The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-12-18
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! Tie recent arrest of John ID. Lee.
] near Beaver. in Southern Utah, brings
( up rle remembrance of the meanest.
| fnuH.,l. bloodiesr and most brutal mas
/ acre that ever defaced American soil. It
I can hardly nave been forgotten by our
! readers bst; brief review OF itS fright
! full Incidents will be interesting. IN con
nection with the arrest of the leader of
| the fiends who we're responsible for the
| deeI of blood.
In the spring Of 1887. party of emf
| grants from Arkansas. numbering oHe
hundred and forty-six men, women and
children. were on their way 10 Southern
| California, being persuaded to the jour
ney by some pioneers who had gone out
| in 40, and had been successful in their
search for gold. These enigrants we're
decidedly of the better class OF Arkan-
sans, and the train was II wealthy one.
Wen they arrived at Salt Lake City,
the ArkanSauS were told that they were
to- late in the season to proceed by the
old emigrant route; but the MormOns
informed them that there was better
route through Southern Utah and Ne
vada. coming out near Los Angeles, in
California. They started on the south
ern route. and pursued their way with
out Iuolestation, until they encamped
in Mountain Meadow, a lovely valley,
where they found an abundance d grass
and water.
Their Journey had thus far been com
paratively a pleasant one. and they
were in good health and spirits, looking
forward with joyful anticipatiOnS to the
end of their journey, which would find
them in a land of peace and plenty.
While they were encamped in this
beautiful valley, they We're suddenly
and Unexpectedly attacked from behind
the hills by large body of men. whom
they supposed to be Indians, but who.
as were made evident by subsequent de
veIopnents. were IOrmons disguised as
Indians. Several of their number were
wounded at the first onset, and all their
stock were driven Of The AriIansans.
however, We're equal to this emergency.
They formed circle of their wagons,
threw up intrenchments, and defended
themselves with their rifles. They held
the position during five days. keeping
their assailantS at bag, and sustaining
no more casualties worth mentioning.
dians had disappeared, and a EOdy OF
white lnen were discovered, coming
from the direction of Cedar City.
These were MormOns, led by John ID.
Lee, the commander OF the NauvOO Le-
gion, at Cedar City. They had u flag
OF truce, TO which the Arkansans re-
sponded, and Lee held conversation
with the lead 4rs Of the party. in which
ne offered to protect the emigrants from
the Indians, vino were represented as
being in the hills in large numbers, il
they would lay down their arms and re-
turn to the Mormon settlement.
This proposition WAS finally agreed to,
and the Arlansans, unarmed and carry
ing only such portions of their property
a. was most valuable and portable,
marched out of their intrenchmants on
the road toward Cedar City, the Nor
mons under Lee, following III their
rear.
They had gone about 200 yards from
the camp which they had so gallantly
defended. when the MOrmOns com
menced firing in their backs. and con
tinued the siau ghter until I30 of the un-
armed and inoiTensiye people lay dead
on the grass Only sixteen children
were saved, most of them OF very ten
der years. and they were finally recOv-
cred By Mr. Rodgers, aninGiHn agent Of
the Government. 1t IS related that a
young lady ran TO Lee and begged him
TO save her life, but he took ter aside
and ravished her and then cut her
throat with knife.
But no details are needed to add to
the horrors of this most causeless. cow
ardly. infamous and bloody butchery
The bodies were left where they had
fallen. and the stock and wagons of the
emigrants, according to the testimony
of Mormon witnesses, were taken to
Cedar City and sold for the benefit of
the Church. When Mr.. Rodgers visited
the scene of the massacre he buried the
bones of the victims, from which the
flesh had been eaten by the wolves. and
gathered a two-bushel basketful of wo-
mems hair, which was scattered about
among the sage bushes,
1t has long been known, and there
can b. no doubt of the fact, that this
unparalleled massacre was perpetrated
by Mormons, and that John ID. Lee was
the leader of the numerous band
No attempt has been, made to bring
the guilty parties 10 justice, until the
arrest of Lee. who was captured at
Pongwick. near Beaver, by Deputy
United States Marshal Stokes and IL
small posse. He WAS concealed in a
straw stack and made DO attempt at Re-
sistance. It has been reported by teie
graph that he promises to give "A true
history of the whole affair, and To re-
veal the names of the guilty parties. 1t
has also been supposed that lie would
imDlicate Brigham Young, but the Salt
Lake Herald of the 18th says that he
declared that Young was not Interested
in the matter and had nothing to do
with it.
\ TELEGRAPHIC FEAT.-The Troy
nv.