The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-27

EXAMINATION OF TWO or THE MuRpEnERs.

The Mormon Murder ut Beaver Island.
i ExnMi ~. no OF TWO or THE MuRpEnEas
The PEOPLE VS.. H. ID. McCULLoGH AND SAMUEL
GRAHAM The defendants in Court, June 10, 1851,
in charge Of Lyman Granger, deputy sheriff.
The defendants, by their counsel, pleaded not
guilty. Samuel Bennett, sworn-Says he knows
defendants; they, at the head of about sixty Nor
MONS surrounded our house, on the 7th instant, on
Beaver Island, (Bennet's house;) told they came
they would take US, dead alive; we shut the door,
and told them We would not obey Mormon law,
King Strang's law, or any other law, but the laws
Of our country; caught up my shot gun, which
alarmed and excited took hold of it to wrest it from
me, and in this struggle the gun was accidentally
discharged; the Mormons then commenced to break
in our house, and fred in at the window and door
Of the balls until they last br ike in tho door,
and several of them came into the house and drag
ged my brother out doors, and then commenced to
fire at him; he received five balls before he fell;
raised up his hands and pored them, the name Of
the Almighty God, to spare his life; the defendants
we're giving orders to fire. they fired several shots at
myself and one nearly cut my hand off; my wife ran
they followed her and dragged her back to the
house, and kicked and bruised her they dragged
my dead brother 20 the beach, and threw him into
his own boat, and compelled me to 60 into it too;
lucy tueu put SAIL I'd IL, anu conveyed TO the
Haibor, before the Mormon Justice, who issued
the variants for US; my hand was bleeding during
that time, and the most Of the following night, dur
ing which time was prisoner tainted several
times that night from loss Of blood that night
overheard VIM. Mcleod say to Mccullough, Zone of
the defendanis,) you did one thing wrong that you
did not kill the other fellow, (meaning mysef) you
ought to kill six Others, and | will guaranty you
against all law" he said Mccullough cut out my
brothers heart in my presence, and Nc Leod washed
his ha nds in the blood they held an inquest the
body; the most of the jurors had bee engaged in
numbering my brother; three men, who were not
Mormons, would not sign the verdict; the Nor
mons brought in verdict to clear themselves;
heard the defendants say in January last, that they
would kill me and my brother; they (the Nor
mons) are in the habit of annoying us with law
suits before their Mormon Justices; they had us
arrested twice, last winter, and made pay seven
ty dollars and some cents; they burned our two
houses, last winter, and gang Of them after
wards, in broad day light armed, to house, and
took our provisions before eyes, and not dar
ing to stop them; Srang threatened our lives fire.
sent to Strang, and told him If he would give us
what we paid the government for our farm he could
have it; "If your land" said he, 'was not decided
buy any land Of this despicable government; be.
sides, for government land there taxes to
pay; would not pay you anything for your land
the kingdom you must pay me tithcs." We will
not, saidmy brother, pay anything but what We
required to pay according to the law, Of our coun-
try. We'll, Bennett" said Strang, eff you do
not pay me 1.-THE, mark my words, that you will be
sorry" We then left him.
Cross-examined.-We only fred one gun, and
that was accidentally discharged by my wife, when
she tried to get it from me; we had another gun
in the house, but the lock was out Of order, and
could get il off, could have shot some of the
Mormons with my double ba rrelled gun, il had
tried to; but knew 1t would be Of no use rs there
were too many Of them; | do not know whether
any OF the Mormons were wounded or not; think
from the direction of the gun ut the time, il could
not wound any Of them; we did not fire any other
gun; my brother did not fire; the defendants we're
there; their intention was to kill US; the reason
that they got out the warrant for us is because We
told the Mormon constable, three days before, that
1t would be no for them to try to execute Nor
mon laws up there; that the people were bound not
to obey them; we did not offer them any resist
ance; the man whom they were going to arrest
then was about three miles from our house; we
have not lived on farm since last fall for fear Of
being murdered by them.
do hereby certify, that the above is correct
statement Of the evidence of Samuel Bennett in the
case Of the People vs. McCullogh and Graham, for
the murder Of Thomas Bennett.
CHAs. M. O'MALLEY, Justice Of the Peace.
IFrcm the Detroit (Mich) Tribune June 23l
There were ten more persons arrested and
brought down from Beaver Island, yesterday, on
the United States steamer Michigan, charged with
an attempted robbery Of the mail, armed With
Nibhccoto
brought down, at the expense of the United States,
every of whom is a witness for the defence-not
one was brought down for the prosecution. The
defendant Strang, and his counsel were carried up
aud brought back free Of expense on board the
Michigan. The dispositions Of about forty wit
nesses we're taken the island, some thirty Of
which for the defence, free Of expense to them
The Commissioners Court sat twelve hours one day
and nineteen hours the secOnd-Commssioaer
Wilkins holding the Court, Mr.. Bates appearing
for the United States, and Col McReynolds and
Mr.. Strang for the defendants As there has been
an attempt to PREJUDICE the action of the District
Attorney, and get up sympathy for the defendants,
and give these arrests party character We deem
il proper TO state; the complaints made to the
District Attorney all came from Mormons or
State officers who arc democrats. The grand jury
that found the indictments we're majority Of them
democrats, and only made presentments, after a
most patient examination. Without speaking Of
the evidence, we think the trial will show that the
government officers would have been rccreant to
duty to have overlooked the mplaints and no
prosecution ever carried on with more courtesy
or kindness toward the accused.
From the Detroit Advertiser June 81
On Sunday last, the United states Marshal
reached Detroit, having in his custody, Rice, Mil
Ter, Post, Brown, William Townsend, Asa b.
Field, Seymour Page and Finley Page, who are
under indictment with Strang, for making and pas
sing counterfeit coin Of the United States, and OBJ
structng United States mais, and for stripping
government land Of timber. The steamer also
DIVuBnt uOWn, NJ the expense Oh tue RONefumenb,
thirteen witnesses for the prisoners.
The parties arrested are, or claim to be, inn
portant and influential men in the Mormon organi-
zation, holding various Offices therein, such as
apostles, high priests and elders On the examine
tion, il TO, by Strangs witnesses, that he
isa prophet, gifted by divine inspiration and cothe
with miraculous powers, among which is the gift Of
prophecy One Of the witnesses, who calls himself
High Priest, being under examination upon cath,
in answer to Stgangs nterrogatoTies, sworc sefore
the Commissioner that che knew Strang 10 be a
prophet Of the earth, gifted, by divine Inspiration
with miraculous powers, and endowed with divine
grace;" that he twitness), ss High Priest, hnd
taken the covenant from ~ James ,Strang), By
laying hands on the cross, and by signing IL. AnC
Of tins point the witness identified che "cOyer ant
referred to by him TO be the bisspbemous docu
ment heretofore published by u, in the testmonI
1t A6ams. Thiswitness went on to say-"I believ
Strang to be prophet, whose inspiration come
from God, like that of Isaiah and the other pro
lhcts OF old; and that he foretel things Of tn
future; and that, when inspired no can sneak from
and translate Unknown tongues" The witpes