The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-03
THE MORMON ENECUTION.

\ Statement IRON, One ot I.cc'- Guards
ChprEinE District Attorur, Howard with
SuPPrcs,tnE ImparIaut Part, ot Lrc's
Confession.
\ strange sequel to the tragedy II
john II. Iro's execution at Mountain
Meadow is contained m an official paper
Whlclrwts filed with the department ui
Justice IN Washington. This is mo- less
than am affidavit 10y Edward Gilman. of
salt Lake City. that Lee was induced Ia
make q confession to the United States
district attorney ou the promise that in
return Tor such confession ho should re
cc,,o q rcpriove and eventually full
pardon. Tins promise, Gilman alleges
was made "a Leo 10y the district attorney
m Mrthorluco ut "a plan tn mphcatc,
expose and punish all the Mormon lead
cya, from Brigham Young down, who
we're believed 90 hc concerned IN the
Mountain Meadow massacre.
Gilman alleges that he Was specially
engaged rs "a so-hctwrcn 10y tho district
uttauy, 60 make the u,rrturys Ia Lee
f1r the confession, and o. promise even.
tul immunity & Lee ln consideration
ui the disclosures hc should make. In
hi, capacity If Euaui ut the puuitcutiUry
40 Beaver hr had free u,cy,, Ia thr crll
ut Lee. ANA Was occupied quite Il white
M conducting the negotiations before "a
mutual understanding WAS had between
Lee and the district attorney Lee MAS
cautioned hy the latter NOT e. make
known the substance ui his confession
o. ANYBODY. NOT even tu has wife Rachel.
who. it vail loo remembered was the
constant ,ampaulau uf hls closing hours
ru earth. auI attended lim I'M his cell up
o., the rtausrut uf ais removal for ,Necu-
uan
R9t Gilman saw, that the confession
MN. r,.n4 h.E. Nfu.r.ff ami hy Rachel lur-
fu.r. .,.il moments whom ..c hupueuei H.
nr absent fr,,a ms cell taking exercise
.lrr,r.g which intsyrI, tlr.r curiosity
r..,t trg l.ft..r.f rh.u, and tho, r,ai the
r,l,,.s - rn.rr,-..ril,f ms fl,y l,y nr I.,,,',
writing l.sk
From thr.r fartiyr anl detached be
r.,stl, ,f rf,, nf.,..an Gilman ar1uirri
"a ar.rr-l kuawlFIsr yf IFS substance.
which hn ,a,- il .t variance with the
confession tly.al t1 iii, public by tho
district attorney
IL viii BE remembered that the New
York hr4tfpubl.,hrd .u adyunceof the
press a tglesraphic report from salt Lake
Clty If Lees confession. In which Lee
Gtrtctly and uuegulyoyalN charged Brig
ham Young with being responsible Tor
the ur,ler under which tho dreadful mas
sacrr 40 Mountain Meadow was perpe-
tatti.
Discrepancy between the TWO coulrs-
sians ou tals point ut Brigham lounE's
alleged guilt was commented upon widely
80 the time, and is now accounted for hy
Gilman, Who SAYS that the charge against
Brigham Young by Lee IN hls confession
% ,hr district attorney was cXpuugei,
and That the entire paper WAS gglrh.cd ~
the interest ut the Mormon chief after lt
had passed ont II Lees possession and
before IL was given 90 the public. he
original confession published by the
W.-gf WAS made hy I.e. when he was
under sentence Of death and before any
drlusIye promise Of "a rcprigyr and par
don could have been held uut a. him ac-
curliug 10 thy statement ui Gilman. Il Is
,trHugr. therefore. thatuulgr the induce
r1art nf surh pr1mfs.I uapiau. t.a see
oni confession should bc less severe
upuu Brigham Youur.
Gilman also s.y. th.t i'm taking his
first message ta Lee from the district at
tarrav. he WIS instructed O. tell the
r.rf..,u,r thar # fr, varf.I dismiss, hss law
S,.r, and unt himself wholly I'M caruuuui-
cation with and under the protection II
the district attorney. be. Lee, would be
serving his own interests IN the most
salutarv way.
Hence il was that Lee gradually came
under the influence ut the district attur-
new. who theuceturth piled him with the
nope of pardon until hr secured the com
frSsiou in It's entirety, ami then kept his
victim under tile belief that rsprieye
would arrive at any moment. until the
iusillle 81 the firing party ended his llic
and his deception together.
1t may seem improbable that q man 81
the cunning and dIscgrumgut 81 Lee
should not have detected the deception
pHcticci upuu him, when, during the
last few hours Of his life. he was taken
q hundred miles away from the reach of
the telegraph - be dome % death IN
solitude whore r.puuye could reach him
only hv o miracle. But those who have
prompted Gilman to make clean breast
Of his connection with what they de
uouuce as a0 outrage upon the sacred
name uf justice point to the manner 81
Lees death as evidence that hc WAS sggs-
tanned to the Inst moment by the eypec-
tatinu ui a raprigye.
His theatrical bearing. his imperturb-
able caolur-= when. sitting ON the coffin,
De gave suggestion. tn the newspaper
artist AS 4, how he sh1uli bee skctchel-
All. they saw. indicate secret belief that
he was uctius farce. and that his usher
ing into eternity was as unexpected as II
he had been struck Ev lightning. This
Is the web af tho story as woven hv Gil
ruaD In his afil2yit and elaborated by
the persons who have urged him tgmake
II
Gilman saws thaf he was frs, novel
Inv r.-1orsa :, toll what h., has revealed
two confessions he SAYS be- can be- cor
''..--t'''' ~ As4-".+.-s '.'' '--'.' - 49,