Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-07-18
[From the Alta California. !
The killing of +. j. Pratt Letter from Mr.
Mclean

We published few days since, a very extra
ordinary article from the Mormon Standard of
this city. paper established and set up on this
outpost of Brigham Young, for the purpose og
correcting the errors into which we ignorant
Gentiles fall, in relation to the true character of
Mormonism This article was in relation to the
killing of that hoary headed seducer, Farley p
Pratt who had exemplifed the beauties of the
system Of which he was one of the most promin-
ent and learned eXpounders, by stealing from her
husband the affections of a wife, robbing him OF
his children and sealing y to himself in an
adulterous union, as his seventh wife, the wife of
another, the mother whose duties were owed to
her family. The tool of Brigham Young who
publishes this reasonable and filthy sheet in this
community, denominates the Just retribution
which at the hands of an injured husband, has
overtaken the lecherous old villain Pratt, as a
murder" and blasphemously compares him and
his death to our Saviour and his crucifxion, and
calls down the vengeance Of the Almighty upon
his " murderer at the same time giving rather
strong hints that the blood Of Farley " will be
avenged, and that right soon.
Whether the hot blood which must now be
secthing and boiling in the veins of Brigham
Young and bis satellites, at Salt Lake, is to be
cooled by the murder of Gentiles who pass
through their territory, whether the % destroying
angels . Of Mormendom, are to be brought into
requisition TO make reprsals upon travellers, or
whether, as has been done before, " Saints " dis
gused as Indians. are to constitute themselves
the supposed ministers of Gods vengeance in
this case, we are not Informed, but have no doubt
that such thoughts. such intentions as these are
prevalent among those sanity villains, adulter-
crs and seducers Of Salt Lake. who, did they re-
ceive their just deserts, would be where Farley
Pratt is now, in world where hypocrisy and
sanity fraud will not pass current.
1t is not for us horc, to enter coolly upon any
augmentation, to Justify the course which Mr..
Mclean took to rid the world of as great a
scoundrel as ever infested it, There are occa-
sons and circumstances under which it seems
that an injured, wronged, ruined in peace of
mind, and heart-broken man has a God given
right to take the satisfaction of his deep wrongs
into his own hand. There cases which the
law cannot reach, cases which deserve the sever
est punishment and if there ever was such n
one. this Of Mr. McLeans is it. Eulwcr In one
Of his plays, only uters a sentiment which is i'm
planted deeply in our natures, that when dis
honor enters our homes, law dies and murder
takes the angel form OF iGstce,n The wrongcd
husband has prGctised upon this preoept, and
the civilized world will, We believe, applaud
the act,
NC have been permitted to examine letter
from Mr.. Mclean. written to relative in this
city, after the shooting Of Pratt, and which de-
tails, with heartfelt earnesiness the trials and
troubles, and anXicties endured by him in his
however do not differ from those which have
( been already given. and we therefore only pub
ltsh below, Mr.. Mclean's own account Of the
closing scenes in this tragedy. The narrative
commences after he had secured the children
from his wife
." On leaving Fort Gibson. the Marshal made a
demand on the Commander for IL command Of
soldiers to aid him to make the arrests. which
he directed TO follow him the next day. The
! Commander complied, and started my best and
| true friend, Capt. Little off that morning with
a company My friend, Mr. Shaw, who had been
for some time trying to come across Pratts where
abouts, happened to ascertain that Pratt, or q
person calling himself Parker, had that morning
-(the day Capt. Little left to follow the L. s.
Marshal )-crOssed the Arkansas river about two
miles from the Fort, in company Of young Eng
llshman. lt struck him at once that this was
none other than Pratt, and his Mormon Spy of
North Fork, He pursued him, and over
took Capt. Little and his command, and instant
ly informed him that he believed Pratt was ahead
Of them going the same way. Capt. l.. quicken
cd his march, and soon came up with Pratt, and
/ arrested him. Capt. l.. told me that as soon as
he did so, and Informed him that it was at my
Instance. that he never saw CONSERVATION until
then-the fellow fairly wlted.
The day Capt. Little left Fort Gibson myself
and tue children, and dozen of my Masonic
friends, who gathered from all parts Of the terri
tory to aid me should the government not take
any notice of my grievances, they got to North
Fork simultaneously with the Marshal The
Marshal and +. J. also started that morning for
Fort Gibson. We met the Captain and his com
mand about halfway, resting at spring, and
having Pratt prisoner, in the centre OF circle
Of soldiers
/ He, am told, had pretty sorrowful greetings
for his " seventh wife when she presented her
self and the two met Pratt was tied with his
own rope and the end of it given to a soldier,
and the party marched off to Fort Gibson.
To avoid a contact |, with my friends pro-
ceeded to the Creek Agency, where we were hos
pitably received by friend Whitfield and his lady.
| started the following morning for Fort Gibson,
with an escort of my Masonic brethren, and got
there in safety. Remaining with the children at
Fort Gibson two nights, | met with an excellent
opportunity of accompanying one of the officers
and his lady to Fort Smith He drove his wife
and the children in his carriage, aud rode his
horse, aud on getting there took us to his father
in-law's major Elias Rector) house, where we
were kindly and cordially received, and where
had the children until left the place On going
to Van Buren, the next morning, with Major
Rector and Capt. Cahel, his son-in-law aud my
devoted friend, we found great assemblage OF
people awaiting the opening of the L. S. Circuit
Court, and found that my affairs had created the
most intense excitement. | soon found that the
parties could not be punished as ! had not sufi-
cent evidence to convict them. Various prOpo-
sitons of revenge and redress were offered and
proposed to me by the best men of The place and
surrounding country but kept my purposes to
myself That day, the Marshal arrived with his
prisoners, aud locked Pratt in jail at his own re-
quest, aud took T. j, TO the hotel
The next day they were called into court, and
I as witness. The officers Of the court paid
such Difference 10 my feelings that they dismissed
Eleanor before calling upon me to testify. /
was allowed TO state the history Of my gFievan-
ces, and to read the evidences of my wrongs to
the court, and to about five hundred spectators,
In fact, the courtroom was crowded. | exceeded
any previous effort Of nay life at relating to 9th
ers The burden of nay SOULS anguish. | was
kindly permitted to impieate the scoundre in
court, Parley Parker Pratt as the principal
cause OF all my sorrows. | succeeded admirably
in producing the most intense excitement |
really twice thought the crowd were about max
ing move to lay hold of him and tear him to
pieces The Commissioner concluded ii neeessa-
ry in order to save him from mob violence to