Matilda Elsie Penney

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWZG-MH8
• Initiatory (LDS): 11 Sep 1974, LANGE

Matilda married Leslie Egbert Westover on 21 Feb 1918. Leslie was born on 2 Feb 1892 in Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States; died on 20 Aug 1985. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LL9N-YNV
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Jun 1922

Notes:

Husband of Viola Palmer. Father of Pearl Penney and Mathilda Elsie Penn e y Westover. He and his father Ezra Penney were cruely murdered in Octob e r 1899 and not discovered and identified until 1905. His mother was Ama nd a Dalton. He was 26 years old.

George married Viola Palmer on 31 Jan 1896 in Millard, Utah, United States. Viola was born on 20 Apr 1880 in Deseret, Millard, Utah, United States; died on 24 May 1937 in Denver, Denver, Colorado, United States; was buried in May 1937 in Riverside Cemetery, Denver, Colorado, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWVG-XSR
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Mar 1938, MANTI

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LLQ6-F6D
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Sep 1919, SLAKE

Notes:

From the time Mr. Penney was thirty-one years old, he kept a diary. I t i s a very valuable heirloom. A person sets down in a diary those inne r per sonal things, so treasured by the family in after years-----and i t is jus t those things, which Ezra W. Penney entered in his personal jot tings dow n.
We print some of the following with a written comment of our own in pare n theses:
The Purpose of the Book

(The very opening entry discloses the purposes of the book, he says:)
This book is my first attempt to keep a journal.
This book is a starter, as I intend to record my actions as long as I c a n command my senses and collect money together sufficient to buy pape r an d ink, for I am convinced that the more we practice in any line an d branc h of education-----other things being equal----the stronger wil l become o ur organs and functions. We all should strive to improve ourse lves in th e branches we find we are qualified to follow.
(On the flyleaf, he has in quotations:)
"There are religious men who are not good, and good men who are not reli g ious."
-------------a wise and good man. If the world was full of such men, a l l would be much happier and longer lived, ten to one.
"If a man is able to convince me and show that I do not think right, I w i ll gladly change; for I seek the truth by which no man was ever injure d . But he is injured who hides in his error and ignorance.
---Marcus Aurellua Antoninus."
‘'''T is education forms the common mind;
Just as the twig is bent so is the tree inclined."
(Then under the words------)
Ezra Penney,
Account Book and Journal
(comes the quotation:---)
Page 3
That steward whose account is clear Demands his may appear. His action s n ever shun the light, He is and would be proved upright.
(Can any mark or act so denote a man's inner self than his utterance s i n his own private journal, written for no other eye than his own, and , a s he say in this case, "for his mental education and betterment"? A p erso n is truly delineated-----his inner self revealed. For in a moment h e quo tes in his book:) A honest man's the noblest work of god.

Lives Plain and Works Hard

(He gives a family record of births of his children, and I note that Alv i n "Pat" Penney and I were born in the same year. His father is writin g o f 1883 and up to 1887, nearly fifty years ago: My notes on this diar y rea d: "This man was a versatile genius, strong in character, fear less , care ful in his accounts, and his journal teems with such entree ‘as se tting i n full with
our creditors;' or ‘ got up at 2a.m. and loaded up and went to the sulph u r
mines with a load of freight; collected for same and got home at 7p.m.-- - Setteled up with our creditors.''' ‘He in invariably paying his littl e bi lls. And that accounts for the many entries, of which this is a goo d samp le:---"Loaned $150 to------at 1 1/4 per cent per month; now have $ 500 ou t at 10 per cent, $300 out at 1 % and $200 out at 1 ¼%." Electio n day, h e makes the
note "Appointed Judge of election," On another election day he ignores t h e petty stuff and works at putting on his hay, following the old adag e t o make hay while the sun shines.)
"On traveling Sunday night I lost my hat off the wagon, and going down t h e divide into Cove we met man driving a span of mules, and we asked hi m i f he found a hat to leave it at the Post Office in Kanosh, and he pro mise d that he would. On our arrival in Kanosh we found our hat awaitin g us, s o infer that the man inclined to keep his word.
On the 9th of February., 1883 he makes the entry, "The weather a littl e c older----20 below."
(And that pioneering it in Kanosh fifty years ago was not all a bed of p e rfumed roses, but on the contrary cinching up the belt one notch tighte r
many a time in lieu of a meal, he saysJ "Relished a good super of oat me a l and milk."
(What a light into the inner workings a diary is. Those little things , s o insignificant then, today so big! A meal on bread and milk and the y tho usand dollars out at averaging better than ten per cent!).
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(That he was over trying to correct himself he records: )
Tuesday May 1, 1883: I have resolved to give up the habit of smoking cig a rettes, as there effects are destructive to the vitality of the human o rg anism, and especially harmful to the lungs.
Loaned the merchant, A. Nodauld Fifty Dollars on interest at the rat e o f 1 1/4 per cent per month.

