Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-28

BRIGHAM Butt HERS.
The Prophet Charged with the
Responsibility Of the Noun
tain Meadow Horror.

full Deity. Is
he Massacre Planned and Or
dered in the Name of
God for the Benefit of II
His People.
And Afterward Endorsed by the
Almighty in a Revelation
to Blasphemous
Young.
the Confession Of Bishop John D.
Lee. Who Was Yesterday Shot
to Death.
On the m sss.s &as s;,s smounta'n
PIocnE. New, March 22.-In September, 1876,
lfter sentence OF death had been passed upon Lee,
he Mormon convicted Of participation in the |
Meadow massacre, he made full con-
ession In writing ofhis participation in that hid
,ous butchery, which document he delivered to |
W. W. Bishop, one ofhis council, and directed |
him to have It publis he'd after his execution The
is the confession made by Lee: My |
name is ohm Lee l was born on Sept 9, 1872, |
1t Kaskaskia, Randolph county, III. My mother |
belonged to the Catholic Church, and was christ
ened In that faith. Ny parents died while was
still q child, and my boyhood was one of trial |
and hartlships. married Agathe Ann woolsey |
in 1888, and moved to Fayctte county, Ills, on
Ruck Greek. There became wealthy. In 1886
TRAVELING MORMOy PREACuERa.
i bought, read and believed the Book of Nor
mon. sold my property in Illinois and moved
a Mormon church and became intimately acquaint-
ed with Joseph Smith, brigham Young, and other
leaders Of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter
order Of Danites at it's 1rst formation This order
was solemnly sworn to obey all the orders OF the
priesthood OF the Mormon Church, and to do any
angels Of the Mormon church were selected from
this organization. took an active part % Nor
mon soldier IN the conflicts between the people OF
Missouri and the Mormons, which made jackson
county, Missouri, historic ground. When the
MOrmons were
EXPELLED FROM MISSOURI
l was one Of the first to settle at Nauvoo, Ills,
where took IN active part in all that was done
strnction Of many public buildings there, an was
policeman and b0dy-guard of Smith at Nauvoo.
After his de.th occupied the same position to
ct, priest and revelator to the church. was re-
corder for the quorum Of seventy head clerks of
the church, and organized the priesthood nto the
endowment house and stood high in the priest
hood. travelled extensively through the United
States as
A MORMON MISSIONARY,
and acted as trader and financial agent for the
Church from the death Of Joseph Smith until the
settlement of Salt Lake City. was on the locat-
ing committee that selected the sites for the vari
Gus towns and cities in Utah Territory. I held
tRnof in
Of the Mormon Legislature, and was probate Judge
81 Washinston county, Utah. Immediately after
Joseph smith resolved the revelation concerning
Polygamy. was informed fits doctrines by said
Joseph smith and the apostles. l believed In the
doctrine and was sealed to
EIGHTEEN WOMEN,
three Of whom were sisters, and one was the
mother Of three Of my wives. was sealed to this
old woman for her souls salvation. was an
honored man in the church, lattered and regard
ed BY Brigham Young and the apostles uutil 1885,
when was cut of from the church and selected
people. Al duty to myself and mankind now
confess all that did at the
MOUNTAIN MEADOW MASSACRE
without anlmosity to any one, shielding none, end
giving Ne facts as they existed Those with me
ens Christ Of Latter Day Saints. The horr.d deeds
then committed were done as duty which we
to eca and church
the massacre The penalty for giving info rmatiou
concerning the same was death. As lam to suffer
death for what then did, and have been betrayed
most active of my assistants, l now give the
world the true facts a. they exist, and tell why
active participants. The Mountain Meadow mas.
sacre was the result of the teachings Of Brigham
Young, and It was done by the orders of those
ngn N anlnority 10 the Mormon community. Ths
Col. Dame, Lieut.. Col. Isaac q. Haight, and III
Council at Cedar City. Utah. I had no position
| the church At that time. About sept / went to
Cedar City, where met Isaac G. .Haght presi-
dent or governor of the state OF Zion. also Lieut.
on Sunday. Lieut. Col. Haight was a leader there
| IN all things concerning the civil, church and
the military. IT was
ACRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH
to disoley his orders. Lieut. Col Haight gave me
We slept in the iron works all that night and AZ
ranged our plans. Lieut.. Col. Haight said the en-.
igrsntsswers rough set, that they were had men.
to Kill the Missouri prophets. believed him.
