The Portland daily press., 1875-07-26
The Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Bishop Smiths Account of the Butchery-
Prominent Mormons Implicated.

AT the trial of Lee and Others at Beaver.
Utah, Friday, for participation in the Mountain
Meadow massacre, Philip Klenrge Smith, of
San Bernardino, California, one Of the deferd-
ants, was called. The prosecution entered a
noHe prosequi, and he then testified. He said
he lived in Cedar City in 1857 from 1852; the
Meadows were 40 miles south of Cedar on the
California road; he was at the massacre In Sep
tember 1857; when they heard of the emigrants
coming the people were forbidden to trade with
them and felt bad about it; he saw few Of
them at Cedar; this was on Friday; some swore
and Hgbee fined them; they went on; he heard
rumors of trouble Sunday; it was the custom to
have meetings by the President and Council,
Bishop and Council and High Council; was a
Bishop; the matter came up for discussion as
to their destruction; Haight, Higbee, Morrill,:
Allen, Willis, myself and others were there,
some of the brethren opposed the destruction;
did; Haight jumped up and broke up the
meeting; asked what would be the conse-
quences of such an act; then Haight got mad
the Indians were to destroy them on Monday;
Higbee, Haight, White, and met on the same
subject again; l opposed their destruction;
Haight reiented and told White and to go
ahead and tell the people that the emigrants
On the road we met John Lee; told him
where and why we were going; he replied II
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 20 or 80 wagons and over 100
people-old meE and middle aged old women
and middle aged, youths and children; near
home we met Ira Allen. and he said the en-
igrants doom was sealed; the die was cast for
their destruction; that Lees orders were to
take the men, go out and intercept them.
AFTER detailing the preliminary movements
previous to the massacre at length and to his
being compelled to join the Mormon troops, the
witness said the order to march was given; we
marched in sight of the emgrants; either,
Bateman or Lee went out with a white flag,
while man from the emigrants met them Lee
and the man sat down in the grass and had a
talk; don't know what they talked about; Lee
went with the man into the entertainments; af-
ter some hours they came out, and the emf
grants came up with the wounded in the wag-
ons ahead; the wounded were those hurt in
night three days previous; next came the wo-
men, and next the men; as the emigrants came
up the men halted, and the women, children
and wounded went on ahead with John d. Lee;
the soldiers had to be all ready to shoot at the
WORD; when the word halt came the soldiers
fired; fired once; don't know if killed any
one; the men were not killed at the first shot; L
saw the women afterward dead with their
throats cut; saw as L came up to them man
Kill young girl; the men were marched in
file with the soldiers alongside
John Nj. Higbee came and ordered my SQUAD
to fire; Lee, like the rest, had firearms; no en-
igrants escaped; saw soldiers on horses to
take on the wing those who ran; saw . man
run and saw Bill Stewart on a horse 90 after
and kill him; saw one wounded man beg for
his life; Higbee cut his throat; after fred
was told to gather up the little children; as
went saw large woman running toward the
men crying, "My husband, nv busband:' A
soldier m ha bach nd oha fall A.
as L went on L found the wagons, with the
wounded all out on the ground with their
throats cut; went on and found two children;
put them in wagon then went on 10 Hamb-
Inns house; saw no more soldiers, who had dis
persed; these two children were wounded; one
died at Hamblin's and took the other one
home.
The question of allowing statements Of the
conspirators as to the disposal of the emigrants'
property after the massacre was here argued
tor an hour The court held that it was ad-
mssble. During the argument Sutherland,
for the defence, bitterly said that it was an at
tempt to fix the crime on some one else, Lee
being only fgurehead.
Baskin, for the prosecution, replied that he
wanted but the truth, whoever 1t implicated;
that Sutherland feared bis real client would be
reached. This caused "a decided sensation, it
being known that Brigham Young was meant
The witness said he attended a conference
October 9th at Salt Lake City: met Lee and
asked If he had reported to Brigham Yodng;
he said yes every particular. The same day /,
Lee and Charley Hopkins called on Brigham
Young. He then in the presence of them said:
''You have charge of that property in the tith-
isg ofice turn it over to John D. Lee; what
you know of this say nothing of it; don't talk
about it even among yourselves" When the
time came had to 60 to Vegas lead mine to
get ore; while was gone Lee took tho proper
ty; had it sold off at auction, SO Haight and
Higbee told me. Hsight sold part of the
cattle to Hooper, Utah's Congressional dele
gate, afterward, for boots and shoes.
There were Indians at the massacre. The
hills were pretty full OF them; they were de-
puted to kill the women; saw one Indian cut
little boys throat; heard no effort to restrain.
The Indians were wounded and three of them
died OF their wounds. L saw some of the emf
grants property with the Indians and saw Lee
get dresses and jeans from the tithing office Of
the emigrant plunder.
learned from Allen that Lee was the one to
gather up the Indians to attack the emigrapts;
talked with Lee about it afterwards. Lee was
the Indian Agent at Harmony; the agent trad
ed with the tribes and issued goods and ratiops
OF the government to the Indians.
During the time that Smith was testifying,
giving horrible details of blood the suspense
was terribly painful Lees square, hard, low
6rowed face and neck became fairly purple
black, and his wives scarcely breathed, strain-
ing forward to catch every syllable.
The excitement in the town Is intense.
Smiths story, in all the material details. is the
same Lees suppressed confession as to the
massacre. Smiths reputation there is that OF
a man of truth. He could not be impeached
save by facts.