Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-10-31
Brigham's Destroying Angels.
Two OF THEIR GRIMES, AS RECITED
BY ONE OF THE MURDERoUs BAND.

Two OF THEIR CRIMES, AS REcITED
BY ONE OF THE MURDERoUs BAND.
DETROIT, Oct. l5.-"What I have
told you must not findits way into print
while Brigham Young lives !" These
words were addressed to your cores
pondent in December. 1871, at Omaha.
The man who spoke them was George
z. Case, for several years resident of
Bay county, Michigan. l found HIM in
Omaha, at the date mentioned, sick,
penniless, and seemingly about to die,
and it was only when he had become
canvalescent, and was about ready to
start for Mexico, that he gave me the
Information used below.
George P. Case was no more nor less
than one of Brigham Young's paid as
sasslns or avenging angels. His ac-
quaintance with Young was brought
about rather curiously. He was at Salt
Lake City, on his way to California.
This was in the spring Of 1866, and the
Gentle population Of Utah was fast IN
creasing. Being on the street at late
hour one night, the prophet was recog-
nized by three or four boisterous chaps,
and they were ready to give him rough
handling, but Case came up and took
the old mans part and beat them off.
He was asked to call on Young next day,
and before the interview closed Case
had hired to the prophet as detective.
1t was not long before he discovered
that his associates were assassins, and
that assassination would become part OF
his duties.
Case was rough and reckless. but he
was neither robber nor murderer
When he found himself pointed out ca
the streets as an avenging angel, he
sought an interview with Young, and
stated his desire to resign his position.
ut would be safer for you to continue
on" was the prophets reply.
but don't want to-" Case protest
ed; II want to go on to California"
Men who leave our service after be-
ing Entrusted with our secrets do not
always get along finely" Young con-
tinued.
He spoke very pleasantly, and he
seemed very friendly, but there was
something in his look and tone that
gave Case a feeling of uneasiness. He
was given day or two to reflect, and
he finally decided to remain.
Case said that after once a Gentle
had been given over to the avenging
angel he was a dead man. They
might put him out Of the way at once, or
might delay amonth, according to Cir
cumstances, but the shadow of death
walked by the victims side from the
moment his name was handed in to the
angels" In some cases the victim
was imprisoned for a time, in order to
eXtorJ information, or for reasons best
known to the church. When once the
dungeon doors had shut behind him, no
man came out alive. In some cases the
dead body would be left on the street,
and it would be made to appear that the
man had been waylaid. In other in
stances it was carried out on some high
way, or flung into the lake. Many of
the Gentiles, and more particularly
those of wealth and standing, had
nothing to say against the church, but
inmany cases gave it more or less sup
port. Such people had no cause for
fear. Other Gentiles were fierce in
their denunciations, and sometimes
provoked quarrels; but unless they
needed the contents Of a warning letter
their tongues were soon silenced.
One day in 1867 William Foster
Buckley of Birmingham, England,
arrived in Salt Lake in quest of his
sister, a girl ofnineteen, who ran away
from home and joined party Of Nor
mon converts ready to sail for America.
On her arrival at Salt Lake she was
married to a Mormon named j. Y.
Thomas, who lived about fourteen miles
from the city. She was his fourth wife,
and was by no means contented with her
lot. She ran away from him two or
three times, and was once punished by
being shut up in the cellar for two weeks
and fed on bread and water. No one
knew Of Buckeyes presence ia the West
until he had reached Salt Lake and
began making inquiries about his sister.
He found out where she was, and rode
out to the house, and when he learned
from her own lips how she was situated,
his hot English blood fired up to the
boiling point. He returned to the city
to secure an interview with the prophet.
At the interview he was plainly gwen
to understand that his sister must re-
main where she was, and that Salt
Lake City would not be a safe place for
him after twenty-four hours more.
Buckley purchased two horses and
additional firearms, and at II O'Clock at
night set out for the ranch, his object
being to rescue his sister from the house
and ride away with her: Spies had been
watching all his movements. When he
left the city three avengin G angels, one
of whom was Case, rode after him. In
speaking of this affair, Case said: "He
fought like tiger. AS soon as he knew
we were after HIM he dlsmounted, let his
horses 90, took cover behind the rocks.
and wo did not get the drop on him till
one of our angels had been killed and
another wounded. We left his corpse
in the road, and it was generally be-
lieved that he had been killed by
robbers or Indians"
Buckeyes sister knew enough of
Mormonlsm to suspect who had muir
dered her brother, and the tragedy
preyed upon her mind until she became
a lunatic, and one day destroyed her
own life.
DIT. MUNsEY's LAST HoURs.-A
Jonesboro' (Tenn.) corr espondent of
the Knoxville Tribune gives the follow
ing particulars of the death of the Rev.
DR.. w. E. Munsey, which occurred at
Jonesboro' on Monday morning last:
''He had been suffering intensely from
pain in his head for several days past,
and had spoken of slight pain IN the
region of the heart. He said to his
wife Sunday night that he did not ex-
pect to live through the day, but as he
was no worse than he had been
it was thought that he was
feeling respondent. His brother-in-
law, Kennedy Blair, had been with him
for two weeks past, but, thinking he