The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-26
L Frontiersuan's Account o. the
Mountain Meadows Massacre.

SAN FRANcIseo, March 25.-The Call
this morning publishes an interesting
interview with Capt Jonn Morse con-
corning the Mountain Meadows massa-
ere. The gentleman referred TO has fg-
ured during many years in an eyentful
life as frontiersmAn, prospector, trap
per and trader, and was in Utah previous
to the Mormon settlements and for many
years after. At the time OF the massa-
ere he was living with some bands Of
Indians not more than thirty miles
from Mountain Meadows, and two
days after the tragedy he visited the
scene and saw the msngled bodies Of the
slaughtered emlgrsHts lying on the
grodnd a. they had been lett by the des-
troying horde of Mormon fanatics and
their allies. The Indian Captain Morse
was an intimate acquaintance Of Lee and
this departed saint in conversation oc-
curing years before the trial admitted 10
Morse his completely in the atrocities,
but in his confession. so consistently in
his of, hand declarations, he
threw the responsibility OF the
butchery upon the leaders OF
Mormon Church, and directly implicated
as accessory before and after the tact,
Brigham Young. Morris disputed Lees
statement that there were 500 Indians
present, claiming that there we're not
more than 800 in that whole section
The butchery was planned by the Nor
mons and almost entirely done by them.
the Indians not killing over half dozen.
He says plunder was the chief incentive
to the massacre. At that time the Nor
mons were excessively poor, having no
money and scarcely anything else would
trade their produce with the Indians, even
for old clothes. The train was very rich
one, and excited their cupidity. Morse was
very much with Lee during his residence
in Southern Utah and, the latter after
unbosomed himself freely on the subject
OF tie massacre, which seemed 10 so dwell
in his mind that he constantly reverted
to it. Concerning the implication OF
Brigham Young with the massacre
Morse relates the following interview
with Lee: The last time | saw him was in
Mabon county. l got to his rancho at
night. There he received letter, in
fact brought it myself from q place
called Ksnsb, which stated that the
troops were on Lees track, hunting him
down, and he had better move on little
further. He showed me one letter and |
said, Lee this is all internal lies,
there are no troops on your
track at all. This Is all put
up By those Mormons in st.
George, where Brigham Young WAS,
whom Brigham had influenced to get
you out of the way. told him to take
my advice and 60 into the Gentle camp
and give himself up and make a clean
breast of it, and be would get along first
rate. l asked him If Brigham Young
was Interested in the massacre and he At
first said no. said / knew better. lie
said of course there is no use lying to you.
As q matter Of course was under orders
of Brigham Young, and knew every
thing with me from the time we left Salt
Lake, but the intention was to let them
pass on TO Muddy, and then catch them
at Muddy.
Reporter-Do you suppose any OF those
men YOU knew would have entered into
this arrangement if they had not be-
lieved in the Mormon church, and that
this thing emans,ed from Brigham
Young, their Mormon prophetf
Morse says no attempt WAS made to
procure his testimony. further than thst
he was sent for TO attend the frat trial,
but did not appear, being down on Colo
rado river. Lee Was confidential with
him on account Of their frequent solitary
compsuionship on prospecting and other
expeditions, and because he knew Morse
had other sources Of information from the
Indians. Captain Morse is now a resi-
dent of this city.