The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-08-14
TnE WOMAN VINO CAUSED THE
mOUSp.IiS MEADOW MASSACRE.

, upon aS substantially truc' ~ IN u
strange chapter of ianaticism, vii
lainy and domestic inielicity, result
ing ut last in one of the most hOrri,
bio butchcrics which ever occurred
in civilized country, and rs such
+ may not prove unintercsting to our
readers.
r In the early days Of tho gold OK.
citoment in California, amongst the
pilgrims in search Of the promised
Ian were Il Mr.. Mclean and his
young family, consisting of his wife
and two young children. Mclean
was n well to do small grocer in
New Orleans, and although not
moving in the highest society, was
considered an honest and upright
man, n member of the Presbyterian
Church, and enjoyed the respect of
his ncighbors. His wife was the
daughter of II respectable Mississip.
pi planter; had been moderately
well educated, and was considered,
albeit somewhat fiighty and romant.
ic, n true wife and mother.
Not long after settling down in
San Francisco, where he was pros
pering, it came to the knowledge of
Mclean that his wife was in The
habit of attending n Mormon chapel
not far from their residence, ol
which Farley P. Pratt was the ora
clio. Mclean demonstrated with his
wife about this aud exorted IL
promise that sho would give it
up. The GOODNESS between hus-
band and wife growing out of
this circumstance, seemed, for tho
time, to have passed away, and they
continued for some months to live
together harmonously. But at the
end of that time Mclean began to
suspect that his wife was not keep
ing faith, and upon setting watch
upon her actions, had his suspicious
confirmed. This, as was natural.
led TO domestic thunderstorm; but
the wife protested her Innocence
and unbelief in Mormonism 80 vehc-
mcntly that the husband generously
forgave her; but in order to remove
her beyond Mormon influence and
possible apos tacy to Mormonsm, he
closed out his business in San Fran
cisco and returned TO New Orleans.
This was about 1854. For two years
the Mclean family continued to re-
side in the Crescent city in the ut
most harmony, Mclean fully be-
lieving in his wife's innocence and
purity, and regarding her leaning
towards Mormonism, if it ever ex-
isted, rs passing delusion of
which sho was now entirel y cured.
After developments, however, dem
onstrated the falacy Of this theory.
Upon the return home one day to
dinner, his wife and the two young
est children were missing. Search
by the police and detectives threw
no light upon this mysterious dis
appearance, and it was some ten
days before any trace was found of
the fugtives. 1t was then ascer-
tanned that u woman and two young
children, answering the description
Of Tho missing parties, had landed ut
Galveston, accompanied by man,
in whose description Mclean recog-
nzod the Norman apostle, Parley
p. Pratt.
Mclean immediatel y went in
pursuit. He traced the fugitives to
Houston, where Pratt purchased
light spring wagon, and with Mrs.
Mclean and her two children had
set off northward. Following the
trail like q sluench hound, through
central and Northern Texas and
the Indian country, Mclean at last
ovcrhauled the party in the neigh
borhood of Van Buren,, Arkansas,
and killed Bratt upon the spot.
The act was pronounced "justifiable
homicide" by the examining magis-
trate, and Mclean taking his two
children, and allowing his wife to
go her way, returned TO New Or
leans. The infatuated woman con-
tinued her journey to Salt Lake,
where the writer of this saw and
conversed with her about five years
ago. This conversation was mostly
between Mrs. Mclean and a friend
of the writer, an elderly lady, who
happened to be in Salt Lake City,
on her way to San Francisco, and
who had been well acquainted with
the McLeans. Mrs. Mclean very
much desired, she said, to defend
her character to her daughter, who
was now grown woman, but her
father would permit no correspon-
dence between them, and she made
a passionate appeal to the New Or
leans lady U be the bearer of a let
ter to her daughter. But her petit
tion was refused. In the course of
the conversation, she confessed that
she had been q Mormon before her
marriage, having been converted,
she said, by an itenerapt Missionary,
who visited her fathers house in
Mississippi. She was still perfectly
infatuated with Mormonism and
had prevailed on her son, the one
rescued from Pratt, but now u
grOwn'up man, 10 come to Salt Lake,