PERSECUTION IN TREDEGAR, MONMOUTHSHIRE
On the 4th day of this month, it happened that Elder Lorenzo Snow and myself were preaching in the town hall of Tredegar with a large crowd listening to us; Brothers Davis, Pugh, Giles and others were also present. After the meeting ended, Bro. Snow and myself were directed to a cafe to take lodging; and after eating supper we went to our bed at about half past eleven.
After going to the bedroom, we looked to see if there was a lock on the door, but there was none. We went to our bed not thinking anything bad would happen, and we went to sleep. But within a few hours we heard a noise of some persons coming to the room toward us; and when we opened our eyes, the first thing we saw was a large man with a lighted candle in his hand, and the first word he heard was "OLD BUGGERS," for they were speaking in English. They went over to our watches which were on the table. Three of them were visible at that time, and we heard two others speaking outside the room. Their curses were enough to frighten any human being. We still stayed in the bed, and after they had looked at our watches and our clothes and everything else, they came forward to the bed swearing terribly. We feared for our lives to say anything to them; and the first thing I asked them was what they wanted. And cursing, they answered that if we uttered another word that they would fix us up good. I said to them again, "Would you friends please go out?" Then they swore even more fiercely, saying not to call them friends; and they tried to hit us, but they failed to touch either one of us. Then after calming down a bit, they began to feel our faces, and we saw that it was better for us to be still and lie like innocent lambs. But finally they pulled our bedclothes off in order to see what kind of shirts we had. And one of them said to me, "Old bugger,
why didn't you change your shirt instead of going to bed with a clean shirt?" After that they began to drip the tallow of the candle on us by slanting it above our heads, but we tried to hide our faces as best we could. Then they tried to set fire to the blankets, but failed completely. Bro. Snow had a nightcap on his head, and they ordered him to take it off, which he did immediately, and then they tried to burn the nightcap in his hand, but they failed. Then cursing terribly, they said they wanted to get us out of the bed; and then they began to wrestle with us, but they failed to stir me; however, they were beginning to take Bro. Snow. When I saw that, I took hold of him, and then our enemy lost his grip and fell down and hit his back against the wall. At that time the candle miraculously went out. Then we sat up in the bed and they were now vowing and swearing that they would kill us after lighting the candle. We feared lest they harm us with a knife in the dark, but then we perceived that they had all gone out of our room. We were taken with fear upon thinking how much danger we were in, and we prayed to God to save us. After an instant we heard their noise coming up to us again, swearing frightfully; and when we saw the light of the candle coming in, we jumped out of the bed; and by then the head of one of them came into sight in the door. Then we closed the door against him, causing him to fall down over some of the stairs; and that
is where we remained for about half an hour pushing out backs against the door to keep them from coming in. At times they almost overcame us and were about to come in; and when it became extremely hard for us, I heard Bro. Snow praying softly, "Of Father, help us, for it is very hard for us," to which I added "Amen, amen," in the midst of my groans. There was not time to offer a long prayer, and so it was not. We managed to keep them out through it all; and although we could hear them vowing that if they broke in they would kill us, and although they almost got in at times, yet we got renewed strength to keep them out; and although there were at least five of them, big strong men, we overcame them with our strength. After seeing that they were not getting anywhere, one of them called for a chair and began to hit the door with it for a while, until the lady of the house shouted, "What's the matter?" And through her effort she persuaded them to come down to their own rooms, but not without their swearing that they would come in again before morning. Then we wedged a chair tightly against the door and went back to bed almost numb. It was now about four o'clock, which we perceived by feeling our watches. We slept with one eye open and the other closed, and with one foot in bed and the other out. And I asked Bro. Snow if he was asleep. "Yes," he said," one side. How are you sleeping, Bro. Phillips?" "Well," I said, "the same as you, but I am not
shaking so much." "Oh," he said, "I have been in this situation before in America when a chair kept mobs out." At times we heard our intruders swearing at us, and they continued to threaten us still. At about half past eight, we went down after dressing, but we did not see one of our old fellow-travelers, and we did not wish to see them the way we had seen them during the night.
Now, I cannot help but think that these rascals lived in town, or at least nearby, and that a council had been held and these men had been appointed to search out where we would be sleeping, so that they could take lodging in the same place; but they failed to accomplish their objectives because we won out at the door. We believe that the lady of the house was totally ignorant of the situation. We thank God for saving us again this time; and we counsel all the elders that if they sleep in such places to make sure to lock the door of the room they sleep in; and if there is not a lock on it, let them sleep with one eye open.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS
[Translated from the Welsh original in Udgorn Seion, 1851, p. 366-9, by Ronald D. Dennis, 1529 W. 1170 North, Provo, Utah]
