By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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In Lippincott’s Magazine we find this strange story about Joseph Smith’s money-digging activities in Pennsylvania:

. . . On a wilderness hill . . . his peek-stone discovered a ton of silver bars . . . The third hole had been sunk fifteen out of the necessary twenty feet when the treasure once more jumped to the other side of the big hole. Then the prophet had a vision: the blood of a black sheep must be shed and sprinkled around the diggings. Black sheep were scarce, . . . At Length, no sheep appearing, Joe said that a black dog might answer. A dog, therefore, was killed, and the blood sprinkled on the ground. After that the silver . . . waltzed about the big hole in such a lively manner that frequent tunnelling to effect its capture availed nothing. At last the prophet decided that it was of no use to dig unless one of their number was made a sacrifice. None of the faithful responded to his call, and thus the magnificent scheme was abandoned. Oliver Harper, one of the diggers who furnished the money, was soon afterward murdered. The prophet thought this might answer for a sacrifice: he again rallied the diggers, but the charm remained stubborn and would not reveal the silver. (Lippincott’s Magazine, 1880, pages, 199-200)

On April 23, 1880, the Salt Lake Tribune published a very important document which shows that Joseph Smith was involved with Oliver Harper’s widow in a money-digging agreement after Mr. Harper was murdered:

Ed. Tribune: Knowing how interested you are in any matter pertaining to the early history of our church, I enclose a slip cut from the Susquehanna, P. Journal of March 20, . . .

Respectfully yours,

B. Wade

The following agreement, the original of which is in the possession of a citizen of Thompson township was discovered by our correspondent, and forwarded to us as a matter of local interest.

The existence of the “buried treasure” referred to was “revealed” to Joe Smith, Jr., who with his father the prophet, at that time resided on what is now known as the McCune Farm, . . . upon the strength of which revelation a stock company was organized to dig for the aforesaid treasure. After the company was organized, a second communication was received by Joseph Jr., from the “other world” advising the seekers to suspend operations, as it was necessary for one of the company to die before the treasure could be secured.

Harper the peddler, who was murdered soon after, . . . was one of the original members of the company, and his death was regarded by the remainder of the band as a Providential occurrence, which the powers had brought about for their special benefit. The death of Harper having removed the only obstacle in the way of success, the surviving members, recommended operations, and signed an agreement giving the widow Harper the half of one-third of all the treasures secured. The following is the agreement, written by the old humbug, Joseph Smith, himself:

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT

We, the undersigned, do firmly agree, and by these present bind ourselves, to fulfill and abide by the hereafter specified articles:

First: That if anything of value should be obtained at a certain place in Pennsylvania near a William Hales, supposed to be a valuable mine of either gold or silver and also to contain coined money and bars or ingots of gold or silver, and at which several hands have been at work during a considerable part of the past summer, we do agree to have it divided in the following manner, viz: Josiah Stowell, Calvin Stowell and Wm. Hale to take two-thirds, and Charles Newton, Wm. I. Wiley, and the widow Harper to take the other third. And we further agree that Joseph Smith, Sen. and Joseph Smith Jr. shall be considered as having two shares, two elevenths of all the property that may be obtained, and shares to be taken equally from each third.

Second: And we further agree, that in consideration of the expense and labor to which the following named persons have been at (Johs F. Shepherd, Elijah Stowell and John Grant) to consider them as equal sharers in the mine after all the coined money and bars or ingot are obtained by the undersigned. Their shares to be taken out from each share; and we further agree to remunerate all the three above named persons in a handsome manner for all their time, expense, and labor which they have been or may be at, until the mine is opened, if anything should be obtained; otherwise they are to lose their time, expense and labor.

Third: And we further agree that all the expense which has or may accrue until the mine is opened, shall be equally borne by the proprietors of each third and that after the mine is opened the expense shall be equally borne by each of the shares.

Township of Harmony, Pennsylvania, November 1, 1825 in presence of:

Isaac Hale
David Hale
P. Newton
Charles A. Newton
Wm. I. Wiley

Joseph Smith Sen.
Isaiah Stowell
Calvin Stowell
Joseph Smith Jr.

(The Daily Tribune, Salt Lake City, April 23, 1880, as cited in A New Witness For Christ In America, vol. 1, pp. 492-494)

We recently heard that a Mormon researcher had discovered the original handwritten copy of this money digging agreement. We have confirmed this report and also learned that the person who found the document does not intend to keep it a secret. The details of this discovery, therefore, will probably be announced soon.

At any rate, the History of Susquehanna County, page 97, says that “Oliver Harper was murdered by Jason Treadwell, . . .” Wesley P. Walters, who has done original research into the murder of Harper, feels that Treadwell was originally part of the money-digging group. After the murder he stopped at Isaac Hale’s house (Hale, of course, later became the father-in-law of Joseph Smith). During the trial Treadwell admitted involvement with money obtained by trading counterfeit coin. The History of Susquehanna County, page 325, says that Treadwell was executed on January 13, 1826. This was only two months before “Joseph Smith The Glass looker” was tried before Justice Neely.

We could probably overlook Joseph Smith’s association with the occult during his youth if it were not for the fact that he later claimed that during this period he was being visited by the Angel Moroni who was preparing him for the translation of the Book of Mormon. In our new book, Mormonism, Magic and Masonry, we present a great deal of evidence linking the Smiths to magic.

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