The "guards" appeared to take a fiendish delight in preying upon the defenseless Saints. They wantonly killed any of their animals they took a fancy to, appropriated and used their horses, and displayed their base natures by insulting women. The people were not allowed to leave the settlement except to procure wood to burn; and, although they had been ordered to vacate the State, they were not permitted to go in search of their horses or cattle to use on the journey. After locating in Far West, Anson started, on the 23rd of December, 1838, to go to a farm near Elk Horn to make sale of two-thirds of thirty acres of corn which he had raised on shares. He left without knowledge of the mob or "guard," and soon after he arrived at the farm he was taken prisoner by ten armed Missourians who were accompanied by an old negro. They took him into the back part of a store and ordered him to give up his weapons. When told that he had none, they thoroughly searched his person, and, finding that he was defenseless, they threatened and abused him in a most vindictive manner. He controlled his natural inclination to resent their indignities, and submitted to their taunts and abuse, with the result that they gradually grew bolder and apparently felt more safe in continuing it, and after awhile stood their rifles up against the wall, and, seating themselves, engaged in whittling with their bowie knives, at the same time indulging in tantalizing remarks. Their hope evidently was to goad him beyond endurance, when, if he resisted, they would have some excuse for executing summary vengeance upon him. One of their number, James Ogle by name, more bold than the rest, repeatedly struck him in the face, declaring that the "Mormons" had wronged him, and that this defenseless victim must now atone for it. He also proposed to strip him and flog him on the bare back with hickory withes, which proposition was not acted upon, as no one else seemed to favor it. He repeatedly dared Anson to fight with him, and even offered him a knife to defend himself with, but all in vain; Anson bore it all in stolid silence, mentally praying to the Lord in the meantime to restrain his tormentors and not allow them to take his life. After he had endured this treatment more than two hours, Ogle said "It is getting near night, and we must make a finish of this business," whereupon Anson was marched out into the street to the accompaniment of a threat that they would treat him as they said they had treated a "Mormon" some time previously; strip, tie and flog him, and leave him tied until morning. With a view of doing so, the old negro who accompanied the gang was sent off to procure a rope. While awaiting his return Anson was marched up and down the street between two files of his "guard," he appearing as unconcerned as possible, but secretly watching for some opportunity to escape. Seeing a grocery keeper leaning out of a window watching him the