Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-03-28
Justice at Last.

! hciOOhs-
The crime was blamed on the In.
dams, but slowly and steadily it I'M
folded itself until it pointed unmis-
takably to the Mormons as the actual
perpetrators
They maintained themselves in the
Courts for quite time. However,
at every trial the evidence of guilt
came nearer and nearer until at the
last trial the conviction of Lee en-
sued He was sentenced to be shot,
on the spot where he led his muir
derous crew to the slaughter of men,
women, and children.
! Lee was sixty-five years old few
days before the day of execution. He
was born in Illinois, and joined the
Mormons when q young man. Since
the murder, he has been in the Leg
islature of Utah, and been a Probate
Judge. How did the fiendish wretch
feel during all those years when the
Church honored him, when the State
honored him, and when he acted as a
Judge.
But Justice comes at last it never
fails to come. 1t may be long coming,
but it does ever come. So in this
case, after the lapse of twenty years
it found the murderers out, and on
the 23d, last Friday, the leader of
the murderous crew was the first to
feel the hand of justice. Lee pro
tested lis innocence till near the day
of execution, when he made a con
fession. The material points of his
confession read as follows:
Those with me on the occasion of
the massacre were acting under or
ders from the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints The horrid
deeds then committed were done as
duty which we believed we owed to
God and our Church. The Noun
tain Meadows massacre was the result
of the direct teachings of Brigham
Young, and it was done by the orders
of those high in authority in the
Mormon community The immediate
orders foI the massacre We're issued
by Colonel Dame, Lieutenant Colo
mel Isaac c. Haight and the Council
at Cedar City, Utah. I held no posi-
ton either in the civil or military de-
partments, or in the Church at that
time. About September I, 1857, l
went to Cedar City, where Lieuten-
ant Colonel Haight gave me a full
account of the emigrants who were
coming. We slept in the iron works
all that night and arranged our plans.
Lieutenant Colonel Haight said the
emigrants were a rough set; they
were bad men, robbers and murder
ers, and had helped to kill the Nor
mon prophets. 1 believed him. L
was ordered to raise the Indians to
attack the train and run off the cat
tie and to have the Indians XII the
emigrants. / sent Carl Shirts, my
son-in-law, to raise the Southern In
dams for the work. Nephi Johnson
went to the other tribes. On Mon
day morning left the iron works to
obey orders. Lieutenant Colonel
Haight said: 1--WE are acting by or
ders-it is all right. We Will let the
Indians bear all the blame"
INDIANS on THE WAR PATH.
On my way home passed many
Indians out on the war path. Iprom-
ised to join them the next day. On
Tuesday morning the Indians attack
ed the train just at daylight, and
killed seven and wounded sixteen emf
grants. The Indians lost some of
their warriors. The emigrants then
fortified their position, and the In
dams surrounded them and sent for
me- The whole county was aroused,
both whites and Indians rushing to
Mountain Meadows from all drec-
tions. i arrived at the camp late on
Tuesday afternoon and found the In
dians in large force. They demand
ed that / should lead the attack. l
refused until further orders were re
ceived from Haight or Dame then
went south ten miles and met some
whites and Indians coming from that
direction. 1 camped there that night
and on Wednesday went to the Mea-
dows and sent man to Cedar City
for further orders. On Thursday
the orders came by Major Highly.
There were ffty-eight whites and
about five hundred Indians there.
Then Major Highly made a speech
and said that the emigrants were all
to be killed who could talk; that We
must get them out of the fortifca-
tions by treachery. I was to follow
the flag of truce and make a treaty
with the besieged and promise pro-
lection. 1 was also to get the arms
of the emigrants and the sick and
wounded, and also the children into
wagons. Then the troops, under
Major Highly, would meet the emf
grants. The Indians were to remain
/ in ambush. The women were to 60