New-York tribune., 1871-10-07
THE WAR ON POLYGAMY.

THE WAR ON POLYGAMY.
CHARACTERISTIC CHARGE TO THE SALT LAKE
GRAND JURY BY JUDGE MKEAN-rHE NOR
MON COUNCIL ANOTHER LEADER TO BE
ARRESTED.
SALT LAKE, Utah, Oct. 6-Judge Mexican
has just adjourned the Grand Jury till November Is
next In doing so, his Honor made the following re-
marks:
ren.eo ns 10 the Court some very important
most Oh which are not yet made known to the public
sr saa @Sss You
pot s@% yS9 auss The man IA an idiot who doe:
largely depend upon the enlargement Of the laws and
the man s knsye who knows shis and yet opposes the
when idiots VIII perceive and insVes S confess
r,o,s tina. you, gentlemen are among the best pro.
socsty Your names and what you have done win be
to come You ask permission to adjourn for time You
shall have It. The Court must remain In session for
18th day Of NOvsnber Come back At that rime gentle
mell' ana there VIII be more work for You TO do You
have the thanks OF the Court for what you have DONE
Tie semiannual Conference Of the Church of Jesus
Christ commenced this morning The attendance
not large usual. The different Elders have spoken
all 20 the gonfcation Of the Mormon Church but gen.
orally the language and sentiment were quite moderate.
One Of the apostles remarked, significantly that he was
willing, and were the great bulk Of the Latter Day
Saints to obey every good and constitutional law en-
acted by the Government Of four country or the laws
however which were designed to infringe upon his or
their rights as reemeD he could not say quite 80 much
It's expected that Brigham Young, II able will speak
on Sunday.
It's rlmored that Geo. O. Cannon editor OF The News
and one Of the apostles will be arrested Tomorrow on
the charge Of ewd ami ascvious cohabation with sew
eral
TIM c,I.pcIs OF NrRDER-TUR EVIDENCE
PROSPERITY OF THE MORMoNs
SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 29.-The past twenty
hours have brought new Developments but only
plentiful crop Of rumors Members OF the bar assert
that new indictments will be found against the Mormon
leaders, and that In tracing out the crimes Wmch nave
been from time to time committed In this Territory tes
tmony Is sought against prominent MOrmons only the
more obscure even though not less guilty persons being
passed by Public sentiment outside OF Utah has long
onnectcd Brigham Young and the prominent members
OF his church with the massacre at Mountain Meadow
800 miles south Of this city, about IA years ago.
as well as with the secret murder OF Hartley,
Brassled, and Robinson. There have always been
" Gentiles" In the Territory who have constantly
indicated an undoubting belief in the GRIM
nal connection Of Brigham Young with these horrible
affairs On the contrary, the Mormons, one and all,
while deporing words the atrocities mentioned, have
vigorously asserted that no prominent member OF the
Mormon Church had been guilty OF any OF these
crimes or had In any sense aided or abetted them
Brigham Young declared, in answer to an inquiry
your correspondent as to his connection with he
Mountain Meadow massacre, that he knew nothing OF IL
until some time after it occurred, aud that he did not
believe single member Of his Church had any hand In
It, although he felt that some OF the brethren acted
like fools after the terrible affair occurred He at
tributed the whole affair to Indians; but no DOUBT
seems to exist In the minds Of "Gentiles familiar
with the revolving details Of that wholesale buchery,
bioh han pmiRrantA
that the numbering party was led by wmte
men disguised Indians and 1t cannot be denied tnat
the evidence against some OF the Mormon
settlers the vicinity is strong But In all fairness be
1t sad the Mormons have repeatedly expressed will
ingness aid in the investigation OF these cases. and
have declared that they will shield the guilty among
them from punishment Mormonism has, however. as
It's basis secret system Of government similar In char
acter the Masonic organization, and some who have
abandoned the "Church declare that 1t is the duty Of
every true Mormon to shield brother from punishment
for all crimes those involving the purity OF woman
The determination with which they defend the wives
and daughters OF the flock from contamination is re-
markable feature Of this remarkable society," For male
member OF the Church" TO be guilty Of any ewd act
Ia for him to universal condemnation In fact
have little doubt that Of the sudden deaths which
have from time to time occurred here would traceabe
be found TO have been only the ordinary and prescribed
punishment for some act Of sexual intdelity
with view Of asceraining the line OF defense which
the propose adopt your correspondent had
brief Interviews with several leading men OF the Church,
and one Of special importance with joseph A. 1oung,
Brighams oldest The following paragraphs contain
the results Of this conversation well hints from all
sources regarding the defense intended by the leaders,
but must not be forgotten in reading them that they
present the only from the Mormon point OF view
In the interview with Joseph Young your correspondent
was informed oseph together with his father and
the other persons whose names mentioned In my letter
of yesterday hourly anticipating arrest on charge
Of MURDER for which, they had been Informed they had
been or were to be indicted. asked Joseph II he knew
anything about the killing Of Yates in 1857 by Hickman,
who had stated that he killed Yates in response to an or
der from Brigham Young, which order was communi-
Gated nv Joseph He replied that recollection OF the az
fair was that on occasion in the Fall Of 1857 when
Mormon soldiers guarding the Weber canon, east
of Salt Lake. the purpose Of intercepting Jo John
sons army sent by Secretary OF War Floyd he di
rected by his father carry bundle Of dispatches TO
Gen. D. H. Wells. the commander Of the Mormon force;
on his way out he met Bill Hickman, who informed him
that he had certain deseters from Johnson army and
other prisoners whom he carrying to Salt Lake,
among whom was one Yates, who had been caught as
spy; and that aterward Hickman boasted that he had
killed Yates before reaching the city Joseph expressed
It as his opinion that 1t would be difficult to fnd any
jury men, however carefully packed, or however
uuriendy in character who would convict any person
Of the smallest ofense the unsupported testimony OF
the notorious outlaw Hickman. He further remarked
that all the persons who had been mentioned as having
been indicted were holding themselves In readiness for
arrest some Of them at little inconvenience as tney
did not propose accused Of skukug or OF seeking
to evade the service Of any writ however absurd or e
gal such he said, he believed to be the feeling OF all
whom rumor had connected with the abOrs Of the Grand
Jury.
have taken some pains to find out something about
tbe man Yates who was killed by Hickman 1t appears