The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-07-29


several others, all noted for something or other
All OF these are withili a hundred and twenty
I'VE mles OF Stanton, and the most of them
within sixty miles. 1t is perhaps the most re-
markaele spring region i'll the world. In the
course OF the season not less than seven thous-
ana people visit these resorts, some for health,
Others for pleasure. There is no disease known
to man but what some of these waters are sup
posed to cure, or at least benefit. AS this
branch OF medical science is yet in its infancy,
what bright future may we not expect for the
mineral springs region of Virginia Attention
is so largely directed this way that the Balti-
more and Ohio road now run parlor cars from
Baltimore to Grcenbrier White Sulphur, with
out change.
A Fiendish Massacre
The trial Of the perpetrators of the Noun
tain Meadow, Utah, Massacre, is now pro-
crossing in that Territory. Several Witness
es have already been examined, and the details
given of the horrid butchery of the emigrant
party in lS5:, who were passing through that
country, are truly horrifying. The New York
Times gives the following synopsis Of The
history of che flcndish transaction:
The crime of which the defendants stand
accused was committed nearly twenty years
"
the deed have grown from infancy to MATURE
ty, the number of defendants, though still
large, has been reduced by the ordinary pro-
cess OF time, aud the incidents have been
changed since the trial was opened. Moreover
the leading defendant is Bishop of the Nor
mon Church and adopted son of Brigham
Young, and the entire hierarchy may be con-
sidered as involved in the result of this case.
The story Of the massacre of Mountain Meadow
has been told to the wrath and Indignation of
the Mormans, for nearly twenty years. To-
day the alleged perpetrators of that horrible
crime are OH trial.
In September. 1857, an emigrant train from
Arkansas, consisting of about one hundred and
fifty people, men, women and children, with
forty wagons, eight hundred head Of cattle,
and sixty horses and mules, passed through
the Salt Lake region bond to California.
Their property was valuable, the proceeds Of
it being afterWard declared to exceed $50, 900.
The number and strength Of the party afford
ed protection to a train of disatfected No.
mons. who took this occasion to flee from the
horrors of Salt Lake Valley. On the 10th Of
September while camped in Mountain Mead
ow. about 800 miles west of Salt Lake City,
the emigrants were attacked by a band of
whites painted and dressed as Indians. No
| assault from Indians could have been expected,
as the wild tribes of that region are harmless,
degraded creatures, only q few degrees above
the root diggers of the Pacific States. The
emigrants defended themselves with spirit
after the first cash. in which they lost ten or
twelve men, was made by their assailants.
Behind their 5arrcade ofw wagons they kept up
such vigorous fusilade that aftera seigc of five
days the enemy withdrew. The camp was
next visited by a wagon bearing white flag
! and containing Jacob Haight. then one of the
Presidents of the Mormon Church, and John
D. Lee Mormon Bishop and also adopted son
| ~ p,.. It,ncn TO
be OH good terms with the ''Indians'' and Of
fered to act as mcdiators in the interests of
peace 1t was proposed that the emigrants
should march out from camp, leaving every
thing behind, including their guns. The Nor
mon enissaries agreed to furnish guard
thence to the settlements. These conditions
were accepted. The little procession began to
move when it was fired upon by the guard, the
so-cancd s'Indians joining. The men were
! first killed; the women and children ran ON
a few hundred yards and thensfell. The plum
der was taken to Salt Lake City and adjoining
settlements, and divided. Mr.. Forney, Super
intendent of Indian affairs for Utah, testified
that the Chu1ch dignitalies alone received
property estimated to be worth $50 900. The
skeletons of one hundred and twenty persons
were subsequently collected on that fatal field
and buried in one mound. pile Of rocks
marks the spot, and on a. huge cross, erected as
a monument, was placed the inscription,
vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.
At that time the U. S. troops We're marching
to Utah by directions Of President Buchanan.
Bishop Pratt had just been killed in Arkansas
by man whose wife he attempted to abduct,
and the Mormons were ina high state Of ex-
citement. They had already embraced the
theory that the earth and its fullncss belongs to
the Lords saints, and that they wcra the saints.
The laps OF years has only deepened the con-
viction that the murderers We're Mormans sent
AZ, 1.10
siastcal government. The Indians living
southof Salt Lake circunlstantially relate ali
theparticulars of the affair." implicatng President
IlaigIt and Bishops Higbee and Lee. Some of
the Mormans engaged in the massacre subse-
quenty confessed their guilt; and numberless
colroborative facts decide the whole Chain OF
evidence. Cumming, then Governor OF the
Territory. was a weak. vain man, and failed
to give the United States Court any support
in all attempt to ferret out and punish the
murderers. Judge Cradlebaugh, then one OF
the Associate Justices for that circuit, opened
court and endeayored to bring to justice the
guilty mon, who were VIGOROUSLY CONSPICUOUS
in Salt Lake City. The Grand Jury refused
to indict their brethren; and when the indomi-
table Judge, dismissing the jury, issued bench
warrants for the arrest Of the accused persons
they fled to the mountains until the trouble
had ''bloWn over.''
There were about forty men included in the
list of persons ordered to be arrested il Cra-
delbouoE's warrants, in 1859. Ten of those
have been indicted in the United States Dis
trict Court sitting at Beaver, Utah. OF these
Bishop Dame and John D. Lee are the chief
Lee led the assailing party at the time of the
massacre, and Dame issued orders to Lee
From whom did Dame receive his instructions?
1t has been believed by those familiar will, the
subject that the orders for the massacre were
issued on the strength of a revelation" re-
ceved by Brigham Young, telling him to fol
low and explate ''those Gentiles.'' Lee is
reddy to confess, provided he shall be held
harmless; but his confession cannot extend be-
You'd Dame. Unless, than, the responsibility
for this monstrous crime can be traced beyond
one or two of it's active perpetrators, the pro-
ceedings instituted at this late day will not
avail much.
PARDoNED.-Last fall a man named Tom
lin, from Clarke county, was arrested by U. S.
revenue officers, who charged him with selling
liquor without license lie was tried before
the IT, S. Court in Harrisonburg, and sem
fenced to pay a fine of 81, 900 and be impris-
oned in the Clarke Jail one year. The people
of Berryvile and OF Clarke generally consld
cred this peculiarly hard case, as from many
circumstances they believed the man innocent,
and it is Furthermore asserted that if he had
been able to raise the sum of f25, to satisfy a
ravenous revenue man, could have gone scot
free Mr.. L. Il. Faunt!eroy, jr., Of this town,
was in Berryville few weeks ago, and hear
ing of the case, being convinced Of the abso-
lutte Innocence Of the poor men, Tomlin, and
holt zl,n of