Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-07-24
MOUNTAIN MEADOWS nAssAe-

% 0ss e ~ Hsrae s-
siasghssr asA Hssilasisa brig.
IA. Ys..s cave Ne o. sr Or
che D.sehssy-J sas q. chief
ss The NEEDY D..A-rAf rishisg
eass Takss The spefNTsrrsr
sf Lss - ne HsrrsSl( Recital.
BrAvsa, July 2s.-Lse'S Trial vas ~
sumsd to-day. The intsrest Of the peo-
pie II ct fever heat. Lss's wives and .
number Of Gentle women we're In
Csut
United States Attorney Garry slo-
quantity made Q abatement OF the sx-
pscted proof. He drew . vivid picture
Of the nch immigrant train bound for
California sntsring Utah. being refused
supplies and attacked BY Indians; the
intrsnehsd sisgs Of days: the coming OF
Lee with troops; the dag Of truce; the
trsachsry and butchsry Of men. women
and children, their property taken 70 the
tithing house and The sale Of the goods;
the bodies laying unburisd weeks follow
ing, and The killing Of thoss who 60
capped: the report Of The deed TO Brig
ham Young. and his orders 70 all the
property and never mention the deed.
and accounting for the want Of knowl.
edge Of the transaction on the part OF
the Mormons ON the jury list. Al these
things he would prove.
Witnesses wore sworn and put under
rule, and rscsss taken till 2 O'Clock.
The defense 10 greatly d~iscompossd by
the publication OF the outline OF Lees
confession, - Il gives . clear idea Of
his confessed guilt, and destroys the
intended theory that the massac In
chargeabls 10 Indians. II Ii not an
nouncsd what new theory the defsuse
will set up. No one expects q verdict
from the Jury - composed. The prose-
cution say their desire Ia 10 get the facts
before the people. and . popular verdict
against the power Of the Mormon
Church, and think the trial will break
the backbone Of the priestly confed-
sraoy. The defense say they expect no
verdict; but neither car there DO . con
viction. II II now openly charged that
the Mormon authorities Y aiding In
Lees defense, Notwithstanding his ex-
communication. The feeling OF indig-
nation II great ovs jurors swearing 10
no knowlsdgs OF the massacre. though
old residents. and comments are loud
and ssvsrs, especially over the attempt
of n Of the Defendants sons-in-law to
at on the jury. On the other hand. the
Mormons declare they Are taking no
part in the defense; that the jurors live
in remote regions, seldom discussing
pablo matters, and are honest In saying
they have no opinion or knowledge Of
the massacre. They declare that Judge
Crsdlsbaugh. who hsld Court In Cedar
City In May. 1858, bad all the facts Of
the case before him, but took no steps;
that Lee has lived there sixteen years,
but no attempt was made to take or
prosecute him; that tho Church takes
no part in the trial. and bad nj part in
the massacre, and defy any proof.
The Court rsasssmbled at 2 O'Clock. and
the fnt witness-Robsrt Ksyes-was
called. he came to Utah October 2,
1857. through Mountain Meadows; saw
two piles OF bodies OF women and chill
drsn piled promissuously-abou sixty
10 seventy; the children from two
months old TO twelve years; the smaller
were torn by wolves and crows; some Of
the bodies were shot, some had their
throats cut and some were stabbed. AL
we're torn By wolves except one woman
q little way Cd. who appeared a. II
asleep, With Q bullsthols in her left
side. There was no clothing on the
bodies except one sock on aman. There
we're none scalpsd. lfIULL.H
Asahel Bsnnstt Was called. Was at
tho Meadows In 1867: saw bones there
"A horrible sight-sksletons OF women
and children. curls. long trssses OF hair
and dried blood; children ten TO twelve
year, old; some skulls had the fissh
dried on; the bodies had been covered
up and the wolves had evidently dug
them up.
Philip Klinssn Smith. Of Ban Bernar.
dino. California. wa called. The pros
ecution entered . nolls prosequi rs 10
himself. He lived In Cedar City In
1867. Was at the massacre in 1851;
heard Of the immigrants coming; the
people wero forbidden To trade with
them. He felt bad about u; saw q few
Of them at Cedar City; this was Friday;
some swors and Higbee fined them. and
they went on. He heard rumon Of
trouble. On Sunday Il was the custom
10 have meetings Of the Priesthood and
. council Of Bishops. The matter came
up for discussion - 10 their destruc-
ton. Haight. Higbss. Morrill,, Allen.
Willis, myself and Others we're there.
Some brethren opposed the destruction.
I did. Haight jumped up and broke mp
the meeting. I asksd what would be
the consequences Of such an act.
and then Haight got mad. On Mon
day, Higbes, Haight, White and I
discussed The sams subject again.
I opposed their destruction and Haight
rslsntsd and told White and I 10 20
ahead and tall the people the immigrants
should 20 through safe. We did 20.
TN the road we met John d. Lee. and
told him whsrs We we're going. He re-
piled. 81 have something 10 say about
this matter" We passed the i'm
migrants st Iron Springs ths nsxt morn
ing. and We passed them again - va
came back. They had twenty or thirty
wagons. containing over q hundred
peopls-old men and middle aesd. cid
women and middle aged. youths and
children. Near homo We ma Ia Allen.
No said the immigrants' doom vas seal
sd-ths die was cast for their destruction;
that Lee hsd ordsn 10 take men out and
intercept them. Allen WAS 70 60 on and
counteract what he did. I went home.
Three days after Haieht sent for me-. and
said orders bad come from camp; that
he had been 10 Parowan and got further
orders from Colonel W. II. Dame TO
finish the massacre. and 10 spare only
the small children Who could not tell
tales. ! went Cd and met Allen, our
Hrt runner. and others. Higbss came
out and said: "You " ordered out,
armed and equipped" A I vent. Hop
kins. Higbss. John willis and Sam Pur-
dy vent along. We had two wagons;
got 70 Hamblin's Ranch in the night.
three miles from the immigrants. There
w met Lee and othsn from the general
camp. where the largest number Of men
were. then found the immigrants