"A poor persecuting booby, by the name of Grandison Newel[l], and who in fact was scarcely a grade above the beast that perish, went and swore out a state’s warrant against the editor of this paper, saying that he was afraid of his life. In so doing, he swore a palpable lie, and every body knew it, and so did the court, and decided accordingly." — Elders' Journal¹

Grandison Newell was a prominent figure in Lake County, Ohio, but he hated the Latter-day Saints. He harassed the Saints that gathered in Kirtland, funded the anti-Mormon work of Doctor Philastus Hurlbut, and even threw eggs at missionaries. Newell schemed to destroy the Kirtland Safety Society by hoarding notes and then demanded their redemption in coins to try to deplete its reserves. Newell eventually received his wish and saw the Saints abandon Kirtland.²

1. Elders’ Journal, August 1838, josephsmithpapers.org

2. Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 23, 264–269