Elder J. A. Buno's detainment and search for dynamite
Published October 5, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Elder J. A. Buno, upon arriving in London from a mission, was singled out by Custom-house officers who conducted a severe and lengthy examination of his luggage, taking from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. because they suspected him of carrying dynamite. Despite the intense scrutiny and the implication of him being a criminal, he remained calm and was ultimately cleared.
In Their Own Words
“In accordance with your permission, I left Birmingham and arrived in London at 9 a.m. on the 1st. As soon as I landed I was taken to the Custom-house luggage room, and subjected to a severe examination of my luggage. On inquiring of the Custom-house officers what was the reason my luggage was so strictly examined while that of the other passengers was not, I was informed that I was suspected of carrying dynamite. It took me from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to get through this operation. When I got through, I told them where I was going, and that I was a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that I was not in the business of blowing up anything. They said they were sorry for the trouble they had caused me. I remained with relatives until July 20th, when I came to this city. I have been greatly blessed since I left home.”
— J. A. Buno, The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 46, No. 31
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 4 August 1884 (Vol. 46, No. 31). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1884-08-04_46_31 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, 4 August 1884 (Vol. 46, No. 31), page 494 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1884-08-04_46_31
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