Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1857-10-15
AN ESCAPE FROM sALr LAKE.

OF John DAVIS, young WeIehman, who
enigrated 10 Salt Lake with bis family
about two Yeas ago from Ma South
Wale1 Il is taken from private le ter.
fated Council Bluffs City. Iowa June
90. 1857:
Il guess YOU are anxious to know the
reasrn why | ie't Salt lake. shall try,
in the fr't plce, {, inform YOU What
maB 'nu.t 10 70 be Mormon. He must
give himself, his faully, aud all bis poses
slons over to Brigham Young. aud then
he'll have to give the tenth Of all his in.
come-the tenth day'. worZ--anl I've
must keep from two 70 ten wi.e+ Ifhe
don't agree TO these thing. he bad bet.
ter quit; but by doing NJ he IS in danger
VI losing his life every minute, flr thev
would rather kill him than let him be the
means Of letting tue world knos bow
things are in their midst. Many have
heen shot down in trying to escape
have seen dozens shot down on the street;
aud thIse days before | left | saw three
persons killed merely because they intend
ed 10 esctpe--they were shot down in =
place called Springfield. while they we're
preparing their trunks D. leave. THIS took
place abOus eight o'block on Sunday NOR.
Mug, Within fifty yards Of the gates of the
city. The first was a young man called
William Parish; he received several shots
N the body. The second was bis father
and the thrd WAS a man called PotteI,
whose body received as many as fifteen
balls, The old man was pierced in the
back, aud bis throat cut in three different
places. saw them lying down, aud
could name the persons who killed hem
Brigham Young his ct men for all tli>
purpose. Tueir number !, four hundred.
They are rsIIel "DestlnrIug Anqel,, -
The ctptrlns name is William Hcma
and the secood III comaand is Porte
| 4 ,tkvell.
The walls arou al the city are Is lee,
Hgh, aud they are snrround5l by dec
AID vide IN at Tue city is enteel by
IOur gGeS, which are watched iuthe nish.
time. The gates are 50 narrow that oni
IRE vehicle Can pass though at once -
The destroying Angels go out on tn.
plains IN tina spring, in order to enterce'r
those who may IS ape from the city =
Many left on foot on last January. rhe
sleep by day and travel by night. I
know of men aud woman who have trav
eled this way the men dressed as women
and the women rs uieh. I came acros,
some VINO were varv short Of fool; the liz
lie they hal they gave to the women, and
the men were principally sustained BY the
womeu's milk.
II Iief SIT Lak4 Civ on tie l7'h %
April, IN company " III tw, W-cnue n
an African. TIE few Mpru,us a,
knew Of Ou, trltiOus sad that w. yuu
never reach the States alive, bur I tn.
them l " S determined to try, whltrv.'
would oc:ur, On saturday, THE dly At
ter we left, we had Travelled thirty miles
from the city, when we saw three mea
following us. They were sent hy the au
thorities to catch us. The name of one
was Patrick Lineh, an KIshman by birth,
and Secretary to Brigham Young. This
man fired his revolver at me. but the ball
went by without hurting me. They then
came near Us on their hors $ and irquirrd
our names, aud when we refused tn tell
them, they swore that they would blow
"our damueI brains out" With that,
one of them raised bus revolver as if he was
going TO nse it--he had one on each side
Of the saddle. I then took out my revol.
yer and told him to fire if he liked.
Il had six Fevolvers with me, and a ri
de, containing in all thirty seven balls.--
Another ball was then ilel at me, which
whistled by nv left cheek. then fred
at him, and one ball hit him on the leg and
another on theShoulder. my friends bv
this time had run into the woods, and
was left to fight it out my>elf) then
lost my footing, and one Of the men run
at me with . knife and cut my belt anil
took four Of my revolvers, had the
other two hid in nv boots. | got hold of
one of them and fired, AMI succeeded in |
keeping them off for some time, till had !
chance to lun to the woods, where l got |
the assistance Of my friends.
ave continued to travel that day and
the following night. anl succeeded in
reaching place caIlel Fort Bridger, which |
is ll3 miles from the Valley. The num-
Der 0 our pursuers had now increased to
twenty, and we had to put to the woods
again. We travelled till night, and we're
so fortunate as to meet host Of friendly |
Indians, who gave US Buffalo meat to eat
The next day we overlook number of
wagons, known as Mr.. Rabbits train. in
number twenty -eight, I was hrel t.
drive one wagon, which was drawn by |
SIX mules. We had some trouble with
lot Of indians called the Grow THbe."-
Thev were we'll arme an about a thou,-
and strong We killed about thirty h.
dions, and they killed five Of our men,"
AE- A Cincinnati pantIaman talls bnu