Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-04-05

pointed for the execution of death
sentence upon one ofthe most fan.
atically religious murderers of the
last thousand years. Perhaps il
is safe to say that, in all time, it
would be impossible to find a more
merclless mana more horrible.
heart-rendng atrocity than John
d. Lee and his wholesale massa-
ere at Mountain Meadows. Lee
is the adopted son of Brigham
Young. In 1857 he was a sort
OF official farmer, trader and Nor
mon manager among the Indians
of Southern Utah. He occupied
the position in the Mormon
Church of Bishop, and to the in
terests of lood-atoning body OF
fanatics, he added the shrewdness
CT a trickster and the depraved
disposition of fend On learn.
ing, in 1857, that a company of
emigrantS from Arkansas were go
ing through Utah to California,
Bishop Lee, Dunn, Higbee, and
others determined on the surprise
and assassination of the whole par.
ty-one hundred and fifty men, wo
men and children! The train was
allowed to pass though the Nor
mon communities going in a direc-
tion southwark from Salt Lake
City, George A. Smith (MormCn)
riding ahead to protect them and
give a hint to the local Bishops
along the way.
When 250 miles south of Salt
Lake City the train halted to rest
i'll Mountain Meadows, and found
themselves surrounded by Indians.
They defended themselves as well
as they could for three days, when
a flag of truce was seen approach.
ing, carried by white men.
John D Lee went into the camp,
talked awhile, and induced the
emigrants to stack their arms and
come out-he aUou7d take them to
a place Of safety They stacked
their arms, and men, women and
walked out defenseless.
They were scarcely beyond the
when the Mormon com
mander gave the word "Fire!'
The rattle Of musketry and Indian
rifles dinned the air, and in one
short hour the men and women--I
all save seventeen infant children
were dead or writhing in deaths
agony on the ground. The In
dians did their worst, but the re-
Gently. delivered testimony of wit
nesses proves that the Mormon
Bishops and militia exceeded the
savages in cruelty. Men, women,
and children of intelligent age were
shot, stabbed, and Drained. One
young woman appealed to Lees
son for mercy; he relented, when
the father, John D Lee, striking
the son aside, shot the hapleSs
girls brains out! After the mas
sacre the wagons, horses, and cat
tie were distributed, aud within
three months thereafter $30,N00
worth OF jewelry and personal plop-
erty was distributed among the
participants i'll the merGiless work.
The MormOLs put on the clothes
Of the dead, drove the horses,
sported the jewelry, and iacetious.
y referred to their bloodstained ac-
quisitions as spoiLs from the Seige
Of SebaStopot|
When Lee reported to Brigham
Young the result and spoils of the
Brigham Young, then
tlng-Governor, told him to keep
still-say nothing about the mat
ter"
Much of the property taken
from the emigrants was placed in
the Mormon Tithing house, at Ce.
Oar City, and disposed of by Lee
and others at auction. In few
months thereafter, Judge Cradle
baugh endeavored to make inquiSi-
lion INTO the matter. A jury was
and witnesses sumnGn-
ed; butthe witnesses refused to tell,
and Cradlebaugh, after reprimand-