was ordered TO raise the Indians to attack the tfar
and run of tue CATTLE and to have the Indians XII
| ~ raise the Southern Indians. Nephi johnson
went to the other tribes. Monday morning lef
ne Ron works s, to obey my orders Lieut.. Col
Hsight said I've are acting by orders. II ia all
right. Let the Indians bear all the blame,''
said: "We are
FORBIDDEN TO SHE'D INNOCENT BLOOD. ,,
The reply Of Haight was that "There vas not
crop Of innocent blood in the whole lot. Garry
out tue Instructions Of those in authority. Ifyon
are dntiiu in this. your reward shall be great in
he kingdom Of God, for God will help those who
e or he sna d ser al things A. for The
home passed many Indians out on the war path.
promised to join them the next day. Tueeday
onng the naIans attacked the train inst 9
emigrants. The Indians lost some OF their war
riors The emignnts then fortified their position,
The hna snn,s as mem ana sent Tor me
Indians rushing to Mountain Meadows from ali
directions. arrived at the camp late in the aft
ernoon, and found the Indians there in large force
They demanded that should lead the attack.
refused until further orders were received from
Haight or Dame. then went south ten miles
from the south ] camped there that night, and
Wednesday went to the Meadows and sent man
to Cedar City fol- further orders On Thursday Inc
wes az Is nse s
there. Then
MAJOR HIGBY MADE A SPEECH.
and said that the emgrants were all to be killet,
who could talk, and that we must get them out OF
ss M ,ss to
and promise protection. I was also 10 get the
arms OF the emtgrants. and the sick and woundesi
troops Of Major Highly would meet the emigrants
The Indians were 10 remsin In ambush. The wO-
men were to 10 ahead. The Indians were then ia
and and the drivers Of the wagons were TO
KILL THE SICK AND WOUNDED
that were in the wagons Several other men then
maze speeches Then we had prayer-circle, and
then more speeches were made, and 1t was agreed
y al parties ta.t l. va, .s win Of God for to
brethren again assembled speecSes Were 0 msSe
and sll expressed themselves as willing to act.
THOSE PRESENT
we're: Mai John N Ai0hv ph,lIjr Err,yfh
bishop Of the church ct Cedar City; Jno L.
White, William O, Stewart. Benjamin Arthur.
lev, Robert Wiley, Richard Harrison, samuel
Pollock. Daniel Mcfarland. j ohn Tire. George
Hunter Joseph Smith, Samuel 5ukes .Nephi John.
Sas Tsoma: sssa SShn
Anthony stratton, A. Loveridge Joseph Clews.
so aH In nfty Collmeus Freeman. and other,
making ditysfoar o. nst eight vhltes and about
ADDRESSED 1 The paisy ana ssd nen
ne orders OF the president that al the emierants
nss 81 pie on q fAs T frsdt sht
orders from him to put all of the emigraAts out Of
theway.. All ofthem mpst be killed, especially
n those that might talk again ne spoke Of the
authorities Of uthern Utah were AL there, and
that they were setting ~ church
FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST.
We were then told that we were there TO do a
duty we owed as good church people. and that the
grants that could talk must die Maj. Highly con-
cluded as follows: "Our orders are from our
leaders who speak with inspired tongues and their
words are the will of good men. You have no
right to question them. You must obey as you
are commanded A nag OF truce was then sent
forward. II was carried BY VIM Bafeman. He,
ives met half way by the emigrants and they held
a parley With him. Dateman then returned and
reported that the emigrants would surrender their
arms and do as they had besn requested The
Marp,nD soldiers then marched out 70 Within two
hundred yards of the erngrAnts. They next took
the wagons and Wept to the camp and stated their
orders. The emigrants then SURRENDERED and put
thsis arms, sick and wounded, and children Into
the wagons. While they were bArying their dead
THE EAfIGRANTs BURST INTO TEARS
and said they feared trcachery As soon as the
wagons were loaded the train was started. The
enigranta marched ir single file, the women and
large children being ahead. Then the men came.
When the wagons were q half mile of the firing
comnienced. The Indians killed all, The women
aud large children, the Mormons killed the men
and tho drivers with inc killed the sick and wohn-
ded We saved seventeen Ghtldrrn. The dead
We're stripped and mytilated, and the corpses left
on the field The next day Lieut.. Col. Haighf,
Col Dame and other leaders came over Finally
they q,larrelled. Lieut.. Col. Haight said to Col
Dame 2 You ordered II. and
DAMN YOU 1T Is 200 LATE
to 20 back :, Dame said he did not know there
was SO many Of them. We burned the dead and
drove tie cattle TO Iron Springs. All the wagons
and other property were sold in Cedar City by
or1a. shS ol,Sapch aufhOritfca II Of fhasa nv