Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-11-14
A BIT OF MORMON HISTORY.
The Secret of the Terrible Mountain
Meadow Massacre.

The Secret of the Terrible Mountain
Meadow Massacre.
A writer in a newspaper article calls
to mind that the killing of Elder Farley
P. Pratt, the second elder in the Nor
mon church at that time Tin 1856 1 be-
lieve it was), near Van Buren, by Mr..
Fl. a. Mclean, of San francisco, was
the cause of the Mountain Meadow
massacre. Mr.. Mclean, agent for the
steamship company of San Francisco,
had his wife stolen from him by this
man, and made his seventh wife. Mr..
Mclean sent his two children, after
this happened, to his father-in-law in
New Orleans. They were boy and a
girl, and as interesting as children
could be. Some time after they ar
rived ct New Orleans the mother left
Salt Lake ard went and got them and
started to Utah with thsm. The almost
broken-hearted father left his business
to look after his children. On arriving
at New York he heard of Pratt, and
tracked him to St. Louis. Then he
lost all sight of him and went 10 New
Orleans. Arriving there he heard of
his wife and children in Texas with q
caravan going to Utah. He went to
Texas, and there he intercepted letters
written in cipher to Mrs. P. P. Parker,
the assumed name of his wife. Having
become able to decipher the letters, he
learned from them they were from
Pratt, and he desired the caravan to
come to the neighborhood of Fort Glib
son. Mr.. Mclean returned to New
Orleans, broken down in spirit, and
knew not what to do. He resolved to
go to Fort Gibson, in the Cherokee
nation. He did SO, and under the name
of Johnson (his secret being known to
the officers of the fort) he captured his
wife and children, and Pratt, also.
They were arrested by the United States
marshal, and taken to Van Buren,, be-
fore United States commissioner John
B. Ogden, for trial. The charges for
stealing his wite's clothing could not be
sustained, and there being no crime
known to the laws of the United States
under which he could be held, he was
released. Never shall forget the trial,
the great excitement and popular de.
sire for vengeance on Pratt. When
Mr.. Mclean appeared in court and
read the papers in cipher, written by
the old serpent, and stated the history
of his so happy family being broken
up, the people desired to lynch Pratt,
and he was put In iail to prevent it be.
ing done. Mclean, himself, became
so highly offended and so deeply ex-
cited that at one time he commenced
drawing his pistol to kill him in the
court room. Pratt was secretly dis
charged early the next morning, but
the watchfulness of Mclean found il
out, and he followed him and killed
him, and returned to town and gave
notice of the fact. He then got some
assistance of his friends, and took his
children to New Orleans or San Fran
cisco, and his wife, who had been {
highly intellectual woman, was, think
taken to an insane asylum. Of Mr.
Mclean it may be said that he was 6
gentleman of fine education, great bust
ness habits, kind, generous, true ant
trusty friend, overfowing with human
kindness-indeed, there are very few
like him. His act was approved ant
justified by all this people. Many !,
time has the melancholy reflection
come over me that the murder of ~
persons by the Mormons was for tn,
just death of this impostor and scoun