Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-28
TELEGRAPHIC.
MOUNTAIN MEADOW MASSACRE.
Tho Mountain Meadow Massacre
Trfnl-SOmc Details of that Foul
Act.

The Mountain Meadow Massacre
Irini-Somc Details of that Foul
BEAVER, UTAH. July 23.-At the
Mountain Meadow Massacre trial to-
day, Robert Kcycs. testified that in
1857 he saw about 60 or 10 bodies of
women and children piled promis-
cuonsly together in Mountain Meadow.
Some of the bodies had been torn by
wolves and crows. A little distant
was the body of a woman with bali
hole in her left side. The bodies APP
pcared to have been dead fifteen days.
Bennett testified to seeing number
of skeletons in the Meadows in '57 A
number of bodies had been buried aud
then dug up by the wolves.
Bernardines said in 81 at a meeting
held at which some of the brethren
opposed the destruction of the emf
grants, Haight said the Indians would
destroy them Monday. l opposed the
destruction. Haight relented, and
told White and to tell the people the
emigrants should 60 through safe.
We passed the cmigrants at Iron
Springs the next morning. They had
twenty or thirty wagons and over four
hundred people. We met Ira Allen
on the way; he said the doom OF the
emigrants was sealed. Lee ordered
the men to intercept them. The
Nauvoo legion marched in sight of the
emigrants. Bolsman or Lee went ont
with white flag. A man from the
emigrants met them. Lee went with
the man into tho entertainments and
after some hours they came out with
the wounded in wagons. The wounded
were those hurt in the previous fight.
The Mormons and Indians could not
Gust the emigrants. The men and
women were on foot, the children and
wounded went ahead with Lee. AS
soon as they halted the soldiers fired.
[ afterwards saw the dead, some with
their Threats cut and bodies badly mu.
tilAted.
was told to gather up the little
children. AS l went l saw large
woman running toward man, say
ing, my husband! my husbandp A
soldier shot her in the back, and she
fell dead. Going on / found wagon
for the wounded; all of these were on
the ground and their throats cut; saw
many unknown soldiers from the
counties south next day met some of
the wagon men who now live here. /
took one girl baby home and gave
others away in good places.
The question of allowing statements
of the co.conspirators as to the dis
posal of the emigrants' property after
the massacre was here argued for an
hour. The court held it admissible.
During the argument OF Sutherland
the defence bitterly said it was an at
tempt to fix the crime on some one
else, Lee being only figurehead.
Baskin, for the prosecution, replied
he wanted but the truth, whoever it
implicated that Sutherland feared his
real client would be reached. CA de-
cided sensation, it being known Brig.
ham Young was meant)
The witness resumed: After several
days Haight sent mo to Iron Springs
where the wagons, cattle and goods of
the emigrants were to get them and
put them in tho tithing house. was
to brand the cattle too. found there
John Wire and Hunter and Allen. !
put the goods in tho church tithing-
Office cellar; left the cattle in front of
the tithing-office; branded the cattle
with the church brand-a cross. Leo
was in the cellar with me and saw the
goods.
Haight and Higbee told me coun-
Gil been held and Lee deputized to 60
to President Brigham Young and re-
port all the facts of the massacre. Lee
went and / followed to attend the con-
ference. Lee. told me had reported
every particular to brigham Young.
Several of us called on Brigham and
he said, "You have charges to turn
over the property in the tithing Office
l to John p. Lee; say nothinE Of THE,
and talk not even among yourselves
| Lee took the property and cold it at
nuUtfun. l was told that Hooper,
Utah's congressional delegate. bought
cattle. There were numerous Indians
at the massacre, deputised to kill
women; saw one cut little boys
throat; there was no effort to restrain
the Indians. l heard Lee was the one
to gather up the Indians to attack the
/ emigrants. Lee was the Indian agent
at Harmony.
The excitement in town ia intense.
Kingen Smith, who is reliable man.
gave the horrible details, and Lee and
Black and his wives were greately ex-
cited during his recital. 1t is reliably
stated that Smiths story is in all ma
terial points the same as Lees sup
pressed confession.
BEAVER, UTAH, July 2G-In the
Mountain Meadow trial to-day, Eliz-
abeth Hoag testified was at meet
ing called before Lee and the Indians.
1t was stated that the emigrants were
to be destroyed. A dispatch was sent
to Brigham Young. At the meeting
Lee said he wanted the Indians to
rush on the emigranta, who were
promised peace If they gave up their
arms. They consented, and were all
marched out by the soldiers, who shot
them down on a signal, and the In
dians killed the women. After the
first fire man with baby in his
arms recognized Lee. who shot him
down. After the massacre | saw the
children in a wagon in front of the