The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-12-15
Interview with Hickman, the Assassin.

Interview with Hickman, the Assassin.
A correspondent of the New York
World, writing from Salt Lake City,
gives the following account of an inter
view with Bill Hickman:
| have just returned from Camp
Douglas and an interview with this red
handed wretch. He is confined there
under indictment for murder, and is
the States evidence against Brigham
| Young, Mayor Wells, Stout and Kim
ball, all under indictment for murder
| the first two as commanding the muir
| ders which Hickman declares that the
two latter with himself and others COM
] mitted. He is writing a book Of his life
| and deeds and what he claims to know
of others. 1t ought to be soup for
readers of the most piratical relish. He
is fifty-six years old; Kentuckian by
birth not tall, but broad, square shout
dered and heavy Gmbed. His head is
half covered with ragged, uncombed
crop of hair that seems to have had
drought to contend with all its life. His
frontal developments are not bad-na-
ture started him in life with an average
Quitting for responsibility and useful
ness, but his face is the clearly written
commentary of ancient dissipation, re-
vised and enlarged each year down to
date. Rum and lechery have there left
their tracks. He looks swinish in his
habits Of person-as foul in body as vile
in heart. This walking sprout of poison
upas grew up in Missouri, was a clerk,
then school teacher, and calls the law
his profession. May the law render
unto him good for evil and lead him to
Justice, though he abandoned law He
Joined the Mormons in Missouri, fol-
lowed them to Nauvoo, and came here
in l849.
Correspondent-Wer you a member
of the band of Mormons called Danites
or Destroying Angels?
Ilickman-There never was such a
band here with the duty laid on them
of cutting off all persons supposed to be
unnecessary to the peace and happiness
of the Mormon community but Brig
ham had his confidential men," OF
whom | was one. And whenever any
Notwithstanding or acting character
appeared in our midst, the President
would send for me or one Of the others
Rockwell, Burton, Kimball, and SO
on-and say, Hickman, take care Of
that man - and he was straightway
"cared for" and the "job'' repol ted on
and approved. These confidential "
men acted separately, and under strict
orders to tell no man 4: so that | have
full knowledge of only those crimes in
which took direct part.
C.-Will you tell me the story of the
Yates murder for which YOU and the
others are indicted?
H.-Yates was man whom | had
known in Missouri, and who brought
from st. Louis several thousand dollars
worth of arms, ammunition, etc, and
halted in the Green River country in
1857 to trade with the Indians. | was
at his place frequently, and travelled
with him some Brigham tried to buy
his powder, but he refused to sell it, as
it would spoil his traffic with the In
dians, unless Brigham would buy his
whole outfit. This he declined to do.
Not long afterward Brigham learned
that Yates had sold his powder to the
United States troops in that region. /
was then commissioned to bring the
man into town before Brigham, who
was also Governor of the Territory: but
on my way in with him ] was met by
son of Brigham's, who said his father
didn't want that fellow brought to the
city, but wished him "taken care Of"
| then turned back to the mouth of
Echo canyon, where one Jones had a
camp. There, in the night,while Yates
was asleep on the ground, we killed him
by knocking out his brains, dug trench
beside him and buried him we scraped
the camp fire on to the fresh earth to
conceal it, We took some 5000 and q
gold watch from his body. / and one
Of my men brought the spoils in to
Brigham and laid them on his table,
with the remark that we had had
pretty hard night Of it, and would like
to have little of the money to 90 on q
little spree with. He replied that the
money must 60 to pay the expenses of
the war, and that after such deeds we
must keep our heads clear.
C.-Gossip says that you admit the
commission of fifty or sixty murders is
it true?
H.-No; there are not more than
eight or ten. | fell out with Brigham
some twelve years ago, in consequence
of his dislike to General Conner, then
in command of Camp Douglas here.
and of my refusal to comply with his
request to take care of " the General
| thought him a first rate man. Since
then have done none of that class of
work for Brigham.
C.-Where have you been living?
H.-My home is forty miles south Of
the city. | have not dared live in the
city for the last four years, though my
wife is in town now. | have lived in
plurality, but only my first wife is
living.
C.-Who was Morris
H.-He was founder of the apostate
faction called Morrites. He claimed to
have revelation for the overthrow OF
Brigham, and was murdered by one
Burton, who is now South with Brigham.
Heavy Damages.
Some days ago the Times Of st. Louis
pnbliS bod an article ofatipr tbot tho