The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-24
The Mountain Meadow Massacre.
sickening Details by Participant.


Sickening Details by a Participant.
BEAVER, UTAH, July A.-The-examin-
alton of Witnesses In the Mountain
Meadow massacre case has begun and
sustains, in most particulars, the former
accounts OF the affair. The principal
witness thus far examined is Philip
Klingensmith, of San Bernardido, Cali
fornia. He testified that he lived
in Cedar City at the time of the
massacre, and was Mormon Bishop;
that the subject of the destruction of the
train was discussed in the council, but
that he opposed 1t. Haight jumped up
and broke up the meeting. The Indians
were to destroy them. On Monday Hig-
bee, Haight, White and 1 met and
discussed the same subject again; 0p-
posed the destruction; Haight relented,
and told White and to 90 ahead and
tell the people the emigrants should 60
through safe; we did so; on the road we
met John D. Lee; told him where and
why we were going; he replied, 81 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
people; near home we met Ira Allen; he
said the emigrants' doom was sealed,
and the die cast for their destruction;
that Lees orders were to take men and
go out and intercept them; Allen was to
go out to cOunteraot what we did;
Lee called mesout for consultation at one
side; he told me the situation; the emil
grants were strongly fortified, and there
| was no chance to get them out; that
Higbee was ordered to decoy them out
the best he could. Slade and were out
ragged, but We said, ''What can we dor
we can't help ourselves" just then the
| order to march was given, and we had to
go; we marched in sight OF the emigrants; !;
either Bateman or Lee went out with d
| white flag; man from the emigrants
met them; Lee and the man sat down on
the grass and had q talk; DOM know
what they said; Lee went with the man
into the intrenohInent; after some
hours they came out, and the emil
grants came up, with their wounded
in wagons ahead; the wounded were
those hurt In the three days previous
fight; when the word "haIt' came the
soldiers fired; fired once; don't know
II | killed the man; they were not all
killed the first shot; saw the women al
terward dead, with their throats cut; l
|
man kill a young girl; Lee, like the
rest, had firearms; no enigrants es-
capped; saw soldiers on horses to take on
| the wing those who ran; saw man run ;
saw Bill Stewart on horse 60 after him
and kill him; saw one wounded man beg
for his lite; Higbee cut his throat; the
man said, II would not do this to you,
Higbee; be knew him; after fired was
told to gather up the little children; as
went saw large woman running toward
the men, crying, "My husband, my hus-
band;" soldier. shot her in the back,
and she fell dead; as went on found
| ground, and their throats cut; went ON
and found the children; put them in a
wagon and took Them to Hamblin's house;
1 went to old Mrs. Hopkins and told her
had the children; she rushed round and
| got places for them; took one girl baby
| home and my wife sucked it; afterward
! l gave it to Berbeck, he having no chill
dren; they were well treated believe;
III got good places for them,
| where there were few children.
| After several days Haight sent me to
Iron Springs, whore the wagons, cattle
and goods OF the emigrants were; got
/ was to brand the cattle to be found
there "John 'Wrie" and "Hunter & AL
len;" put the goods in the church tithing-
office cellar, and left the wagons in front
OF the tithing-ofiice; branded the cattle
1 with the church brand; cross; met
Lee at Salt Lake; asked II he had re-
ported to Brigham Young; he said, Eyes,
/ every barticular;' the same day I, Lee
and Charley Hopkins called on Brigham
Young; he there, in the presence
of them, said, "You have charge
of that property in the tithing-
office; turn it, over to John D, Lee;
what you know Of this say nothing Of 1t;
don't talk of it even among yourselves"
Robert Keyes testified that he visited
the scene of the massacre o few days
after the occurrence; saw two piles oi
bodies Of women and children, piled
promiscuously, about sixty to seventy;
the children were from two months old
to twelve years; the smaller more torn
i by wolves and crows, and some bodies
were shot, some with throats cut,
some stabbed; all were torn by the
wolves except one woman little way
off, who appeared as il asleep, with a
ball-hole in her left side; it appeared the
bodies had been dead fifteen days; seven
of us saw pile of mems bodies further
on; didn't 60 to see them; there was no
clothing on the bodies except the leg Of
one sock on one nan; none were scalped.
| Asabel Bennett testified to visiting the
locality three months after the massa-
ere; saw the bones thereAa horrible
sight; skeletons Of women and children,
with curls and long tressessof hair, and
dried blood; the children were from ten
to twelve years old; some of the skulls
had the flesh dried on; the bodies had
been covered up, and wolves had evil
IDENTIFY dug them up. t
During the time klingensmith was tes.
tifying the suspense was terribly pain
full. Lees square face and neck became
fairly purple black, and his wives
scarcely breathed, strainfng forward to
catch each syllable. The excitement in
town is intense.
| Latest from Uss, ,IItssoIs Gold Ffelds.
DECATUR, ILL, July M.-A party Of
old miners yesterday visited the recent
Iy discovered gold fields near this city,
and after prospecting in different places
along the stream, pan Of dirt was taken
| out of Dutch Gulf washed, and found to