Joseph Standing
Encyclopedia
Joseph Standing Standing (October 5, 1854 – July 21, 1879) was a missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who was killed by a mob near the town of Varnell, Whitfield County, Georgia
in 1879.
and a resident of Box Elder County, Utah
, Standing was born to British immigrants, James and Mary Standing. He was one of ten children. His father was a stonemason who worked on the Nauvoo
and Logan Temples
. Prior to his missionary service, Joseph Standing was a fireman with the Wasatch Engine Company. He was not married and had no children.
where he primarily served in Illinois
and Indiana
. In March 1878 he was again called to missionary service, this time to the church’s Southern States
Mission
, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During an August mission conference in Haywood Valley, Chattooga County, Georgia
, Standing, along with fellow missionary Matthias F. Cowley
, were sustained as the ‘traveling Elders’ of the Southern States Mission.
By April 1879 Standing was the presiding Elder of the Georgia Conference
, responsible for overseeing all church affairs in the state. That same month, at a general conference of the church in Salt Lake City
, 22-year-old Rudger Clawson
was called with seven other men to serve in the Southern States Mission. Clawson was assigned by mission president
John Hamilton Morgan
to be Standing’s companion.
Clawson may have been aware of the church’s situation in Georgia prior to his arrival. By at least 1876, Standing’s letters were periodically published in the Deseret Evening News
. One published on April 30, 1878 provides insight into his experiences in the post-Reconstruction South;
Local opposition to Mormonism
increased as Standing and other elders increasingly gained converts in rural areas in North Georgia. Mormons missionaries were seen by some as spiritual carpetbagger
s, deceivers who preyed on the poor and uneducated. The majority of those who were baptized
into the faith followed the church’s council to “gather with the Saints” and left their homes for Mormon settlements in Utah and Colorado
.
Joseph Brown
, former Georgia Governor (1857–1865) and future U.S. Senator (1880–1891), told the New York Herald
;
As the threat of violence toward Mormons increased, Standing sent a letter to Georgia Governor Alfred H. Colquitt
on June 12, 1879 briefly outlining the activities of armed mobs in Whitfield County and requesting assistance.
Through his secretary J. W. Warren, Governor Colquitt replied;
(approximately 57 miles (91.7 km) south of Varnell) when they were accosted by an armed mob of a dozen
men. Most were on foot; at least three were on horseback. When Standing asked by what authority they were stopped on a public road, one member of the mob reportedly told them;
The mob led them into woods and stopped at a spring. It does not appear that it was the intention of all in the mob to kill them. James Faucett told them; “I want you men to understand that I am the captain of this party, and that if we ever again find you in this part of the country we will hang
you by the neck like dogs.” According to Clawson, after an hour of “desultory conversation… of which the vilest accusations were laid against the “Mormons,” [and] the beastly talk of the mobbers,” three men who had left on horseback returned and directed Standing and Clawson to go with them.
Although it is not clear where they intended to take them, all accounts agree that Standing resisted by turning towards the mob and in a loud voice commanded them to “Surrender.” When he made this declaration he was holding a pistol
a member of the mob had left unguarded on a nearby tree stump. In response, Standing was immediately shot in forehead “directly above the nose”. Another member of the mob then pointed to Clawson and said “Shoot that man.” Clawson folded his arms and said “Shoot.” Although he appeared calm and maintained composure, he nearly passed out in the anxiety
of the moment. For reasons unknown, the same man who moments ago told the mob to shoot Clawson now said “Don’t shoot.” As Clawson examined Standing, one man said; “This is terrible; that he should have killed himself in such a manner,” claiming that Standing accidentally shot himself “while bringing his weapon into position.”