Taste for Good Reading
(He reads the Salt Lake Tribune
And Huxlev in Organic Nature, Organic etc etc., and that in 1883!)
(Records a day that started out with a wedding in the early afternoo n , a death in the early evening and a rousing Grand Ball later that nigh t , eliciting the remark: "Makes quite a mixed up day------Wedding, Feast in g, Prayer, Loving, Death etc all in the same day."
(A comet appeared on the 28th of January 1884. And right before it:)
In fact it is the driest winter I have seen so late in the year, especia l ly in the winter season."
(He complains many times in the years of '83 and ‘4 that there is a ha r d drought on, and everything dry; in one place, that if it keeps up an y l onger, the sheep and cattle will die.)
(And here is just the touch that the human interest historian hankers af t er:)
Tuesday 8 1884; Our darling Speck cow had a bull calf at 3 p.m.
(It is just those unconscious little things like that that reveal the ma n . Pepy's diary remains the standard of the world, for the reason tha t h e gives the the trifling, the little, but the intensely HUMAN thing s of l ife. And Boswell is immortal because he says the Terrible Sammy dr ank nin eteen cups of tea at Mrs. Thrales.)
Earned during my stay in Arizona $150 in legal tenders, and since my ret u rn have earned $70 at the sulphur mines at Cove Creek, Millard County , wh ich makes a total of $220 and we have out $300 at interest at the ra te o f 1 ¼ per cent.
(As to those sulphur mines we read of them first in Carvalo's "Inciden t s of Travel" when he came south after accompanying Col. John C. Fremon t o verland and down to Parowan. Carvalo was plumb done; Fremont not muc h bet ter. Carvalo had to go up to Salt Lake City to recuperate, and nex t sprin g he passed these sulphur mines on his way down south to Californ ia. At K anosh he stopped and too a Daguerreotype of Chief Kanosh and the n went do wn to the Sulphur Pit, steaming, leaping, bubbling, and churnin g; th e
Page 5


Indian guide too scared to approach it. Hot and sizzling, and held on l y a rod beneath. Later Mr. Penney speaks that on such and such a date , "P resident Young and Herber C. Kimball went to the Sulphur Mines for t hei r health,"----a sort of medicinal sulphur bath, internal as well as e xter nal.)

Goes to See the Human Footprint

Sat. 26th April, 1884: Mr. Fielding and I went down to Black Rock to vi e w a human foot track-at least that is what the supposition of those wh o h ave seen it.
Fri., the 30th: E. McClatchie arrived and we were invited to shingle h i s hair. As a matter of course we complied with his wishes.
(This versatile man earned a pretty penney I many ways; for instance " W e read a few heads. " for he was a student of the Phrenological Journa l , of which he is constantly recording in his diary. "received the Phren ol ogical Journal and Science of Life, and it is an interesting number, " H e pulls teeth; shingles hair, reads bunips; does surveying; makes ou t dee ds; is a Notary and swears with at, for and by his compatriots.)
Tuesday, 17 Feb., 1885: I bargainedfor 8 bu of apples from George Cran e , Esq. Times are very dull at present in Kanosh. Money is scarce I shou l d have said. (See how meticulously exact he wishes to be, and goes bac k a nd corrects himself.)
Notes an eclipse on the 16 of March 1885; and on 3 April, the "steadie s t soaking rain for twenty years." And that he had an eve for beauty h e sa ys)
Wed. 22 April 1884, Kanosh is very prettily decorated with Peach Apple s , and Apricot blossoms---that is, that is the estimation of the writer.
(Mentions William George, and Charley Watts. And says the spring of '8 5 i s one of the most pleasant he encountered in this part of the vine ya rd o f Utah)
(He goes again to see the foot prints of the human being in the lava:)
Fri. 15 May 1885: We hired A A. Kimball's light wagon to take a pleasu r e ride. Fritze Meiser, Wm C. Penney and I constituted the party. We exp er ienced quite a shower. Our circuit took in the Natural Rock Corral, th e W arm Springs, the Mormon Reservoir, and the human footprints imbedde d in t he black volcanic rocks, a distance of about two miles from Kanosh .

