St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-06-11
vol i .
From the New York Times.
"Squatter Sovereignty" at Salt Lake.
GREAT SALT LAKE CRY, q. T.,
Thursday, March 5, 81.

thursday, March D, 81.
The U. s. District Court for Utah,
commenced its session on Monday, the
9th of February, Judge Stiles, Sc
ceding Mormon, occupying the bench
The U. 5. District Attorney is Hosea
Stout, an appointee, of course, of the
Government at Washington, and a
noted member of the DANTE Band
Upon the opening of the Court, he
rose and stated that no Grand Jury
would be empannelled, as there was
no case to be presented worthy of its
notice Thus, by an officer of the
law and in the name of it's majesty,
were covered up long catalogue of
helnons offences, including murders,
robberies and arson, which had been
committed since the last preceding
term of the Court. A Petit Jury was
then summoned and sworn, but every
imaginable impeachment that could be
thrown in their way to obstruct the
current Of justice when running coun-
ter to the edicts of the Priesthood,
was availed of. All the members of
the bar are Mormons, except Mr.. Da-
vid II. Burr, United States Surveyor
General, and DR.. Hurt, an officer of the
United States Indian Department.
1t is contended by the Mormons that
the United States Court has no cogniz
ance of any but United States cases
and that all offences committed in the
Territory, and all Territorial suits must
be tried before the Territorial Courts,
and by the Territorial laws Starting
upon this preteXt while the Court was
in progress on the 18th ult., the Nor
mon members Of the bar and others
of the DANTE Band inveigled Judge
Stiles into private room, locked the
door, barred the windows, and then
with revolvers at his head and knives
within an inch of his throat, forced
him to promise to uphold them in what
ever they did, and to Sustain the
laws of Utahw Thus overpowered,
threatened and inundated, Judge
Stiles yielded, dismissed the Jury, and
adjourned the Court, directing the Crier
to pronounce it adjourned sine die. The
Crier accordingly announced the Court
adjourned siae die, but also stated that
it would meet the next day for the
purpose of transacting any Territori.
al business that might be brought be.
fore it.
The Judge at the bidding of tho
Danites, notified the U. S. Marshal
Mr.. Dodson, that after that day hi.
presence would not be required in tn,
Court,-that as Territorial business
was to be transacted, the Territorial
Marshal would, with such baliffs ant
officers as he might appoint to assis
him, be considered the officers of tn,
Court, and that an account of the ex
penses of the Court would be kept by
the Territorial Marshal, and rendered
to the United States Marshal for pay
ment. The Mormons feared that the
U. S. Marshal--who is Gentle -
would interfere with the execution o.
their plans, and therefore adopted thi:
method of getting rid of him, and sub
shutting the Mormon Territorial Mar
shall in his place. Judge Stiles, OF
being asked by Gentle directly al
ter the adjournment of the Court
whether it was possible that he cou,,
imagine his proceedings and decision
correct and just, frankly acknowledge
ed that he knew they were neither
and added: "Iou understand m,
position with this people. Team.
0thcrarise!"
Judge Stiles re-opened the Court tn
next day, the 18th of February, il
pursuance of the notice given, anc
proceeded to business. The Territori
al Marshal, Alexander Mckay, occu
pied the proper station of the 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 as adjourned I'M
til tomorrow" Mr.. Burr asked if the
record was correct. Judge Stiles re-
piled that the Crier had misunderstood
his order, and instead Of adjourning
the Court sine die, he should have ad
journed until the next morning tina,
he had adjourned the Court sine die
only as related to United States bust
ness, and that it was still in session
on Territorial business. He also re
marked that as the Legislature was
creature OF the same power as tina
which created the Court, they were &C
ordinate and that in all cases to b
tried before him, he should be govern
ed by the laws of the Territory in pre-
ference to all others, and that he woul
have recourse to other laws only whe
the enactments of the Territorial Leg
islature could not be made to apply t
the case.
Mr.. Burr then asked him if he under
stood him to say that he would b
guided by the laws of the Territory i
preference to the laws of the Unite
States. Before any reply could b
made, an attorney named Ferguson
jumped up and commenced mos
foul and abusive attack upon Mr.. Burr
exhausting the stock of even Mormon
billingsgate in his malignant trade
He then turned to the Judge, and tolc
him that if he dared to decide agains
their laws he could sit on that Bencl
no longer, and that the Courtroom
would be cleared id quick ~
The District Attorney followed in o
violent harangue, in which he accused
AR. Burr of trying to set aside the
Mormon laws, and said that the NJ )r.
mons had submitted 20 Gentle inter
ference long enough, that they were
now going to have their own, and had
good authority for what they did, as
well as safe hackers. The room was
hlled at the same time with armed ruff
flans, who constituted the hackers"
alluded to. As soon as Mr.. Burr and
Mr. l.. 5. Williams got up to reply,
the Territorial Marshal ordered them
peremptorily to stop; and immediate
~ the whole audience sprang to their
leet, and tue DANTE murderers, who