Elder Albert Smith's preservation during tar and feathering

On March 26th, 1912, at the Gate Assembly Rooms in Nuneaton, Elder Albert Smith was attacked by a mob led by Richard H. Smith. The mob dropped feathers and hot gas tar on him. The tar ran down his face and into his eyes, causing significant pain and temporary blindness until the tar was removed. The article notes it was 'little short of a miracle' that his client was not blinded for life.

Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 74, No. 24 (June 13, 1912), p. 379):

On Tuesday, March 26th, Elder Albert Smith, while holding a meeting in the Gate Assembly Rooms, Nuneaton, was set upon by a mob, led by a man named Richard H. Smith. The mob, which had evidently been organized for the purpose, proceeded to cover the Elder with feathers and hot gas tar. The tar ran down his face and into his eyes, causing him intense pain and temporary blindness. It is little short of a miracle that he was not blinded for life.