Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-05-27
From Great Salt Lake.

- From Great Salt Lake. 40
More Mormon outrage-uiolent desperation otsth
United States Courts extraordinary Coar
i proceedings.
i Correspondence of the NewYork Daily Tines
! GREAT SALT LAKE Cry, UTAH TERRIroRY,(
Thursday, March 8, 1s57}
n -ax
! The United STATES District Court for Utah
commenced its session on Monday, the 9th o
February, Judge Stiles, seeding Mormon, oc
cupyng the bench. The United States Distric,
Attorney is Hosea Stout, an appointee, of course
of the Government at Washington, and o noted
member of the DANTE Sand. .1Ais
Upon the opening OF the Court he rose ant
stated that no Grand Jury would be impannel
ed, as there was no cases to be presented wor
thy of its notice! Thus, BY one stroke OF mas
terly policy, administered by an officer OF th'
law and in the name of its majesty, We're cover
ed mp long catalogue OF henous offences, in
tcluding murders, robberies and arsons, which
fhad been committed since the last preceding
term of the Court. A Petit Jury was then sum
lnoned and sworn, but every imaginable imped
iment that could be thrown in their way to OBJ
struct the current ofjnstice when running com.
ter to the edicts of the Priesthood, were avalled
of. All the members OF the bar are Mormons,
except Mr. David II. Burr, United States Sur.
veyor General. and DR.. Hurt, an officer OF the
United States Indian Department. These gen
temen were admitted by Chief Justice Kinney
about year ago in order to attend to some
controversies corrected with their official posi-
tons, and to an important case that was then
tried, and which involved large amount OF
property belonging to citizen who was not
Mormon They have not practiced, however,
since then, until the present term OF the Court,
when they agreed to do SO at the earnest sollcI-
tation of Mr. T. S. Williams, who had some ve-
ry interesting cases to prosecute. ..1 10.
1t is contended by the mormons that the U
nited States Court has no cognzance OF any but
United States cases, and that all offences COM
mtted in the Territory, and all Territorial suits
must be tried before the Territorial Courts and
by the Territorial laws. Starting upon this pre-
text, while the Court was in PROCESS or the 18th
ut., the mormon Members of the Bar and 9TH
ers of the DANTE band inyeigIed Judge Stiles in
to private room, locked the door, barred the
windows, and then with reyolyers at his head
and knives within All inch of his throat, forced
him to promise to uphold them in whatever
they did, and to sustain the laws of Utah y
Thus overpowered, threatened and intimidated,
Judge Stiles yielded, dismissed the Jury and ad-
journed the Court, directing the crier to pro.
nounce it adjourneds sine die. G N 5 .-F
The crier accordingly announced the Court
adjourned sine die, but also stated that it would
meet the next day for the. purpose of transact
ing any territorial busines that might be brought
before it. The Judge, at the bidding of the Dan
ties notified the United States Marshal, MIR. Dod'
son, that after that day his presence would not be
required in the Court, that as Territorial business
was to be transacted, the Territorial Marshal
would, with such bailitfs and officers as he
might appoint to assist him, be considered the
officer of the court, and that an account OF the
expenses of the Court would be kept by the Ter
ritorial Marshall and rendered to the United
States Marshall for payment.
The Mormons feared that the United States
Marshal--who is "Gentile'-wOuld interfere
with the execution of their plans, and therefore
adopted this method Of getting rid OF him,
and substituting the Mormon territorial Mar
shall in his place. Judge Stiles, on being
asked by Gentle, directly after the adjourn
ment of the Court, whether it was possible that
he could imagine his proceedings and decisions
correct and just, frankly acknowledged that he
knew they were neither, and added: "You un-
derstand my position with this people. 1 can
not do otherwise aos-ot saf -. l.GT-'
Judge Stiles re-opened the Court the next
day, the 18th of February, in pursuance OF
the notice given and proceed to business. The
Territorial Marshal, Alexander Mckay, occupied
the proper station of United States Marshal, thus
giving the Court an entire Mormon aspect, with
Mr.. Burr as the only Gentle within the Bar
The journal of the preceding day WAS then read.
Finding that it recorded the Court rs adjourned
until to- o-morrow," Mr.. Burr asked il tho record
was correct. Judge Stiles replied that the crler
had misunderstood his order. and that instead OF
adjourning the Court sine de- he should have
adjourned the Court "sine die'' only as related
to United States business and that it was still IN
session on territorial business. q..
He also remarked that as the Legislature was
q creature of the same power as that which
created the court, they were coordinate; and
that in all cases to be tried before him he should
be goverened by the laws of the Territory in
preference to all others, and that he would have
recourse to other laws only when the en-
actments of the Territorial Legislature could
not be made to apply to the case. Mr.. Burr
then asked him if lie. understood him to
say that he would be guided by the laws OF
the Territory in preference to the laws OF the
ODlIeQ Ctuteo. l)ClOiO VuJ iSpJ NON'' " '''"@
an attorney named Ferguson jumped up and
commenced foul and most abusive attack upon
Mr.. Burr exhausting the whole stock of Nor
mon billingsgate in his malignant TRADE. lie
then turned to the Judge, and told him that II
he dared to decide against their laws he could
sit on that bench no longer, and that the court
room would be cleared ''d-d quick. =
The District Attorney followed in violent
barangue, in which he accused Mr.. Burr OF try
ing to ser aside the Mormon laws, and said that
the mormons had submitted to Gentle interfer-
ence long enough, that they were now going to
have their own way, and had good authority
for what they did, as well as safe hackers. Ihe
room was filled at the time with armed rufflans,
who constituted the "backers" alluded to. AS
soon as Mr.. Burr and Mr. T. S. Williams got up
to reply, the Territorial Marshal ordered them
peremptorily to stop; and immediately the whole
audience sprang to their feet and the Danltc
murderers, who filled the court, threw on their
coats. brandished their knives and revolvers, and
created such great confusion that the Judge
was obliged to adjourn the Court at cnce.
The next morning, which was Saturday, I'll the
Court opened amid intense excitement. Inc
whole Mormon populace were armed, ana nau
been intiamed to such degree by the incendia-
rv speeches of Ferguson, Stout, and others, that
the least pretence would have been avalled OF
to massacre every Gentle in the place. The
names of Messrs Burr and Williams were strick-
on from the list of attorneys, and the Court i'm
mediately adjourned sine de- Thus closed the
last term of the United States Court that can
ever be held in this Territory until the Govern
ment establishes its supremacy by vigorous ex.
@ ertion of physical force. What disgr1a;cefu,l !,
snectacle - is here presented to the world A
Judge bearing the sacred ermine. laid on Ibis his
shoulders by the Government OF the United
States in We'll founded fear for his life is com.
PEELED to yield to the will OF trenzed ana