Clawson convinced the group that he should leave for help to remove Standing’s body. He contacted Henry Holston, two miles (3 km) away, and Holston agreed to go to the site of the incident and look after Standing’s body while Clawson road a horse to Catoosa Springs
to contact the coroner
(approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) from Holston’s home). Before returning with the coroner, Clawson sent the following telegram to Governor Colquitt
in Atlanta; “Joseph Standing was shot and killed to-day, near Varnell’s, by a mob of ten or twelve men.” He sent the same message to John Hamilton Morgan in Salt Lake City with the additional line; “Will leave for home with the body at once, Notify his family.”
When they reached the spring, the mob had dispersed and a crowd of spectators were gathered around Standing’s body. The body now had more than 20 bullet wounds in the face and neck. It is believed this was done by the mob to protect the original shooter from conviction by having each man participate in the crime. Following the shooting the Atlanta Constitution called Standing “fat and beardless, and with not a very bright look, judging from his picture” and reported that those in the community became “alarmed for fear some member of their family might fall a victim to the seductive arguments and pleadings of the young Mormon[s]… [their] services were regularly attended by those who every week became more and more inoculated with the pernicious creed.” In spite of this perception Clawson told a reporter he believed the actions of the mob were not in harmony with the sentiments of the general population.
on Sunday, August 3, 1879. Speakers included John Taylor and George Q. Cannon
. Approximately 10,000 attended the service.
Transcripts of Taylor and Cannon’s remarks were published in the Deseret News and later in the multi-volume Journal of Discourses
. Standing was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
.
for arrest issued by the local Sheriff. Andrew Bradley, Jasper P. Nations, and Hugh Blair were indicted by a grand jury
for first degree murder and riot
.
Accompanied by John Morgan, Clawson returned to Dalton, Georgia for the trial in October. Henry Holston, Mary Hamlin, and Jonathan Owensby testified in behalf of the prosecution. The latter two interacted with the mob while Standing and Clawson were in the mob’s custody prior to the shooting. On October 19, three days after the trial began, the accused were acquitted of murder. On October 29 the Deseret News reported that the accused had also been acquitted of “riot.”
The Atlanta Constitution reported that seven of the twelve men were Christian
s and at least one a member in good standing in a local church. John Morgan wrote to the paper; “If these men are Christians; if they and their advisers and abettors are to be admitted into the city that “lieth four square," we beg the privilege of locating in the other place, as we think it much preferable." The paper replied;
Standing's death also reminded some Latter-day Saints of the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Hyrum
by a mob in 1844.
In 1880, the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association of Salt Lake City placed a monument of Italian marble over Standing’s grave in the Salt Lake City Cemetery
. By the 1980s the obelisk
had cracked in half and rested beside the grave. It was replaced in 2001 with a new marker, a replica of the original, including iron fencing around the base. The text on the south side of the monument was written by Orson F. Whitney
.
(West View)
(South View)
(East View)
(North View)
. The 0.68 acres (2,751.9 m²) lot was donated to the church by W. C. Puryear and the road leading to the monument was named Standing Road. The property is maintained by the church and open to the public.
One of the dormitories at the church’s Missionary Training Center
in Provo, Utah
is named in honor of Joseph Standing.
In May 1978, a Latter-day Saint congregation was organized in Dalton, Georgia
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Varnell.
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who was killed by a mob near the town of Varnell, Whitfield County, Georgia
Whitfield County, Georgia
Whitfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 30, 1851. The 2010 Census shows a population of 102,599. The county seat is Dalton.It is part of the Dalton, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Civil War:...
in 1879.
Family
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah TerritoryUtah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
and a resident of Box Elder County, Utah
Box Elder County, Utah
Box Elder County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It lies on the north end of the Great Salt Lake, covering a large area north to the Idaho border and west to the Nevada border. Included in this area are large tracts of barren desert, contrasted by high, forested mountains. The...
