The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-03-26
Capt. John Morse on the Noun,
tain Meadow Massacre.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 25.--The Cal
this morning publishes an interesting in
terview with Captain John Morse con-
Cerning the Mountain Meadow massacre
The gentleman referred To has figured
during uiany years in an evenlful life aI
Il ironliersnian, prOspectOr, trapper anC
trader. lie was in Utah previous to the
Mormon settlements and Tor many year.
after. At the time OF the massacre HI
was living with some bands OF Indians
not more than 80 miles from Mountain
Meadow, and two days alter the tragedy
he visited the scene and saw the manglel
bodies Of the slaughtered emigrant,
lying on the ground as they had beer
left by the destroying horde o
Mormon fanatic5 and their allies, The
Indians. Capt. Morse was an intimate
acquaintance OF Lee, aud this departed
Saint, in conversation occurring years
before the trial, admitted to Morse hi.
completely in the atrocities, but i'll hi'
confession, so consistently with his of
hand declarations, threw the re-
sponsibility Of the butchcry upon the
leaders OF the Mormon Church, and
directly implicated as accessory, beiof,
and alter The act, brigham Young
Morse disputed Lees statement that
there were 500 Indians present, claiming
that there were not more than 800 In thai
whole section. The butChery was planned
by the Mormons and almost entirely
done by them, the Indians not killing
over half dozen. lie says plumber wa,
the chief incentive to the massacre. Al
that time the MOrmons were very poor
having no money and scarcely anything
else, they would trade their produce with
the Indians even for old clothes. The
train was a very rich one, and excited
their cupidity. Morse was very much
with Lee during his residence in Southern
Utah, and the latter after he had unbos
somed himself freely oil the subject OF the
massacre, it seemed to SO dwell in his
mind, that he constantly reverted to it
Concerning the implication Of Brig.
ham Young with the massacre
Morse relates the following interview
with Lee: The last time | saw him was
in Mahon county. When | got to his
rancho he received lettcr,-in fact,
brought it myself, from a place called
Kanab, which stated that troops were
on Lees track, hunting him up, and he
had better move on little further. Ht
showed me one letter, and l said, "Lee
this is all Internal lies. There are ne
troops on your track at all. This is ali
put up by those Mormons in St
George where Brigham Young was, whom
Brigham had influenced to get you out o.
the way. told him to take my advice and
go into the gentle camp and give him
self up and make clean breast OF it and
he wonld get along first rate. | asked
him il Brigham Young was interested II
the massacre, and he at first said no.
said | knew better, good deal. Hesays
Of course there is no use lying 10 you; n.
matter Of course; was under orders O
Brigham Young; knew everything with mt
from the time we left Salt Lake, but thu
intention was TO let them pass on tc
Muddy and then catch them at Muddy
Do you suppose any OF those men yor
knew moved them ? Do you suppose they
would have entered into this arrangement
il they had not believed in the Mormon
Church, and that this thing emanatet
from Brigham, their Mormon pro
phet? Morse says no attempt wai
made TO procure his testimony
further than that he was sent for to at
tend the first trial, but did not appear
being down on the Colorado river. Lee
was confidential with him on account o
their frequent solitary companionshil
on prospecting and other expeditions
and because he knew Morse had othel
sources Of information from the Indians
Captain Morse is now resident OF thil
city,