Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-08-21

to mouth concerning the fated train.
She claims, however, that the majority
of the Mormon people were innocent of
their blood. Only few, she says, were
in the confidence of the leaders of this
diabolical scheme, and she thinks there
is much excuse to be made for them
otherwise, for they are taught in the
church and from the pulpit that living,
stealing and killing in the interests of
the church were not sins. Thus, when
it was whispered around that John d.
Lee and his men had murdered these
immigrants many Of the people honestly
refused to believe it, and even when
proof was conclusive they tried to dis
believe it. Mrs. No. 10 says that just
before the massacre Mr.. Young caused
great excitement by issuing proclama-
tion forbidding the passage through or
entry into the Territory of all immigrant
trains.
Religious zeal, made blind by lifelong
and persistent Misrepresentation of the
priesthood, was undoubtedly main
motive. Without that fanaticism which
marked the fearful transaction in all its
phases it could never have been written
in history at all. Joseph Smith left the
Mormon church heritage of divine as
sumption such as never characterized
any theocracy since the time when, led
on by cloud of smoke and o pillar of
fire, the Israelites iourneyed toward
Canaan as the favored people of Jehoy
vah. The outer world was Babylon and
its inhabitants were Gentiles. Was it
wonderful, then, asks Mrs. Young No.
10, that, believing themselves the Isra-
elites of the nineteenth century, the
Mormons were ready to believe also in
their right to take the lives of their own
and Gods enemies at the came time?
She has heard it ON good authority, she
says, that John D. Lee (who has how're
vealed his share in the infamous bust
ness, after the last poor victim had been
dispatched, waved his sword over his
head and exclaimed, exultingly: "This
day has the name of IsraePs God been
glorified !"
The chief exciting cause, however, ac-
cording to the opinion of Mrs. Young
No. 10, was that the.army of Albert Sid
ney johnson was entering Mormon terri
tory, and the Saints were preparing to
make an armed defense of Utah. They
had been driven, with their accursed in
stitution of polygamy, from the East
into the wilderness; in the wilderness
they proposed to make stand. The
Nauvoo Legion was drilling day and
night to resist the United States inva-
sion the stars and stripes were regard
ed as the flag of hostile country ir
point of fact, the Mormon territory was
in state of rebellion. Some of their
leaders attributed to the immigrants
threats of assisting in that section the
work which Johnson was beginning in
the northern part of Utah. The most
intense excitement was kindled by such
imputations. Finally, the massacre Of
the train held out to the cupidity of the
leaders the attraction of unusually great
spoils. The moving stock of the trair
by itself, that is to say merely the
wagons, teams and loose stock, was esti
mated to be worth nearly 100000.
Every remnant of their property wa,
sold to the highest bidders, and as thu
bishop disposed of it he carefully blottet
out all traces of identify, by tearing fly
leaves from books where they had Oh
them the names of their former owners
A great deal of the spoil was, however
never sold in this way, but was dividet
quietly among the chief men, Then, a
might have been expected, the scoun
drels quarreled over the division o
these rewards of their cruelty. Lee anC
, Haight disagreed; the Indians com
planned of shabby treatment, while tn
people at large asserted boldly that tn
leaders appropriated more than fai
proportion of the plunder. Probably i
was through these dissensions that tn
story gradually leaked out, and tina
, justice got upon the track of the assas
sins. At any rate, it did come out
John ID. Lee led the van of the con
science stricken confession makers
Later came the admissions of Mormon
schoolteacher named Spencer. In hi
wake followed J. M. Young, another O
the dastardly band, and then came tn
chieftain, Kahosh, with his disclosures
Then came the era of inquiry and feebl
and Intellectual efforts to avenge, wit
, the arm of the law, this glaring atrocity
The grand juries, composed of Mormons
: would not, dare not, indict the accuse
parties, and they availed themselves G
the immunity thus secured to them t
iudiciously disappear. Bishop Phil
Klingmansmith, who helped in til
awful work of that day, apostatized an
made a full, detailed narrative of til
affair Others followed him Also
Brigham Young gave the order hin
, self for the massacre. 1t may never b
, proved, but the belief will not be veal
ened on that account. Not only wa
the jewelry taken from the immigrant
) worn by the leading Mormons, bu
) Brigham Young used for many years t
ride in carriage taken from the imm
t grants, with his family and friends.
> am afraid the public here have but littl
idea how small O chance there is thi