, Standing was born to British immigrants, James and Mary Standing. He was one of ten children. His father was a stonemason who worked on the Nauvoo
Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple was the second temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons. The church's first temple was completed in Kirtland, Ohio, United States in 1836. When the main body of the church was forced out of Nauvoo, Illinois in the...
and Logan Temples
Logan Utah Temple
The Logan Utah Temple is the 4th constructed and 2nd operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Logan, Utah, it was the second LDS temple built in the Rocky Mountains .The LDS temple in Logan was announced on May 18, 1877, just after the dedication...
. Prior to his missionary service, Joseph Standing was a fireman with the Wasatch Engine Company. He was not married and had no children.
Missions
Standing's first mission call, in 1875, was to the Eastern United StatesEastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
where he primarily served in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In March 1878 he was again called to missionary service, this time to the church’s Southern States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. During an August mission conference in Haywood Valley, Chattooga County, Georgia
Chattooga County, Georgia
Chattooga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 28, 1838. As of 2000, the population was 25,470. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 26,797. The county seat is Summerville.-Geography:...
, Standing, along with fellow missionary Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias F. Cowley
Matthias Foss Cowley , born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1897 until 1905. The town of Cowley in Wyoming is named after him. He was the father of Apostle Matthew Cowley by Abbie Hyde. ...
, were sustained as the ‘traveling Elders’ of the Southern States Mission.
By April 1879 Standing was the presiding Elder of the Georgia Conference
District (LDS Church)
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the...
, responsible for overseeing all church affairs in the state. That same month, at a general conference of the church in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, 22-year-old Rudger Clawson
Rudger Clawson
Rudger Judd Clawson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 until his death in 1943...
was called with seven other men to serve in the Southern States Mission. Clawson was assigned by mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
John Hamilton Morgan
John Hamilton Morgan
John Hamilton Morgan , was an early educator in Utah Territory, an official of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and a politician.-Biography:...
to be Standing’s companion.
Clawson may have been aware of the church’s situation in Georgia prior to his arrival. By at least 1876, Standing’s letters were periodically published in the Deseret Evening News
Deseret Morning News
The Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper. It has the second largest daily circulation in the state behind The Salt Lake Tribune. The Deseret News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of...
. One published on April 30, 1878 provides insight into his experiences in the post-Reconstruction South;
"A person traveling among the Southern people realizes that though they have been whipped by the North, yet there is a feeling of enmity existing in their bosoms, which only needs a little breeze to inflame their passions to deeds of carnage and strife."
Local opposition to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
increased as Standing and other elders increasingly gained converts in rural areas in North Georgia. Mormons missionaries were seen by some as spiritual carpetbagger
Carpetbagger
Carpetbaggers was a pejorative term Southerners gave to Northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction era, between 1865 and 1877....
s, deceivers who preyed on the poor and uneducated. The majority of those who were baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
into the faith followed the church’s council to “gather with the Saints” and left their homes for Mormon settlements in Utah and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Joseph Brown
Joseph E. Brown
Joseph Emerson Brown , often referred to as Joe Brown, was the 42nd Governor of Georgia from 1857 to 1865, and a U.S. Senator from 1880 to 1891...
, former Georgia Governor (1857–1865) and future U.S. Senator (1880–1891), told the New York Herald
New York Herald
The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835, and 1924.-History:The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, Sr., on May 6, 1835. By 1845 it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the UnitedStates...
;
"In traveling through the section about DaltonDalton, GeorgiaDalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
, embracing particularly the lower part of Chatooga, the upper part of FloydFloyd County, GeorgiaFloyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 90,565. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 95,618...
and WalkerWalker County, GeorgiaWalker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 18, 1833 from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. As of 2000, the population was 61,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 64,554...
, CatoosaCatoosa County, GeorgiaCatoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...
and MurrayMurray County, GeorgiaMurray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 36,506. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 40,664. The county seat is Chatsworth.It is part of the Dalton, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area....
counties, I was astonished to find what a hold the Mormons have on various communities. In each of these counties they have staunch believers and in most of them small congregations. Elders canvas through these counties continually and preach regularly. Every few months they send off bunches of converts for Utah. One of the strangest features of the whole matter is that no one can explain why the Mormon elders have chosen this section for their field of operations. They can be heard of no where in Georgia, AlabamaAlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
or the Carolinas outside of this mountainous area, covering a dozen or so counties. It may be because these counties are off the railroad, comparatively inaccessible and inhabited in certain localities by uneducated people.”
