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Stories Without Happy Endings: Thomas Smuin

If a story does not have a happy ending, is that a worthless ruin of a story? No! The scriptures contain all kinds of stories about all kinds of people. In some stories we learn what we should know and do by the heroic deeds done by people such as Captain Moroni or Ruth in the Old Testament. Some stories teach by precept and example what we should not do, like Korihor or King David. All have value. It is the same in our personal family history. Hence, judge carefully and learn diligently. To illustrate:

Thomas Hyrum Smuin was born on 6 July 1846, in Abingdon, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, Thomas Smuin, was 29 and his mother, Sarah Hook, was 29. He married Martha Marinda Cox in 1873. They were the parents of at least 7 sons and 5 daughters. He lived in Berkshire, England, United Kingdom in 1861.

In 1866 he came west to Utah as part of the John D. Holladay wagon company. The following is written about him:

In his early manhood he came from England, his birthplace, a bright and vigorous youth, but soon after his arrival engaged to work on the railroad where he acquired the whisky habit. Many times since then he has resisted the dreadful demands of the craving demon for periods of two to five years at a time, but as many times, in an unguarded moment, he was grasped again by its fiery fangs. The last time he quit drinking was about five years ago, at which time he had been drinking heavily for several years and came very nearly dying from the effects. He resolved, at that time, never to touch the cursed drug again and maintained his vow until about one year ago when he again gave way to the perpetual craving. 

Up till then he had been a man of cheerful temperament, but then found himself burning up with the old fire again and realized what he had passed through in the past. He at once became despondent and repeatedly remarked that he would never attempt to quit drinking again, but would rather die than try. The latter remark, though made frequently, was not seriously considered by his family as they thought it but an empty saying. In the several months past he had been drinking excessively and was either disagreeable or moody with his family.

Then March 19, 1909, Thomas came home intoxicated. He walked into his house and retrieved a bottle of strychnine that was used to poison coyotes. He took it and walked out of the house. One of his girls saw him and told her brothers. Two of his boys followed him and asked him for the poison. He denied having it and turned and started back for the house. Suddenly, he turned around, pulled the cork out of the bottle, and said, “Well, boys, here goes.” And he downed nearly half the contents. The doctor was summoned, but Thomas protested any treatment saying that he had been considering his actions for four days. 

Nevertheless, Thomas consented to treatment and the doctor worked over him for hours. When it seemed that Thomas was out of danger and going to recover, the doctor returned home only to be recalled moments later. Thomas Hyrum Smuin, my great grandfather passed away about 1:00 am Saturday March 20, 1909, near Vernal Utah. It is recorded, “He expressed no regrets, but talked jovial between the spasms, stating that he was no longer of any use to his family or himself and thought it no worse to take his life at once than to take it by degrees.”

The members of Thomas’s family may take that story as they will, but for me it is a fearsome reminder to obey the Word of Wisdom and pray unto the Lord with all the power of my soul for strength against that and all fiery temptations. 

Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJZ-5Y4 

Glenn Rawson