Oxford Democrat., 1876-11-14
NUMBER A.

ightoousness should be hewed TO the
line and justice laid to the plummet."-
Nevertheless, the train proceeded without
molestation - Mountain Meadows,
beautiful taba land about three hundred
miles from Salt Lake City, on the road TO
Los Angeles, and there cncamped Ion
few days rest before entering the con
fines OF the Great American Desert
There were three Mormon settlements
within raoi.s OF Gi,y miles. of which
Bishops Lee, IlaigLt and Higbee were
chiefs. They at oace haran9ued their
excited followers and gathered a ioIce
for an al,aca upon tie emisfants, dis
guising themselves rs indians. An attack
was made at ulght upon the camp. but
ths emigrants were not tho kind OF men
TO be taken by surprise; the wagons
were drawn up in = square. the wheels
sunk into The ground, and sharp rifles
defended the improyiscd fortress. Fora
week the siege continued, the Mormon
leaders being 50 sure of their prey that
after amusing themselves By watching
the lighA they would riIe back and play
at qnoits at the honsc OF q Mormon few
miles from the scene.
But alor week ,ho siege began to be
tedious, and on the seventh day. on .
bright srternoor, the li..ng ceased, and a
wagon was seen coming up the valley,
decorated with llowers, and having in
front lille girl waving d white nag
The besieged ha'ioI 4. with ecs;acy. con-
lident that their foes had Withdrawn, aud
that their troubles were over The Nor
mo. IS in tine wagon though kindly, were
somewhat stern in JAeir manner; but
finally, ?ltcrrcbgling them as interlopers
and accusing 'eem o. poisoning q spring
which ran 50 strong that q barrel OF
arsenic would no. have effected i, told
them that the only way they could be
protected from the indians was to lay
down their arms, abandon tLeir wagons
aud scccp: Mormon escort TO Salt Lske
City.
The emi5 ants finally accepted lhc
hard terms, laid down tasir arms and
followed ,Aa wagon oi peace up The val
ley. At the entrance to the first clump
Of woods a yollcy saluled them, and a
band of Inlilrs aal OF Normons. dis
guisod "a Indians, burst on. upon them.
The Molmons in the wagon drew their
arms and Joined ia the attack, and in q
few minui-s ,he massacre was consum-
mated. Neither sex nor age was spared.
Women were subjected to tho ioulest
outrages, and ,acn murdered, aud out OF
nearly two hundred Only three men
escaped, 10 be afterwards hunted down
and killed, aud some children who were
supposed to be too young to remember.
The corpses were despoi.ed OF their
clothing; rings were torn from stiilened
fingers 10 be afterwards displayed by
Mormon women In SIT Lake City; and
after every jrd.gu!y tie bodies were
thrown into common and shallow grave.
In those dAFs communication was
slow, ard depend %, Wlo!ly on Mormon
sources, 80 la. j, WAS nearly a year be-
fore anything was heard from the train
which was supposed 90 bo COST and
thea only slowly lie dreadful Iumors
grew i0) lac'5 by the statements OF IN
diaHs and OF a Mormon woman, who
escaped from the country and married II
Gentle ia Oregon. brigham Young
effected some Indignation, but John ID.
Lee remained Bishop and adopted son in
the Churcl Of Brigham Young without
rebuke. A abor.iye uttemp. was made
10 try him before 'he United States
Court in $50, but it elded Ike all Nor
mon triais, rHd he lived IN peace and
prospe. .ty near he scene Of the massa-
ere, growing Old. with pa,riarchal ho'r
and beard, pOrtiy presence, and the air
of q man with an easy conscience.
At last tho railroad came, and with 1t
an influx OF Gentie', who changed the
possibilities Of iulie3. Lee fled to re-
mote rancLc, but was betrayed by one OF
his wives and arrested.
His aboyliyo uial two years ago was
remembered only TO suppose that he was
forever freed from legal punishment,
when news comes that he has again been
tried, convicted and sentenced to death.
lie prefers, it seems, to be shot. II
makes but little difference how. so that
The world is rid OF . monster in whom
the crimes of Nena Sahib were repro
duced on the American continent, and,
the Mornons taught that there is a JUS
tice above the power OF Brigham Young;
although, after all, he was but the instru-
ment in the hands OF that despot, whose
career is one OF the wonders OF the time,
and who in his old age has reached the
tolerance OF a curiosity to tourists.