But the Church authorities seem to have been fearful that a spirit of rebellion might still lurk in the minds of the people, and determined to stamp out the last traces of apostasy. To this end, the doctrine of "blood-atonement" was introduced and preached regularly for several years. This doctrine was urged particularly with a wild and savage earnestness by Jedediah M. Grant, who, it is but charity to suppose, was insane on the subject; a blood-crazy wretch, legitimately succeeded by Daniel H. Wells. Like the latter he was First Counselor to Brigham, Mayor of the city and Chief of the secret police; and like him, too, he regarded murder as a holy act, if done in accordance with the rites of the church; and there is testimony that some of these unfortunate apostates were actually sacrificed in the Endowment House, "to atone for their sins and save their souls."