The New York herald., 1874-10-27
= s,r OF MORMON HISTORY.
The Secret OF tho Mountain Meadow
Massacre.

To THE EDITOR OF THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN,
Reading an article in your paper OF the 7rh inst
"rhe Grand Jury in Ctan." calls up TO nv mind
the vely melancholy rejection hat the killing OF
Elder Parley p. Pratt the second elder IN the
Mormon Caurch at trat time Qn 1856 believe it
wasl, near Van Buren, IN this state, by Mr.. Ii.
H. Mclean. OF san Francisco, the cause
OF the Mountain Meadow massacre. Mr.. Mclean,
agent Tor the steamship company OF san Fran
cisco. had his wife stolen from him 0y this man,
and made his seventh vile. Mr. Mclean sent his
two children. after this happened, TO hts iather-ln-
law, in New Orleans. They were a boy and girl,
and as interesting as children could be. Some
time after they arrived at New Orleans the
mother lett Salt Lake and went and got them
and started 10 utan with Them. The almost
pr0ken-hearted father lett his business TO look
alter his children. ON arriving at New York he
heard or Pratt IN the city and tracked him 70 ~.
Louis. Then he lost all sight OF hlm ana went to
New Orleans. Arriving there he heard OF his vile
and children IN Texas with caravan gong TO
Utan He went to Texas. aud there he intercepted
letters written in CIPHER TO Mrs. p. r. Parker, the
assumed name Of his wife. Having become abe
TO declpaer the letters ne learned from
them they were from Pratt, and he desired the
caravan to come TO the neghborhoUd OF Fort GID
son. Mr.. Mclean returned TO New Orleans BRO
Ken down IN spirit, and Kew not what TO 40. lie
nation. He 0ld so, and under the name OF Johnson
tnis secret beng known to me officers Of the orf)
lie caplur his vile and children and the bruilsn
seducer also. They were arrested Dy the Unted
States Marshal and taken to Van Buren, before
United states Commissioner John b. Ogden, lor
trial. The charges Tor stealing his wie's clothing
could not he sustained, and there being no crime
known TO the laws OF tue United states under
which he could be held he was released. Never
shall | forget the trial. the great excite
ment and popular desire ior vengeance on Pratt.
When Mr. Mclean appeared IN Court and read the
papers III cipher, written by the old serpent, and
stated The history Vi his so aapay family beng
broken up, the p ope desired to lynch Pratt, and
he was put IN jail to prevent 1t being done. Mclean
himself became so highly o1ended and so deeply
excited that at one time he commenced drawing
his pistol TO Kill hm III the court room. Pratt
was secretly discharged early The next morning,
but the watchfulness OF Mclean ioulu 1t out, and
he followed nlm and killed nlm. and returned 10
town and gave notlce OF the facr. He then got
some assistance OF his friends here and took his
children TO New Orleans or San Francisco.
ana his wiie, who had been highly intel
lectaa woman, was, l think, taken to an in
sane asylum. or Mr.. Mclean It may be said
that lie was n'leman oil fine education, great
business nablts a KIND, generous. true and trusty
friend, overnowIng with human klndness--lndeed,
there are very lew like him. HIS act was approved
and justified by all this people and II there is a
Just God must have been approved by HIM.
Many time mas the melancholy reflection come
over me that the muracr OF 100 persons BY the
Mormons was for the just death OF this impostor
and scOuudre. A WlINES2