Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-07-31

were In state of excitement, and acted as
desperation dictated Attorney Bishop al
eyes Lee offered to give the prosecution the
names of several of the murderrs who could
be found, as he believes.
Statement of Witnesses.
BEAVER, July 23.-At 2 O'Clock The first
witness was called.
Robert Reyes, came TO Utah October ..
1857, through Mountain Meadows; saw two
piles Of bodies, women and children. piled
promiscuously about-some GO or 20; the
children were from two months old to twelve
years; the smaller were torn by wolves and
crows, and some of The bodies were shot,
and some had their Threats cut, some stabbed
and all torn by wolves, except one woman,
little way of, who appeared as if asleep,
with ball hole in her left side; the appear.
ance of the body indicated she had been
dead fifteen days; seven of us saw it; there
was q pile of mems bodies, dead, further on;
did not go to sec them; there was no cloth
ing on the bodies except one sock on n man;
none were scalped.
Asahel Bennett, called was at the Mead
ows in December, 1857; saw bones there, and
the horrible skeletons of women and child
rem, curls and long trcsses of hair and dried
blood; the cl lldren were from ten to twelve
years of age; saw some skulls that had flesh
dried on them; the bodies had been buried,
but the wolves evidently had dug them up.
Philip Klingen Smith, "a defendant, of
San Demanding, California; called. The pros
ccution entered aole prosequi AS to himself.
Lived at Cedar City in 1851; the Meadow
is forty five miles south of Cedar City, on
the California road; was at the massacre in
September, 1851; heard of emigrants coming;
the people were forbidden to trade with them
and they felt bad about it, saw a few of
them at Cedar City; this was on Friday;
some of them swore and Higbcc fined
them; when they went on heard rumors of
trouble; on Sundays it was the custom to
have meetings of the president, council, and
bishop, when the matter of their destruction
was discussed Haight Higbee, Morrell,
Allen, Wells, myself and others; there were
some brethren who were opposed to their
distinctions did also; IIaight jumped up
and broke up the meeting; | asked what
would be the consequence OF such an act;
then Haight got mad; the Indians were to
destroy them on Monday; lIigbee, Ilaight,
White and / conversed again; | opposed
their destruction; Haight rclented, and told
White and to 60 ahead and tell the people
the cmigrants Should go through safe; we
did so; on the road we met John ID. Lee;
told him where WE were going; he replied:
IL have something to say about that matter"
We passed the emigrants at Iron Springs;
next morning we passed them again as we
came back; they had twenty or thirty
wagons; there were over 100 people, old
aged, middle aged, old women, middle aged
youths and children; near home we met Ira
Allen he said the emigrants' doom was
sealed-thc die was cast for destruction;
that Lees orders were to take men and go
and intercept.
went home. Three days AFTER lIaight
sent for me- He said orders came from camp
that they didn't get along and wanted rein
forcements; that he had been to Parowan and
rr,ff t.rt l,nr MI fpaa
to finish the massacre, to decoy out and spare
only the small children who could not tell
tales. | went off and met Allen, our first
runners and others. llighbee, came out and
said you are ordered ont armed and equipped
AS | went, Hopkins Higbee, John Willis,
and Sam Purdy went along; had two baggage
wagons: got to Hambln's ranch in the night
three miles from the cmigrants; there met
Lee aud others from the general camp, where
II large number of men were then; found
the emgrants not all killed. Lee called me
out for consultation on the outside. lie told
me the situation; told me the emigrants were
fortified and no chance to get them out; that
Iligbec gave orders to decoy them in the best
way they could; that il was agreed to and
command given to John ID. Lee to carry out
the whole plan; they went to camp, Lee
called out all the soldiers in hollow square
and addressed them; they were all white
men, about so in all; the Indians were in
another camp; saw there Slade and his son
Jim, Pcarcc and probably his sons too, all
those from Cedar, and Bill Stewart, seven
Jacobs, and think Dan McFarlane, too.
Slade and | were outraged, but we said what
can VIC do, We cant help ourselves. Just
then tho order TO march was given and we
had to go, part in double file. Higbec had
command of part of the men; it was the
Nauvoo legion, organized from tens up to
hundreds, that marched in sight of the emil
grants. Either Bateman or Lee went out
with the white flag, and man from the emf.
grants met them, Lee and the man sat down
on the grass and had talk. Don't know
what they talked about. Lee went with the
man into the entertainments. After some
hours they came our, aud the emigrants came
up with the wounded, In wagons ahead The
wounded were those hurt in the three days
previous fight. Next came the women; next
the men. As the ernigrants came up the men
halted, and the women on foot, the children
and wounded wentyon ahead, with John ID.
Lee. The settlers had orders to be already
to shoot at the word When the word to
halt came, the soldiers fired once; don't know
if killed any one. Tho men were not all
killed the first shot, saw the women after
wards dead, with their Threats cut. saw as
came up to them man kill young girl
The men were marched in double file first;
then thrown into single file, with soldiers
alongside. Heard emigrants congfatulating
themselves on their safety from the Indians.
AT last John Nj. Higbe came and ordered my
squad to fire. Lee, like the rest, had fire
arms. No emigrants escaped; saw soldiers
on horses to take those who ran; saw man
run, and saw Bill Stewart, ON horseback, &c
after and kill him; saw ono wounded man
beg for his life; Higbec cut his throat; the
man said, ~ would not do this to you
Higbee, y who knew him. After Ifired Twas
told to gather up the little children; as
went saw 2 large I, woman xt,t Eunning toward
band" The soldiers shot her in the buck
and she fell dead. As went on, found the
wagons with the wounded all out on ths
ground dead, with their threats cut kep
walking on, and found the children; pu
them In a wagon and took themto Highlands
house. Saw no more soldiers; dispersed
them. Two children were wounded, ant
one died at Hamhlins; think had to ieav,
it there, There were many soldiers from th,