The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-02-22


" gone from their camp when, at the
monster Lees command, they were shot
dead, every one except the seventeen hit
tie children of the party, whose lives the
"council had ordered should be spared.
One hundred and twenty men, women
and children were slain in cold blood.
Before the women of the party had ell
been killed. one young girl is reported to
have rushed from. the crowd toward Lee.
She first threw herself on her knees be-
fore him and begged him to let her live.
She then rose up and, twining her arms
about his neck, cried to him to spare
her; that she was going to California to
Join her lover, who anxiously awaited
her there. and to whom she was to be
married on her arrival. He repaid her
confidence by dragging her aside with
vile intent, and because she resisted him
and tried to defend herself with knife
she chanced to have in her possession he
shot her through the head.
For years after the perpetration OF this
daring crime the property of the murder
ed immigrants was openly used by their
murderers, and the fate of the missing
ones for some time remained a mystery,
their death being laid at the door OF the
savages. Some Indians did participate
in the massacre, but they waited for the
white savages to set them an example IN
human butchery, only rushing from
their ambush to surround the immigrants
when, by Lees order, the first shots had
been fired. After the massacre the
bodies of the murdered immigrants were
left on the open prairie to be devoured
by the wolves. So closely was the secret
of this terrible deed guarded that not
even in the northern Mormon settle
ments was it known for long time that
any white men had participated In the
slaughter. The first authentic tidings
of the fate of the immigrants reached the
outside world through Mr.. William II.
Rogers, government agent, who heard
something of it while crossing the PLAINS
in charge of treasure train in 1857. The
next year he was appointed Indian agent
in Utah and was ordered to rescue the
children whom it was believed the Nor
mons had saved from the savages.
With the impudence of brigands the
Latter Day Saints demanded ran
som for their release Mr.. Rogers re-
fused the demand and gathered the chill
dren together. To his amazement one OF
the children, then about eight years old,
told him one day that it was not Indians,
but white men, that killed their parents.
With company of cavalry he went to
the Mountain Meadows, where horrible
sight. met his gaze. The skeletons Of
12O men, women and children were
spread upon the field, the flesh torn from
the bones by hungry wolves and bullet
holes through the heads of most of the
victims. A large quantity of hair from
the heads of the women were gathered up
from the sage bushes, and all the re-
mains we're given Christian burial. A
few days afterward two Mormons called
on Mr.. Rogers, and telling him "their
hearts were pressed with grief" said
they would give him true history OF
the Mountain Meadow massacre if he
would spare their own lives. He told
them to proceed, and they related to him
the story told above, naming Lee as the
leader. Some blooded stock, wagons,
carriages and other property owned by
the immigrants, they said, had been
taken to the Mormon tithing establish
ment and sold at public auction for the
benefit of the "Church." Brigham
Young, it is said, kept one of the car
riages and piano for his own use.
In the Mormon versions of the story
of the massacre it was made to appear
that the immigrants provoked both the
Mormon settlers and the Indians In their
progress through Utah. The Mormons
said their destruction was chargeable to
the Indians altogether, and that they
were attacked because they had poisoned
a spring at which cattle drank and died,
and that Indians ate the flesh OF these
animals and died also. But this has been
pronounced absolutely untrue by those
who have investigated the matter, and 1t
was well established both before and at
the time of Lees trial that the murder OF
the unsuspecting immigrants was but the
execution of well laid plan ordered by
the Mormon council, and that Lee not
only executed but exceeded his sangui-
nary orders. With his own hand he
killed and wounded women and children
living helpless after the first volley. He
shot man down who held child IN his
arms and who knew and recognized him
through his disguise.
In November, 1874, Lee was arrested,
and was soon after indicted for participa,
ton in this fearful crime. He had
evaded pursuit for long time, living
with one of his eighteen wives, an Eng
ish woman, among the Navajoe Indians,
where his hut was like an arsenal. His
first trial continued through part of july
and August, 1875, and on the testimony
then adduced the jury failed to agree.
During his trial his cell was searched,
and elaborate preparations for an intend,
ed escape were discovered. At this time
one of his wives tried to see him, and,
meeting with a refusal, she assaulted the
jailor. In. September, 1876, he was
again tried, and the jury found him
guilty of murder in the first degree.
Having in that Territory the right tc
choose whether he should be hanged, be-
headed or shot, he choose the latter form
of execution, and was accordingly SEN
fenced to be shot on the twenty-sixth Of
January, 1877.