185 years ago today - Apr 19, 1834

Philadelphia's Saturday Courier publishes the "tragical story of a Mormon preacher" provided "by the editor of the Independent Messenger on the authority of a gentleman from the western part of the state of New York" about townspeople who discover a hoax intended to convince them the Mormon could walk on water. They foil the plot and the Mormon drowns. The church paper reprints the article with the introductory note that "Some two or three years since, a milliard story was hatched up by (we presume) the priests, or their dupes; but we had supposed that it had either gone back to its native region to dwell with its author the father of lies, or like its first promulgator from him, sunk into disgrace to rise no more." Editor Oliver Cowdery challenges the Courier to publish the name of its source.

[Kenney, Scott, Saints Without Halos, "Mormon History 1830-1844," http://web.archive.org/web/20120805163534/saintswithouthalos.com/dirs/d_c.phtml]

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