The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1877-05-05
GILMAN AGAINST HOWARD.
TERRITORY OF UTAH, :,
County OF SALT LAKE, BID


upon bis oath. deposes and saws.
1 am forty years old; have lived in
Salt Lake City for five years, and during
that time have acted az U. s. Marshal
under M. L. Patrick for about one year,
and as guard at the Utah Penitentiary
nearly five months under William Mel
son, U. S. Marshal OF Utah; am mar
ried man; have but one child two years
old, and am the owner of a homestead
in the Thirteenth Ward, in this city; at
the request of Sumner Howard, u. S.
Attorney of Utah, went to the Utah
Penitentiary on the 9th day of February,
1877, nominally to act as guard, but
really at the special request of said
Sumner Howard, U. s. Attorney, to in
duce John D. Lee to rid himself of his
attorneys, and to put himself wholly and
completely under bis (Howard's) protsc-
ton, aud to place his exclusive reliance
for future safety and pardon npon him
Howard. in consideration that he
(Lee) should make full and complete
confession of everything within his
knowledge connected with the Mountain
Meadows Massacre. I was instructed by
Howard to notify Lee that the decision
of the Supreme Court of the Territory
not yet deivered-was against him; to
tell him there was but one power on
earth that could save him, and whenever
he was through fooling with his lawyers
be (Howard) would take care of him;
went to the Penitentiary pursuant to
Howard's instructions, on the day above
mentioned, and entered upon the duties
OF guard; during al! this time Lee
occupied our guard-room during the day,
and. with his wife Rachel, an adjoining
room during the night; he was not con-
fined inside the Penitentiary proper dur
ing the time was there, except one
night; l repeated verbally to Lee, as
as near as l possibly could, How
ards instructions to me; he took the
matter under consideration, consulted
with Rachel, his wife, and accepted
Howard's proposition, telling me to send
Howard word to come up Immediately,
that he would confess all, "hit whom it
may, high or low"
Lee also notified his counsel, Hoge
and Others, that be should "spend no
more money in the case, as he had put
bis whole trust in God" I notified
Howard OF Lees acceptance of the terms
by letter on the 10th of February, and
on the next day, the 18th Sunday,
Howard and Marshal Nelson came up
and had long interview together with
Lee; on the 18th Marshal Nelson came
up to the Penitentiary and had long
talk with Lee, and on the 14th Marshal
Nelson. with Judge P. 81. Emerson,
came up and had long conversation
with Lee; on the 10th Sumner Howard
and his clerk, jerome B. Cross, came up,
bringing writing paper for Lees use; on
this day Howard held long private in-
view with Lee, OF several hours dura-
ton, IN the guard-room adjoining
where l stood, and l distinctly heard
Howard say in an emphatic manner:
MIR. Lee, am man of my word;
will take care OF you"
On the 18th Howard and Judge Til
tord came up, and both had a private
consultation with Lee, and on the 25th
Attorney Howard and Marshal Nelson
both visited Lee together; from the mo-
ment that Howard and Nelson left Lee
on the llth OF February, 1877, he COM
AASA-Sce "AAsahS Aio OoAiCoslDu dlu up
peared more cheerful and happy; gave
up his tears, which were constant pre-
vious thereto, became calm, hopeful and
industrious, and continued constantly at
work until his confession was finished
and delivered to Howard; l was present
with Lee every day as guard, and from
time to time he read his confession to
me, frequently leaving it upon the table
for me to read, at the same time always
waning me not to let Howard know that
had seen or heard it. because he had
promised him no living being, not even
Rachel, was to know its contents.
That confession. as published by
Howard. is correct as far as it goes, but
the most important and material parts of
it were suppressed. AS, for instance,
Lees confession, as read to and by me,
charged Brigham Young with direct com
plicity with the Mountain Meadows
Massacre, as an accessory before the
fact that BRIGHAM Youpo had urittap