ARRESTED ON A NOVEL CHARGE—ELDER PARRISH'S DEFENSE—ELDER PATTEN'S INDIGNATION—CONSTERNATION PRODUCED BY HIS SPEECH.

In the early history of the Church, Apostle David W. Patten and Elder Warren Parrish were traveling, in the State of Tennessee, preaching the gospel and organizing branches of the Church.

In one locality, where considerable interest had been manifested and the usual opposition met with, the latter culminated in the arrest of the two missionaries upon the charge of being prophets, which was preferred by some of the people, when they were actually carried before a committing magistrate to be tried on the accusation.

The court was called, a jury summoned, and a great crowd of people gathered to see the result of so remarkable a trial.

Elder Parrish was somewhat of a lawyer, in addition to being a good public speaker, and begged the privilege of pleading his own case and that of his fellow-prisoner, which the court readily granted, and, after some preliminary work, the trial opened.

Witnesses were examined as to the teaching of the two Elders, much contradictory evidence was given in and a great amount of wrangling indulged in by the prosecuting attorney in trying to make a case against the prisoners.

After the prosecution had made up its case and the attorney had concluded his speech, Brother Parrish replied in quite a lengthy sermon on the first principle of the gospel, and then taking up the legal bearings of the case, he claimed immunity from prosecution on the ground of constitutional right to free speech.

During his speech it was quite evident that he had changed the popular feeling very much, and that many of the audience were in sympathy with the Elders.

Apostle Patten seems not to have relished the entire proceedings, doubtless looking upon it as equal to or worse than a farce, and considering that it was a disgrace to the courts of a free country.

As the defense closed and rested the case, he arose to his feet, and with a look of indignation on his face, turned full upon judge and jury; he raised aloft an immense walking stick, and in a voice of almost superhuman force, he exclaimed:

"If the Lord Almighty will turn this stick into a sword, I will cut heads off faster than He ever rained quails on Israel in times of old."

The judge dodged from his chair, the jury tumbled off the jury bench, the nearest bystanders sought safety by increasing the distance between themselves and the indignant Elder, and general consternation prevailed in the midst of the panicstricken crowd.

Turning to Elder Parrish, Brother Patten said, "Follow me," and both of the Elders walked out of the court room, mounted their horses and quietly rode away, not a word being said or a hand raised to stop their progress.