Pays a Pig for Three Washings
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(As to wages in those day:----)
Mother had the clothes washed by Mrs. -------. She received a pig for wa s hing three washings.
(Now then, a pig with a good healthy squeal, tail tightly curled and mo r e than a wiener,-----How much did Mrs. So and So get per wash. We'll ha za rd 50 cents each. What do you say?)
He speaks of attending the funeral services of young Huntsman who was sh o t by W. King, Esq., accidentally."
Tues 1st June, 1886; Signed a bound for $2,000 for T. R. Greener p. m.(T h is year reiterates that there is a severe drought on)
(Refers to Hunkupp; again refers to the drought.)
(Here's a humdinger:---)
"Met------and we discovered he was on a Breeze, the first time in five y e ars."
(It is just such things that make his journal a treasure. When I sen t i t back to Pat I insured it for $100; had it been lost, money could no t re place it.)
(He had to borrow some money from Amon Robinson, who ran the Gilead Lo a n & Trust o. Wonder if there was balm in Gilead if a borrower failed t o k ick through?) (On the flyleaf of the next volume is this, without quo tati on marksJ
Know this that every man is free to choose his life and what he will b e , for this eternal truth is given-------
God will pass no man to heaven!
(He speaks of the.S. mail being carried on horse back at present, on acc o unt of the heavy wagon roads, mud, snow, slush, and chuck holes." An d o n a minute says "Played on the banjo."


Review Year in Humble Spirit

Fri. 31, Dec 1886: Mother prepared us a good dinner. We are all well . A t the close of the year, 1886, feel proud to be able to thank God, Ou r He avenly Father, for the many blessings we have received at His hand s in re lation to Health, Prosperity, and General Good. Feeling connecte d with ou r welfare. We have been quite successful this year, considerin g the droug hty season…….

Page 7

We can say that we are most6 thankful for living in such a quiet tie t h e present year has been. Everything seems to be in good condition all o ve r America and in fact throughout the world. May peace and happiness re ig n over the entire globe. A Happy New Year.
(Can you beat that for a rfree, untrammeled outpouring of a fervent hear t , at ease with all the world, his neighbors, and himself? A diary is ho ne st, -----much other writing isn't)
(He is a member of the corporation distributing water, saysJ
Thomas Callister, Judge of Probate, R. Hutton, T. R. Greener, and Thom a s Charlesworth and took the oath of office o a corporation expected i n Ka nosh in Dec., 1885.
(Said he read the knobs on the beans and felt the solid ivory of sever a l go loots. Wait, here comes a SCREAM! In a double sense!)
"Just before dinner we extracted a second molar from a nigger boy, an d i t was a caution to hear him squeal!----But the tooth came right along !:)
(There, taken as an appetizer, so to speak. Teeth yanked while you wait. ) Wed. Mar 16th, 1887 "Invited to draw Henry Robinson's body to the grave ya rd….He was highly esteemed by everyone who knew him."
(No bank in those days, and he is constantly talking about changing chec k s with someone for gold and silver, or vice versa.)

Dig up Pottery in Ancient Mound
And again Visits Human Footprints
(And here just this last week or two we have printed detail of archeolog i cal discovers in Kanosh, so listen to this ante-dating us over forty ye ar s:)
Sunday, March 27, 1887: "I dug down in some mounds in George Crane's fie l d 9 a.m. and discovered some Crockery, supposed to be made by people w h o in habited this locality a long time ago,"
(He was right. Possibly 1500 or so years ago! Nor was that all this inte r esting man did; for continuing his research work that same day, to embr ac e all of interest, he says: "Returned home by Black Rock and looked a t th e footprints in the rocks."
(He kept an interesting diary. Not a page hardly but there is some revel a tion. It seems that that footprints had fascination for Mr. Penney, an d l ured him back time after time; for the very next Sunday he remarks:-- -
"Sun,. April 3, 1887; after dinner Wm. C. Penney, Amanda Penney, Amand a P enney, Mr Dunn and I went down to lower Town and Richard Hatton and J ame s Hatton joined us and we took a bath in the warm springs ,
Page 8

and returned by way of the rock corral. Indian grave yard, the Caves, et c ." (Simply could not keep away. Next Sunday he played hooky from Sunda y s chool and said" "B Dunn and I -----drove down to Black Rock to see th e fo otprints in the rock. Quite a curiosity." -----And for the many time s h e says, "Settled up with our creditors.")
(He was appointed Marshall of the Day for the 24th celebration in 1887 . J udge of Election that year, too and speaks of some old windjammin'
adjective hurler as "full of bombast!'


