American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-01-15
A Horrible Story of COld.BlOOded
Assassination.

tle Mormon fSlSnOp VINO participated IN
the Mountain Meadows massacre and
then turned States evidence, has brought
to light a diabolical deed which is said 10
have been committed by Brigham Young
agents in September, 1857. The follow
ing story is from the Truckee Repu6licaq
of Dec. %, and was related TO the editor
of that journal about year ago by one
of the prophets favorite assassins:
THE Akin party, composed of the
Akin brothers, man known as
Colonel one named Buck and two
others, started East from California Just
as Johnson's army was entering Utah
They were wealthy gentlemen of an ad-
ventuDus, speculative turn, and had the
finest outfit of mules, equipments, guns,
pistols, etc, ever seen in Salt Lake City.
They carried with them about $40, 900 in
gold. On the Humboldt they fell in with
train going East, and travelled with the
emigrants until they reached the Utah
settlements. Near Ogden they were ar
rested as spies, brought to Salt Lake City
and closely confined. Utah was under
for this outrage. The emigrant train
came along and vouched for the men as
being good, honest gentlemen, but with
out effect. Their money was too tempting
a prey. After being incarcerated some
time two were left In prison, and the
four others sent by the Mormons to Cali
fornia under an escort. The apparent
fairness of this move vanishes when we
learn that the escort was Porter Rockwell,
John Lot and One eyed Miles, three of
the blackest-hearted villains that ever
lived. When the party arrived at Nephi
a council was called among the Mormons,
and sixteen men were appointed to use
up the Akin party. The few who OPP.
posed the cold -blooded plot were silenced
by the argument that it was Gods will ex-
pressed through His prophet Brigham. AT
midnight team was fitted out and driven
on ahead of the Akin party, who were
asleep at Nephi. The next evening, just
as the victims were camping at the Sewer
River, a party of men drove up from the
opposite direction and asked permission
murder was well planned. The Akin
party never suspected that these men weIe
assassins, who had been in Nephi the
night before. They were pleased to have
company, and the camp fires were built
side by side. The Mormons outnumbered
their victims four to one, yet were too
cowardly to make the attack until sleep
rendered the poor victims helpless; then
they bounced upon the sleeping, defense
less fellows and struck them on the head
with king bolts, clubs and iron bars The
Colonel bounded up, and. bruised and
bleeding as he was, escaped in the
bushes. A second one of the Akin boys
sprang to his feet, but was shot down.
The other two were Drained where they
lay. The three lifeless bodies were
thrown into the river, and the brother
who was shot down revived when he
came in contact with the cold stream
Poor fellow, night of horror awaited
him which was worse than thousand
deaths. Crawling over the cruel, pebbly
bottom of the river, drenched. bleeding
and half dead, the man reached the will
lows near the camp. Here he lay SILVER
ing with fear and heard the murderers
boast of the brutal deed. Summoning all
his strength the wounded man crawled
away through the bushes and started back
to Nephi. 1t showed lightly during-the
previous day and that night there was a
bitter, biting frost. Aiken had on moth
ing but his pants and shirt The crisp
snow and the sharp stones cut his feet I'M
til he could hardly endure the pain.
Weak from loss of blood, dazed and
stunned by blows on his head, cold, de-
serted and lonely, weary and worn out,
the man Travelled all night long. Naught
but thoughts of murdered brother lying
mangled and unburied in the black waters
of the Sewer gave him strength to press
forward to where he vainly hoped for as
sistance. Just at dawn he completed his
twenty six mile journey and fell exhaust
cd at the foot of the little hill in the out
skirts of Nephi. He had fallen in front
of house, and from the inmates he
learned that one of his comrades had like
wise escaped and had assembled the hill
only few moments before. Wild with
the hope that it was his brother, he
struggled to his feet and staggered on
ward. In spite of all his efforts he fell
heavily four or five times, and could not
rise until he had lain still and rested for a
few moments. When he reached the no.
tel he found the Colonel instead of his
brother The poor, halfmurdered men
uttered not word, but, locked in each
others arms, fell swooning TO the
ground. Even the Mormons who looked
upon the scene were affected to tears.
Cold blooded assassination awaited these
they told that they recognized some OF
their murderers. The hotel was guarded
day and night by the Mormons lest the
victims should escape. The hotel keeper
was in league with the assassins. His
team had hauled the murderers TO the
Sewer. When three weeks had passed
the wounded men had so far recovered as
to wish to return to Salt Lake City. The
hotel-keeper refused to let them go until
his bill was paid. They had escaped
with nothing but gold watch and sill
ver-mounted Colts revolver. Their
money and valuable property was lying
in the Nephi tithing- otfice-In Gods
storehouse. They offered the hotel keeper
the watch, worth $3.50, for their bill, but
he demanded the revolver instead. As he
took the pistol Akin said: There goes
our last friend. Well never leave this
valley alive Disarmed, wounded
and utterly helpless, these men
were put in wagon and driven
to an old stable a few miles
out OF Nephi. The driver backed his
wagon up close to the stable and un-
hitched the horses, saying he wanted to
feed them. The hind end of the wagon
had been taken out before starting, and as
soon as the horses were out of the way a
volley of buckshot fired from the stable
fairly riddled the bodies of the two Cali
fornians. Tie party of cowardly wretches
concealed in the stable continued to fire
until every muscle in the victims bodies
ceased to CULVER. They then stripped of
the clothing and threw the bodies into
one of those round springs or natural
wells which seem to have no bottom, and
filled it in with large stones. To this day
the place Is known as 'Murtlerer's
Spring. Sufficient proof is in the pos
session of the United States officials at
Salt Lake to convict the perpetrators of
this frightful crime if justice could be OBJ
tanned in Utah. Timothy 3. Foot is the
who drove the fatal wagon, and Bishop
Bryant presided over the council at Nephi
that passed the sentence of death. Actual
participants in the crime have confessed,
and if protected would testify to all the
particulars From one of the murCerers