hat he and his comrades
had been unable to purchase supplies from the Mormons ever since
they left Salt Lake City.

Brother Laney took young Aden to his house, gave him his supper,
and let him sleep there that night. The next day Laney was
accused by leading men of being unfaithful to his obligations.
They said he had supported the enemies of the Church and given
aid and comfort to one whose hands were still red with the blood
of the Prophet. A few nights after that the Destroying Angels,
doing the bidding of Bishop Dame, were ordered to kill Brother
Laney to save him from his sins, he having violated his endowment
oath and furnished food to a man who had been declared an outlaw
by the Mormon Church.

The Angels were commanded by Barney Carter, a son-in-law of
Bishop Dame. The Angels called Laney out of the house, saying
that Bishop Dame wished to see him. As Laney passed through the
gate into the street he was struck across the back of the head
with a club by Barney Carter. His skull was fractured and for
many months Laney lay at the point of death, and his mind still
shows the effect of the injury he then received, for his brain
has never quite settled since. I have frequently talked with
Laney. He is still strong in the Mormon faith, and believes that
Dame had the right to have him killed. Punishment by death is the
penalty for refusing to obey the orders of the Priesthood. About
this time the Church was in the throes of a "reformation."

One of the objects of the reformation was to place the Priesthood
in possession of every secret act and crime that had been
committed by a member of the Church. These secrets were obtained
in this way: a meeting would be called; some Church leader would
make a speech, defining the duties that the people owed the
Priesthood, and instructing the people why it was necessary that
the Priesthood should control the acts of the people; it was
preached that to keep back any fact from the knowledge of the
Priesthood was an unpardonable sin.

After one or more such discourses the people were called upon by
name, commanded to rise from their seats, and standing in the
midst of the congregation publicly confess their sins. If the
confession was not full and complete, it was made the duty of the
members of the Church, or any one of them who knew that the party
confessing had committed a crime which he or he had not divulged,
to then make public the same.

Unless the party then confessed