his wife he had $100 more than he thought he had. Parish made so much fuss about it Jo owned up that he took it. Jo would bargain for farms and offer more than people asked for them.

He employed Amasa Bonney to buy horses with Mormon money. I saw an old farmer when he came to Kirtland with seven fine horses for Bonney, who placed them in Johnson's tavern stable. He went to the bank and obtained his pay in Mormon money. He soon learned that it was worthless and returned and demanded the horses, but was refused. He cried. Father Gould said Bonney ought to go to the penitentiary. The horses were sent East and sold for good money. Oliver and Julius Granger would do anything for money, Julius would meet immigrants coming to Kirtland and induce them to change their good money for Mormon.

I worked for Grandison Newell considerable. He used to drive about the country and buy up all the Mormon money possible, and the next morning go to the bank and obtain the specie. When they stopped payment he prosecuted them and closed the bank. After the fire I heard Jacob Bump say they had boxes of lead with a little specie on the top. He said Jo Smith told him to dig under the west corner of the bank and they would claim it was robbed. He said he refused. About fifty persons were present from Willoughby the morning after the fire.

The week before Jo left for Missouri meetings were held in the temple about every day. I attended several. I heard John F. Boynton say that the prophet Jo had secretly instructed him and others who were to go out as missionaries, that if the world's people molested them to knock them over and throw them over a log. He said he could not endure such instructions. Jo ordered him ejected, which was done. Mr. Parish said substantially the same and others did who were also put out. One Sunday night I saw Jo, Hyrum and their father with Rigdon in the west pulpit. Father Gould stood ten feet from them and denounced Mormonism for three-fouths of an hour. None were ejected that night, Jo and Rigdon left on horseback by a back road the same night. Mr. Gould told me Monday about a dozen men who had renounced Mormonism watched for Jo and Rigdon in the bushes with guns to shoot them, but they did not pass that way. Mr. Gould said the Mormons would obey any order Jo Smith gave. There was any amount of stealing done by the Mormons from Gentiles about the country. They claimed it was right.

[Signed] JAMES THOMPSON.

Witnessed by:

H. M. MCFARLAND, Jr.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 7th day of February, 1885.

D. CLINTON HILL,

Justice of the Peace in and for Painesville, Lake County, Ohio.

BHR Staff Commentary

Transcription taken from https://www.solomonspalding.com/docs/deming.txt (accessed July 9, 2024)

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