As the threat of violence toward Mormons increased, Standing sent a letter to Georgia Governor Alfred H. Colquitt
Alfred H. Colquitt
Alfred Holt Colquitt was a lawyer, preacher, soldier, 49th Governor of Georgia and two term U.S. Senator from Georgia where he died in office. He served as an officer in the Confederate army, reaching the rank of major general....
on June 12, 1879 briefly outlining the activities of armed mobs in Whitfield County and requesting assistance.
“I am fully aware dear Sir, that the popular prejudice is very much against the Mormons, and that there are minor officers who have apparently winked at the condition of affairs above referred to. But I also am aware that the laws of Georgia are strictly opposed to all lawlessness and extend to her citizens the right of Worshipping God according the dictates of conscience. . . A word or line from the Governor would undoubtedly have the desired effect. Ministers of the Gospel could then travel without fear of being stoned or shot and the houses of the Saints would not be entered into in defiance of all good law and order.”
Through his secretary J. W. Warren, Governor Colquitt replied;
“The Governor directs me to say that your statement is entirely correct. . . Under the provisions of our State Constitution, the reformation of religious faith, or of opinion on any subject, cannot legitimately be the object of legislation, and no human authority can interfere with the right to worship God according to the requirements of conscience. So long as the conduct of men shall conform to the law, they cannot be molested, and, even for non-conformity thereto, they cannot be interfered with only as the law may direct. . . The Governor regrets to hear the report you give from Whitfield County. He will instruct the State Prosecuting Attorney for the District to inquire into the matter, and if the report be true, to prosecute the offenders.”
Mobbing and death
On July 21, 1879, Standing and Clawson were leaving Varnell for Rome, GeorgiaRome, Georgia
Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County...
(approximately 57 miles (91.7 km) south of Varnell) when they were accosted by an armed mob of a dozen
Dozen
A dozen is a grouping of approximately twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year...
men. Most were on foot; at least three were on horseback. When Standing asked by what authority they were stopped on a public road, one member of the mob reportedly told them;
“The government of the United States is against you, and there is no law in Georgia for Mormons.”
The mob led them into woods and stopped at a spring. It does not appear that it was the intention of all in the mob to kill them. James Faucett told them; “I want you men to understand that I am the captain of this party, and that if we ever again find you in this part of the country we will hang
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
you by the neck like dogs.” According to Clawson, after an hour of “desultory conversation… of which the vilest accusations were laid against the “Mormons,” [and] the beastly talk of the mobbers,” three men who had left on horseback returned and directed Standing and Clawson to go with them.
Although it is not clear where they intended to take them, all accounts agree that Standing resisted by turning towards the mob and in a loud voice commanded them to “Surrender.” When he made this declaration he was holding a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
a member of the mob had left unguarded on a nearby tree stump. In response, Standing was immediately shot in forehead “directly above the nose”. Another member of the mob then pointed to Clawson and said “Shoot that man.” Clawson folded his arms and said “Shoot.” Although he appeared calm and maintained composure, he nearly passed out in the anxiety
Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
of the moment. For reasons unknown, the same man who moments ago told the mob to shoot Clawson now said “Don’t shoot.” As Clawson examined Standing, one man said; “This is terrible; that he should have killed himself in such a manner,” claiming that Standing accidentally shot himself “while bringing his weapon into position.”
