The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-04-26
Execution Of the Mormon Lee.

ExeCulkOn Oi tHt MOEzssOAA A<Sce
The execution of the Mormon
Bishop John D. Lee for his par
ticipation in the Infamous and
horrible Mountain Meadow
Massacre took place on Friday, Cd
the spot where the crime was per-
petrsted nearly twenty years ago
He was taken there under a strong
military guard from Beaver City,
were the trial was conducted. A
stone cross erected over the graves
of the murdered, and bearing the
words Vengeance is mine, l will
repay, saith the Lord, stood IN
plain sight. While seated ON his
coffin, awaitiug the signal for his
execution, Lee said to the District
Attorney Il feel resigned to my
fate. / bave done nothing de-
signedly wrong in this affair. 1
used NV utmost eudeavors to save
those people. Iwou!d have given
worlds, wete they ut my com
mand, to have avoided that ca,ianIl
tx, but / could not. / am sacri-
feed to satisfy feelings, and an
used to CRAFTY parties but | am
ready to die. ] do not believe
everything that is now prnctlsed
and taught by Brigham Yo"ng. J
do not agree with him. / believe
be is lending bis people astlas.
But ] believe IN the gospeI as
taught in its purity bY Joseph
Smith in former days. | have my
reasons for saSin. This. [ used To
make this mans vii my pleasure
tevidently alIu,Iing to Brigham
Yonng); and did So iur thirty years,
See how and what ] have come to
this day. ] have been sacrificed
10 cowardly manner. ] ask the
Lord, my God, to extend HI
mercy to me and r. eeive NV
spirit. My laoofs ale here
done"
After prayer by the Rev. Mr..
Stokes, Methodist Clergyman,
United States Marshal Wilson tied
white handkerchief over the eyes
of Lee, Five meu selected Us the
e1ecutioherS then raised their
rifles to thei shoulders, and took
aim, ut the blindIolded man sitting
on his coffin about twenty feet III
front Of then, and at the word
Fire!'' pulled the triggers. Lee
fell back with five bullet holes
through his breast aud died IN
stantly.
An extended confe sion ny Lee.
which fully implicatrs Brigham
Young and other Morn,us, has
been published. He SAWS the
massacre WAS the direct result of
the teaching OF Brigham Young,
aud was committed by the orders
Of those high in authority The
immediate orders w.re issued BY
Col. Dame, Lieut.. Col. Haigll' md
the Council at Cedar Cits, Utah.
The Indians were aroused by Lee
ut the orders OF Col. Dame, and
we're accessories and not the prin-
cipals in the murders. Lee gives
a long and narrowing account of
the method pursued. The H.
dams were to kill the women aud
children, the main body of whites
the men, aud Lee with select
body Of men were TO murder the
sick and wounded. After tull
consultation on the part of the
MormoDs it was decided to entice
the enigrants ont oftheir entrench-
ments by sending a flag o. truce.
This was done and the programme
fully carried out. Not one person
old enough to speak WAS left 20
hell the tale. Lee says he re-
ported the whole matter to Brig
ham Young personally, telling
him every particular. Young
said be had done right and sus-
tanned HIM. A plan was adopted
by which Yonng reported the
massacre rs the work Of Indians.
IN Y 0hsarrar