The Van Buren press., 1875-08-03


lie took the children to Cedar City, leav-
ing one at Pinto Creek; on the road met
freight train of wagons, the men living
here in Beaver; on it went to old Mrs.
Hopkins, and told her had the chill
dren she rustled round and got places
for them; ! took one girl baby home my
wife suckled It; aftcrward | gave it to
Birkbeck, he having no children; they
we're well treated, believe; l got good
places for them, where there were few
children. The question of allowing the
statements Of CO conspirators az to the
disposal OF the emigrants' property after
the massacre was here argued for an
hour. The court held it admissible, on
the grounds of the case Of the people vs..
Trina, California case. During the ar
gument Suther, and, for the defense, said
it was an attempt to fix the crime on
some one else, Lee being only =. figure.
head. Baskin, for the prosecution re.
piled that he wanted nothing but the
truth. whoever it implicated; that Suth-
erland feared his real client would be
reached. This produced decided SEN
sation, it being known that Brigham
Young was meant. The witness then
resumed: After several days Haiyht sent
me to lion Springs, where the wagons,
cattle and goods Of the emigrants were,
to get them and put them in the tithing.
house; was to brand the cattle, too /;
found there John Wrie, Hunter and Al.
len; put the goods in the church tith
ing office cellar; left the wagons in front
of the tithing Office, branded the cattle
with the church brand, which was cross
Lee was in the cellar with me and saw
the goods; Haight and Higbec told me a
council had been held, and Lee deputed
to go to President Brigham Young and
report all the facts of the massacre; Lee
went; followed to attend the conference
held October sixth at Salt Lake city met
Lee there, and asked him if he had re
ported to Brigham Young; he said yes ,
at one time l, Lee and Hopkins called on
Brigham Young he there in the pres
ence of them said " You have charge Of
that property in tlIc tithlng. .ofiice turn it
over to John d. Lee What you know
Of this say nothing of it; don't talk Of it
even among yourselves - When come
| had to go to Vegas mines to get ore
while was gone Lee took the property,
had auction and sold it off. SO Haight
and Higbee told me. Haight sold his
part OF the cattle to hooper, Utah con,
gressonal delegate afterward, for boots
and shoes. There were Indians at the
massacre; the hills were pretty full Of
them; they were deputized to kill the
women; saw one Indian, Myack, cut a
little boys throat heard no effort to re-
strain the Indians; Indians were wound
ed, and three died from effects of wounds
the Indians came back to Cedar where
lived one named Bill and one Tom; both
of the chiefs saw some of the emigrants'
property with the Indians; saw Lee get
dresses and jeans from the tithing Office
out OF the cmigrants' plunder | learned
from Allen that Lee was the one to gath
er up Indians to attack the emigrants;
talked with Lee about it afterward; Lee
was Indian agent at Harmony; the agent
traded with tribes and issued goods and
rations of the government to Indians.
The court here adjourned to nine
O'Clock this morning. After to-day.
night sessions are to be held. The court
warned the citizens not TO speak to the
jurors from the street up to the time they
were sworn, and declared that he would
arrest aud punish such offenders. Dur
ing the time that Klingen Smith was tcs-
tifying, giving the horrible details of
blood, the suspense was terribly painful
Lees square, hard, low. browcd face and
neck became fairly purple black, and his
wives scarcely brcathed, straining for
ward to catch each syllable. The excite
ment in the town is intense. am pre-
pared to state that Klingen Smiths story,
in all material details, is the same as
Lees suppressed confession as to the
massacre. Klingen Smiths reputation
is that OF man Of truth, he could not be
impeached save by facts.
THE CASE PROGRESSING.
BEAVER, UTAH, July 26.
To day Ann Elizabeth Hoag was
sworn: Lived at Harmony in 1857; there
was meeting called before Lee and the
Indians started for the massacre; it was
stated at the meeting that the emigrants
would be destroyed an express was sent
to Bringham Young at the head of the
soldiers and Indians it started after the
massacre meeting was called to hear
Lees report; Lee stood up and said he
wanted the Indians TO rush on the ctni.
grants; they would not then the hand
kerchef man come out from the emf
grants; promised them peace il they gave
up their arms they agreed, aud marched
out alongside of the soldiers. who shot
them down at the signal, and the Indians
killed the women; he said one man had
baby in his arms; after the first nre
Lee said, Give up that child" the man
raplied, "If ] die this child dies with
me; know you John d. Lee, despite
your paint Lee said he had to shoot
the man and child; while reporting, the
express from Young arrived; saw the
children in a wagon in front Of the meet
ing house; one boy eight years old
pointed to Indian Joe, aud said, THAT
man killed my papa, he got my papa S
pants y never saw the boy afterwarl
Lee said to not talk to the children as he
wanted them to forget the massacre.
Thomas p. Willis, sworn: Saw the
goods of the murdered emigrants at &c
dar; fifteen or twenty wagons and four
or five hundred head of cattle; heard
Haight before the attack, ask my father
the best way to attack the train after the