Clawson convinced the group that he should leave for help to remove Standing’s body. He contacted Henry Holston, two miles (3 km) away, and Holston agreed to go to the site of the incident and look after Standing’s body while Clawson road a horse to Catoosa Springs
Catoosa County, Georgia
Catoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...
to contact the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
(approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) from Holston’s home). Before returning with the coroner, Clawson sent the following telegram to Governor Colquitt
Alfred H. Colquitt
Alfred Holt Colquitt was a lawyer, preacher, soldier, 49th Governor of Georgia and two term U.S. Senator from Georgia where he died in office. He served as an officer in the Confederate army, reaching the rank of major general....
in Atlanta; “Joseph Standing was shot and killed to-day, near Varnell’s, by a mob of ten or twelve men.” He sent the same message to John Hamilton Morgan in Salt Lake City with the additional line; “Will leave for home with the body at once, Notify his family.”
When they reached the spring, the mob had dispersed and a crowd of spectators were gathered around Standing’s body. The body now had more than 20 bullet wounds in the face and neck. It is believed this was done by the mob to protect the original shooter from conviction by having each man participate in the crime. Following the shooting the Atlanta Constitution called Standing “fat and beardless, and with not a very bright look, judging from his picture” and reported that those in the community became “alarmed for fear some member of their family might fall a victim to the seductive arguments and pleadings of the young Mormon[s]… [their] services were regularly attended by those who every week became more and more inoculated with the pernicious creed.” In spite of this perception Clawson told a reporter he believed the actions of the mob were not in harmony with the sentiments of the general population.
Funeral
Clawson accompanied Standing’s body back to Utah by train and funeral services were held in the Salt Lake TabernacleSalt Lake Tabernacle
The Salt Lake Tabernacle, also known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah along with the Salt Lake Assembly Hall and Salt Lake Temple.-History:...
on Sunday, August 3, 1879. Speakers included John Taylor and George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
. Approximately 10,000 attended the service.
Transcripts of Taylor and Cannon’s remarks were published in the Deseret News and later in the multi-volume Journal of Discourses
Journal of Discourses
The Journal of Discourses is a 26-volume collection of public sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The first editions of the Journal were published in England by George D. Watt, the stenographer of Brigham Young...
. Standing was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
.
Trial
On August 1, 1879, eleven days after the shooting, Governor Colquitt offered a $500.00 reward for “the capture of the murders of the Mormon elder” accompanying the thirteen warrantsWarrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
for arrest issued by the local Sheriff. Andrew Bradley, Jasper P. Nations, and Hugh Blair were indicted by a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
for first degree murder and riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
.
Accompanied by John Morgan, Clawson returned to Dalton, Georgia for the trial in October. Henry Holston, Mary Hamlin, and Jonathan Owensby testified in behalf of the prosecution. The latter two interacted with the mob while Standing and Clawson were in the mob’s custody prior to the shooting. On October 19, three days after the trial began, the accused were acquitted of murder. On October 29 the Deseret News reported that the accused had also been acquitted of “riot.”
The Atlanta Constitution reported that seven of the twelve men were Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s and at least one a member in good standing in a local church. John Morgan wrote to the paper; “If these men are Christians; if they and their advisers and abettors are to be admitted into the city that “lieth four square," we beg the privilege of locating in the other place, as we think it much preferable." The paper replied;
“We agree with Elder Morgan in his sentiments about the pious "Christians," recognized members and communicants of churches who imbrue their hands in the blood of innocence and mutilate the dead. If heaven is to be their place of abode in the great hereafter region, we shall prefer a home in another region, where murders cannot enter and hypocrites find no rest."
Standing’s legacy
The story of Standing’s murder lived on in the life of Rudger Clawson. In 1898, Clawson was appointed to the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the second highest ecclesiastical body in the church, a position he held until his death in 1943. Clawson’s high profile life in Utah, and among Mormons generally, gave opportunity for commentators to look to the events in his life that may have shaped his faith in God and commitment to the church. He was regularly asked to tell the story of Standing’s death, and references were made to the event by church leaders in conferences of the church for decades. The story of Rudger Clawson can not be separated from the story of Joseph Standing.Standing's death also reminded some Latter-day Saints of the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr. and his brother Hyrum
Hyrum Smith
Hyrum Smith was an American religious leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement. He was the older brother of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, Jr....
by a mob in 1844.
