Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-04-05
BRIGHAM YOUNGS GUILT.
The NOrmOR Prophet the Authar or
the MSuatain Meadows Massacre.
SAN FRANCISCO. March 25.

The Cdu publishes All interview
with Captain John Morse concern
ing the Mountain Meadows masS,i-
ere. TIE gentleman referred To has
figured during many years of An
cvvntful life us frontierSman, pros
pector. trapper and trader, and WIS
in Utah prior TO .he Mormon settle
nlent and for many years after it.
CAPTAIN Morse was an Intimate &C
Quaiutance of Lee, and he, lii Il con-
versatiop occurring years bcf0re the
trial, admitted 10 Morse his compile
ity in the atrocities, but as IN his
confession, So consistent in his Off
hand declarations, threw the res
possibility of the hutcheTy upon the
leaders of the Mormon Church, and
directly implicated, as accessory be-
fore aud after the fact, Brigham
Young. Morse disputes Lees state
mene that there were 500 indians
present, claiming that there were
not more than $40 in that whole Sec
tion Of the country. The butchery
was planned by MOrmons and al
most entirely done by them, the In
lians not killing over half dozen.
He says plumber was the chief in
centive to the massacre. At that
time the Mormons were excessively
poor. having no money and scarcely
ANYTHING else. They would trade
their produce WITH the Indians even
for old clothes. The train was
x,o,.,y md OIL fhoir
pidltv. Morse was very much with
Lee during his residence in South.
ern Utah, and the latter unbOsomed
himself freely on the subiect Of the
massacre. which seemed u 40 dwell
on his mind that he constantly re-
verted to it. Concerning the impli-
cation of brigham Young with the
massacre, Morse relates an inter-
view with Lee.
The last time | saw linn was in
MahOn cOuaty. l went TO his rauche
and he received n letter, in fact
brought it IL him myself f:om "a
place calico Kanab, With stated
that troops were on Lees track
limiting him up and he had better
move un little farther. He showed
me the letter aud | said Lee,
this is all an Internal lie there are
no troops Oh Your track 1T all. This
il all put ur by those MTmons in
St. George (where Brigham Young
was). whom brigham has iuh lencrd
To get you out Of the way" | told
him, You take my advice aud give
yourself up and make u clean breast |
OF the whole thing and you will get
along first rate" l asked him if
Brigham Young WAS interested in
the massacre. He at first said nn. |
| said knew better and he said: !
''Of course there is no use lying tn |
you AS matter uf course, was
under orders. Brigham Young |
knew everything he wad with me |
from the time We left Salt Lake,
but the Intention was to let them |
pass to Muddy and then catch them !
At Muddy. Do you suppose that |
any of those men--you KIOw most |
of them-do you suppose they would |
have entered into this arrangement |
If they had not believer in the Nor
mon Church, and that this thing !
from Brigham, their Nor
mon prophet 20
Captain Morse says no attempt |
was made to procure his testimony ,
further than that he was sent for To |
attend the frs. trial. bu: he did not !
appear, being down on the Colorado
river, near Fort Yuma. Lee was
with him on account of ,
their frequent solitary companion
ship on prospecting and other expe-
iitiOns, and because he knew Morse
had other sources of information
from the IRdians. Captain Morse is
now resident cf this city.