Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-01-21
a'he EscaDe from Utah,


The following narrative, is from
the pen Of Mr.. John Davis. young
Welshman, who emigrate,l TO Salt
Lake, with his family, about two
years ago, from Maesteg, South
Wales. II is taken from Il private
letter, dated Council Bluffs City,f
Iowa:
i guess you are anxioas to know
the reason why left Salt Lake.
| shall Try in the first place, to In
form you what a man must do to be
a Mormon. He must give himself,
his family, and all his possessions
over to brigham Young, and then
he'll have to give the tenth Of all
his income the tenth day . work -
and he must keep from two to ten
wives. II be don't agree 10 these
things, he had better quit; by doing
so he is in danger Of losing his lifs
every minute, for they would rather
kill him than let him be the means
of letting the world know how things
are in their midst. Many have been
shot down ia trying to escape. |
have seen dozens shot down in the
street; and three days before / left /
saw three persona killed, merely be-
cause they intended to escape; they
were shot down in place called
Springfield, while preparing to leave.
This took place about s o'clock on a
Sunday morning, within fifty yards
of the gates of the city. The first
WIS young man named William
Parrish; no received seven balls il
his body. The second was bis ia.
Their, ard the third was a man called
Potter. whose body received as many
as fifteen balls. The old man was
pierced in the back, and his throat
, cut in three different places. l saw
them lying down, and could name
the persons who killed them.
: Brigham Young has got men 70
t, this purpose. Their number il
, 400. They are called the destroying
: angels. Their captains name il
; William Hickman, and the SECOND
In command is Porter Rockwell
The walls around the city are ftteer
feet high, and they are surrounded
, by a deep wide moat. Tho city il
, entered by four gates which arr
: watched in the night. The gates are
so- narrow that only one vehicle Cal
!. pass through at once. The destroy
: ing angels SO out on the plains il
the spring, in order to intercep
I; those who may escape from The city
!, Many left on foot last January
They sleep by day and travel BY
!, night. | know of men and women
who have travelled this way-th'
men dressed as women, and the wo
men as men. ! came across som'
S who were very short Of food; tn,
!; little they bad they gaveitto the wo
S man and The men we're principally sus
: tanned by the women's milk! ! lef
; Salt Like City on the 18th Of April
I; in company with two Welshmen anC
an African. The few Mormons Wit
knew Of our intention, said we SHOULD
never reach the States alive, bat
told them that ] was determined t,
: try, no matter what might occur.
g On Saturday Che day after W.
: left we had travelled 80 miles from
!; the city, when We saw three men fol
9 lowing US. They were sent by tht
| authorities of the city to catch us
5 The name of one was Patrick Lynch,
an Irishman by birth, and Secreta
} ny to Brigham Young. This mar
fred his revolver at me-. but thu
ball went by without hurting me. -
They then came near Us on Their
horses, and inquired our names, and
when we refused TO tell them, they
swore that they would blow 'ou,
Id brains OUT With that one
of them raised his revolver. as if be
was going to use it--he had one on
each side of bis saddle. / then took
out my revolver and told him to
. fire if he liked. ] had six revol-
!, vers with me and a rifle, containing
liz all 81 balls, Another ball was
4 then fred at me, which whistled by
my left cheek. ] then fred at him
and one ball bit him on the leg and
another on the sholder. My friends
by this time had run into the woods,
and | Was left to fight it out myself.
| RATHER DIsCoURAGING.-A Boston
I (Mass.) paper says a gentleman who
1. a l.. l. 4