Knows the Value of Paint

Wed. 27 Aug., 1887; We painted our front porch, window sills, etc.,
which improved the appearance very much. One would hardly think what a d i fference a few dollars worth of paint will make around a place.
(And that you haven't taken the complete measure of this man yet, list e n to this little unimportant side light:--)
"Took a nap and on awaking had the following as visitors: Ed McClatchi e , O. Whicker, Harvey Watts, John Ducks and a host of others, all on acc ou nt of our musical entertainment on banjo and harmonica.
The man whose inner character is accurately delineated in his private jo u rnal, what he thought, what he cherished, what he rejected as false, th i s man is foully murdered and his body hid, the wagon which he drove tak e n to pieces and dropped in crevices in rocks, and for nearly eight lon g y ears the disappearance was enshrouded in mystery. Then his remains ar e fo und, interred with loving care by his sons; and their sons in the ye ars t o come will honor his --- diary heirloom from the dead.
I wish to thank Pat Penney for the loan which has made possible these hi s torical and human-interest remarks. ---Frank Beckwith, Sr.)

The Salt Lake Herald Republican Newspaper
Oct 24 1907

Remains of Murdered Father and Son Positively Identified
Kanosh, Millard Co., (Utah)
Oct 21 1907
A second telephone message came to Mrs. Amanda Penney at 2 p.m. today st a ting that the two bodies, supposed to be those of Ezra Penney and his s o n George were still in the grave where discovered. One was wrapped i n a b lanket, laying on the top of the other. They would not be further d isturb ed until after the arrival of the sheriff of Beaver County .

Mrs. Penney's son Edward instructed his brother William Penney to come o u t prepared to convey the remains home to Kanosh.

There seems to be no doubt as to the identity of the skeleton remains, b e ing identified by four bridged teeth in front of Ezra Penney's mouth a n d by a heavy shawl and quilt in which the bodies had been wrapped whe n bu ried.
The years' exposure to the elements had not destroyed the shawl or quilt.

There is every evidence to believe that the father and son were both mur d ered, as both were in one hole, one lying over the other, where they h a d been partly buried.

More than a year ago there was found near Parowan, more than 80 miles di s tant, the father's wagon and harness, and the skeletons of the horses . Th e horses had been shot through the head. The seat of the wagon was c overe d with blood and blood elsewhere which, under microscopical analysi s, wa s proved to be human blood. The wagon and other things were covere d wit h earth, as though in an effort to conceal them. They were found b y a she ep herder who needing a strap of harness protruding from the grou nd pulle d it out and disclosed the whole outfit.

How the wagon got to Parowan is a puzzle, but its presence at a distan c e so far remote from the scene of the murder is accounted for on the th eo ry that the desperados realizing that they could not escape by means o f t heir victim's team, killed the horses and concealed the evidence wit h dir t and brush."



Ezra W. Penney and his son George left Kanosh about November, 14th, 189 8 ; the went to Wah Wah Springs, stayed there a short time and then wen t t o the mountains. They were cruelly murdered.

On October 21, 1905, by means of some bridge work, on the upper front te e th, and the fabric of a shawl in which the remains were found, two skel et ons were identified as being those of Mr. Penney and his son.
The murder was a mystery, and remains to this day unsolved. Alleged perp e trators were arrested, a partial confession gotten from the women accom pl ice (so alleged), but the prosecution failed to secure a conviction.

The man whose inner character is accurately delineated in his private jo u rnal, what he thought, what he cherished, what he rejected as false, th i s man is foully murdered and his body hid, the wagon which he drove tak e n to pieces and dropped in crevices in rocks, and for nearly eight lon g y ears the disappearance was enshrouded in mystery. Then his remains ar e fo und, interred with loving care by his sons




According to Milestones of Millard (Copywright 1951 by DUP) the Ezra Pen n ey house was one of the first hotels in Kanosh. It was owned by Ezra a n d his wife and housed Federal agents who were sent to Kanosh to arres t me n practicing polygamy.

Ezra married Amanda Delilah Dalton in May 1870 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States. Amanda (daughter of Henry Dalton and Isabella Ferguson) was born on 10 May 1849 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; died on 13 Apr 1911 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States; was buried on 16 Apr 1911 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJR-17Z
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Oct 1865, EHOUS

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K2MH-BRR
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Sep 1919, SLAKE

William married Nancy Carolyn McCauslin on 3 May 1848 in Collinsville, Madison, Illinois, United States. Nancy (daughter of Younger McCauslin and Lydia Garner) was born on 8 Jul 1830 in Tennessee, United States; died on 9 Oct 1870 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States; was buried in Oct 1870 in Kanosh, Millard, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LL9N-17V
• Initiatory (LDS): 24 Jan 1884, SGEOR

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJY-4SD
• Initiatory (LDS): 2 Feb 1846

Henry married Isabella Ferguson in 1850 in Annabella, Sevier, Utah, United States. Isabella was born on 6 Nov 1831 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois, United States; died on 1 Jan 1873 in Annabella, Sevier, Utah, United States; was buried in Annabella, Sevier, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LXMG-TCZ
• Initiatory (LDS): 28 Jun 2014, SGEOR