Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-06-06


bine to her Debaucher.
The Van Buren, (Ark J Intelligencer o
the 10th contains the following account o
one of the most remarkable instances of de
sertion, infatuation and crime, terminating
in the death of the party most guilty, tina
We have ever met with s;
Il is with regret that we have to chroni
Gle the homicide, committed in our vicinity
on Wednesday last by Mr.. Hector II. Me-
Lean, late of San Francisco, California, ap'
on the person of a Mormon preacher. Moss
than all do we deplore the melancholy affair
that led to its commission The deceased
whose name is Farley Parker Pratt, was {
man Of note among the Mormons, and .iudg
ing from his diary and his letter to Mrs
Mclean, he was a man of more than ordi
nary intelligence and ability lie had beer
preacher and missionary of the Mormons
at San Francisco, California, where he made
the acquaintance of Mrs Mclean, whom he
induced to embrace the Mormon faith.
She was at that time living with her hus-
band, Hector II. Mclean. They were hap
Ply and prosperous until she made the ac-
quaintance of Pratt and embraced the Nor
mon faith She is the mother of three chill
dren by McLean--two boys and girl
and seems to be an intelligent and interest
ing lady converses fuently, and with more
grace and ease than most ladies'. About
two years ago, and soon after she became a
convert to Mormonism, she made an at
tempt to abduct two OF her children to Utah,
t a. toI ~, Ia, hro
who was then in California, aud residing
with his brother-n-law, Mr.. Mclean. She
soon after, however, found means to elope
with said Pratt to Salt Lake, where it is
said that she became his ninth wife.
After the elopement of Mrs. Mclean, her
parents, who reside near New Orleans, wrote
to Mr.. Mclean, in California, to send the
children to them. He did so. Several
months after this Mr.. Mclean received news
that his wife had been to her father, in New
Orleans, and eloped with the two youngest
children. He Immediately left San Fran
cisco for New Orleans, and on arriving at
the house of his father-in-law, he learned
from them that Mrs Mclean had been
there, and after an Intellectual effort to con-
vert her father and mother to Mor4onisn
she pretended to abandon it herself, and so
far obtained the confidence of her parents as
to induce them to entrust her in the city OF
New Orleans, with tie children; bat they
soon found she had betrayed their confidence
and eloped with the children.
They then wrote to Mclean in San Fran
cisco, who, upon the receipt of their letter,
went to New Orleans, aud learning from
item the above facts in relation to the af-
fair, Immediately started in pursuit Of his
children. He went to New York and then
to st. Louis While in St. Louis he learn
ed that the woman and children were in
Houston, Texas. On his arrival in Ious-
ton, he found that his wife had left some
time before his arrival, to Join large party
en- route for Utah He then returned from
New Orleans, and from there went to Fort
Gibson, in the Cherokee nation, with the
expectation of intereepting his wife and
children at that point
On arriving at Fort Gibson, and while
there. he found letters in the post Office to
his wife from Pratt, some of which were
mailed at st. Louis and others at Flint post
office, Cherokee Nation. We are unable to
give the contents Of these letters with par
ticularity, but they contained the fact that
Mclean was on the look out for her and the
children. and that they were betrayed by
the apostates and sentles and advising her
to be cautious in her movements, and not
let herself he known only to few of the
saints and elders. Mclean then, upon af-
iidavit made by himself, obtained writ
from the United States Commissioner at this
place for their arrest, and succeeded in get
ting them arrested by the United States
Marshal. They were brought to this place
for trial, and after an examination before
the commissioner, were discharged.
Pratt, as soon as released, mounted his
horse and left the city Mclean soon after
obtained horse and started in pursuit, and
overlook Pratt about eight miles from the
city and shot him Pratt died in about two
hours after receiving the wound This is a
plain narrative of the facts as we heard
them from the most reliable sources, which
we give to our readers without comment. as
we feel that we arc unable to do justice to
all parties But deeply do we sympathise
with Mclean in the unfortunate condition
in which Mormon villainy and fanaticism
has placed him.
To furnish come idea of the sentiments
which prevailed in the vicinity where the
tragedy occurred, we subjoin the following
from the Fort Smith Herald, of May 1G:
| ONE Mormon LESS NINE NIoRE WIDowsl
ALAS FOR THE Mormon PROPHET =
! IL THOU HAST Power TO RAISE THE DEAD
| FARLEY, RAISE TuYsELF -!
/ We learn that on examination of p. p
/ Pratt, before the United States Commits
sioner, he was discharged, and that While
on his way to the hills to make good his es-
cape from an enraged community and at
abused and highly aggravated husband, he
was shot and is now dead. 1t is we'll. W.
are pleased to see that such men--not men
demons-pursuing such a course, cannot
with IMMUNITY, come into our midst, in Ar
/ kansas, and advocate their unholy. diabol
zeal doctrine, and 60 away UNPUBLISHED.
We know, but care not, that We will b.
censured by some for rejoicing over the un
timely death of human being who has beer
launched, unprepared, into the presence o
his God; but we hold it to be much better
that this Mormon elder should be thu,
launched than that he should be spared t.
cause the ruin of hundreds, and perhaps
thousands, of his fellow beings, by leading