The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-05
AVENGED AT LAST.
JOHN d. LEE SHOT AT THE SCENE
OF HIS CRIME
Extraordinary Dying Speech Of the
Murderer.

Salt Lake City, March 23.-Jshu ID.
| Lee was she, al Mountain Meadow s., II
| 10 day. The confession which be lci, be-
| hind him reveals a series OF nssassIuatiuns
and mutiuies by the Murmous. lie admits
| being in the plot 60 massacre the emf
I grants, but says that be opposed x iu
council. The confession is not materially
different from that in the New York Her
| aid except that he goes into details and
| denies having taken any part IN The bu,ch>
cry beycnd being present
At ii .. m. precisely, Lee was brought
out upon the scene Of the massacre at
Mountain Meadow before the executing
party and seated on bis coffin about TWEEN
~ feet from the shooters.
Afler tho order Of the court was read 10
| him and the company present by Marshal
Nelson. he asked Lee IL he had anything
20 say before execution. Lee then arose
and said
have bu, little tosay. feel that l am
upon the brink Of eternity. / have made
a manuscript history of my lite. / have
given my views and feelings with regard
TO all these things. | feel as calm as n
purpOscly wrong. Ny conscience is clear
before God and man aud / am ready 10
meet my Redecwer. ! am not an inddel
/ have not denied God or bis mercy. !
regret that in parting with my family.
many Of them are unprotected. When /
speak Of those little ones they touch ten
der chord within. (Herv Lees voice fall
iercd.) have done nothing designedly
wrong in this affair. / used my utmost
endeayers to save these people. / would
have given worlds were it at my command
10 have avoided that calamity, but could
not / attn sacrificed 10 satisfy other par
ina hint / Il tt a g..
Death has no terrors, aud no particle of
mercy have ! asked OF the court or off,
cials 10 spare my life. ] do not fear death
/ am a true believer In the gospel Of Jesus
Christ. | do not believe everything that
is now prnciiced aud taught by Brigham
Young. | believe he j. leading people
astray but | believe in the gospel ne
taught IN its purity by Joseph Smith in
former days. have my reasons for say
ing this, / used 10 make this mans will
my pleasure, and did SO for 80 years !
have been sacrificed in cowardly man.
mer. regret TO leave my family they
are near and dear 10 me. | did every.
thing Ia my power 10 save all emigrants
but ] am one that must suffer. Having
said this feel resigned ask tho Lord
my God TO extend biz marcy ~ me and
receive my spirit. My labors here are
done
Parson Stokes (MelhodisU then made
prayer commanding the soul of the con.
dcmned man TO God. Immediately after
this a handkerchief was placed over Lee
eyes. lie raised his hands and placed
them on top OF his head. sitting firm.
Marshal Nelson gave the word fire, and
five guns were fred, the balls penetrating
in the region Of the heart. Lee fell square
ly back upon his coffin dead. Death was
instantaneous The body was placed in
the coffin and the crowd dispersed. There
we're about 20 persons all told on tho
ground. Nota child or relative was
there. The best order prevailed. Lees
last words 30 Marshal Nelson were, ~ IN
vt my heart"
The body is now on its Gny from the
scene of the execution to be delivered to
his relatives at Cedar Chy.
lThe Mountain Meadow massacre oc,
Cured September II, 1857 Lee was cap. |
tured IN 1874. and was twice tried, tho ia |
ry on the frat trial disngreeing "OfI
Lees eighteen wives two @cTG Scaled to |
him by The Prophet Brigham after the |
massacTc, but be lost eight Of them by di- !
worse within twenty four hours after he |
was cut OF from the church, in 1871 |
Three Others were subsequently divorced |
from him, and only three remained fnith- |
ful 10 the end. OF his sixty-four children !
liity-iour are still living, and twcnty.four |
OF these were dependent upon him for sup |
port at the time Ol his arrest in 1874, the |
Oldest of these two dozen being then only |
sixteen years OF age. Lee is-or was a
man OF muscular and powerful physique, |
not large his forehead is low
and TecediHg, and his head shows an over-
balancing weight 10 1ha cerebellrm. He