In 1880, the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association of Salt Lake City placed a monument of Italian marble over Standing’s grave in the Salt Lake City Cemetery
Salt Lake City Cemetery
thumb|The northern section of the cemetery at night, looking towards Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City Cemetery is in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Approximately 120,000 persons are buried in the cemetery. Many religious leaders and politicians, particularly many leaders of The...
. By the 1980s the obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
had cracked in half and rested beside the grave. It was replaced in 2001 with a new marker, a replica of the original, including iron fencing around the base. The text on the south side of the monument was written by Orson F. Whitney
Orson F. Whitney
Orson Ferguson Whitney born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from April 9, 1906 until his death.-Early life:...
.
(West View)
- IN MEMORIAM
- Joseph Standing Son of James and Mary Standing. Born Oct. 5, 1854 in Salt Lake City U.T. (Utah Territory) Erected by the M.I.A. of Salt Lake Stake 1880
(South View)
- Beneath this stone, by friendship's hand is lain
- The martyred form of one, untimely slain;
- A servant of the Lord, whose works revealed
- The love of Truth for which his doom was sealed.
- where foes beset-when but a single friend
- stood true, nor shunned his comrade's cruel end
- Deep in the shades of ill-starred Georgia's wood,
- Fair freedom's soil was crimsoned with his blood.
- Our brother rests beneath his native sod,
- His murderers are in the hands of God.
- Weep, weep for them, not him whose silent dust
- Here waits the resurrection of the just.
(East View)
- MARTYRED
- For the testimony of Jesus, while with Elder Rudger Clawson, through whose heroism the body was afterwards rescued, July 21st, 1879, Varnell Station Whitfield Co. Ga. by a [sic] armed mob of twelve men named David D. Nation, Jasper N. Nation, A.S. Smith, Daniel Smith, Bedj. Clark, W.M. Nation, Andrew Bradley, Jon Forssett, Hugh Blair, Jos Nations, Jefferson Hunter, Mark McClure
(North View)
- HIS MURDERERS
- were indicted and two of them tried, the first upon a charge of murder and the other for riot. Through bigotry and prejudice, both were acquitted. Evidence of guilt was not lacking, but the assassins boasted, "There is no law in Georgia for the Mormons."
Joseph Standing monument
In May 1952 a monument was dedicated on the site of Standing’s murder in Whitfield County, Georgia by church president David O. McKayDavid O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
. The 0.68 acres (2,751.9 m²) lot was donated to the church by W. C. Puryear and the road leading to the monument was named Standing Road. The property is maintained by the church and open to the public.
“This Memorial Park and monument honor the memory of Elder Joseph Standing of Salt Lake City, Utah, a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (Mormon) who was killed here by a mob July 21, 1879. His companion, Elder Rudger Clawson who later became president of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of the Church was unharmed. The cooperation of W. C. Puryear and family who donated the land and were most helpful in other ways, made this memorial possible.”
One of the dormitories at the church’s Missionary Training Center
Missionary Training Center
Missionary Training Centers are centers devoted to training missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, USA, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University....
in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
is named in honor of Joseph Standing.
In May 1978, a Latter-day Saint congregation was organized in Dalton, Georgia
Dalton, Georgia
Dalton is a city in Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is the county seat of Whitfield County and the principal city of the Dalton, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of both Murray and Whitfield counties. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,128...
, 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Varnell.
External links
- Joseph Standing (1854-1879) New Georgia Encyclopedia.
- The Martyrdom of Joseph Standing or, the Murder of a "Mormon" Missionary Nicholson, John. Deseret News Co., 1886.
- History of the LDS Southern States Mission, 1875-1898, Seferovich, Heather M., Master Thesis, Brigham Young University, 1996.