Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-04-06
Continued from 1st nan.

I
said: 81 did not think there were so
many women and children; thought
they were nearly all killed by the
Indians" Haight said it was too late
in the day for him to baek-water.
"You know you ordered and counsel
ed it.and now you want to back out "
Dame said: "Have you papers for
that?" This enraged Haight to the
highest pitch, and Dame walked off.
Haight said: "You throw the blame
of this thing on me and will be re-
venged upon you.
! From this place we rode to the
wagons. We found them stripped
of their covers and every particle OF
clothing, even the feather-beds, had
been ripped open and the contents
turned out upon the ground in look
ing for plunder. l crossed the
mountains by the Indian trail, tax
| ing my little Indian boy with me on on
nv horse. The gathering-up OF
property and cattle was left IN
charge of Bishop K. Smith.
Some two weeks after the deed
was done Isaac G. Haight sent me
to report to Gov. Young. asked
him why he did not send a written
report. He replied | could tell him
more satisfactorily than he could
write, and if I would stand up and
shoulder as much of the responsible
ity as | could conveniently, that it
would be feather in my cap some.
day, and that l would get celestial
salvation; but that the man who
shrank from it now would 60 to per-
dition. | went and did as | was
commanded. Brigham asked me if
Isaac G. Haight had sent letter to
him. replied not by me, but / said
he wished me to report in person.
"All right" said Brigham. "Were
you an eye-witness?" s'To the most
of it" was my reply. Then l pro-
ceeded and gave him full history
of all except that of my opposition.
That lelt out entirely. l told him
of the killing of the women and chill
dren, and the betraying of the COM
pany. That, | told him l was OPP
posed to, but l did not say to him to
what extent l was opposed TO it, on
ly that was opposed to shedding
innocent blood. "Why," said he,
'you differ from Isaac (Haight), for
he said there was not drop Of in
nocent blood in the whole compa-
n.y."
When 1 was through he said it
was awful; that he cared nothing
about the men, but the women and
children were what troubled him. l
said: president Young, you should
either release the men from their OBJ
legation or>sustain them, when they
do what they have entered into the
most sacred obligation to do He
replied: 81 will think over the mat
ter and make it the subject of prayer,
and you may come back in the morn
ing and see me-" 1 did so. He said:
"John, l feel first-rate. asked the
Lord if it was all right for that deed
to be done to take away the vision
of the deed from my mind, and the
Lord did so, and 1 feel frst-rate; it's
all right. The only fear l have is
of traitors" He told me never to
lisp to any mortal being, not even
to Brother Heber. President Young
has always treated me with the
friendship of father since, and has
made my home his home when in
that part of the Territory, until dan
ger has threatened him.
This is a true statement, according
to the best of my recollection.
JOHN d. LEE.
This statement l have made for
publication after my death, and have
agreed with friend to have the
same, with very many facts pertain
ing to other matters connected with |
crimes of the Mormon people under
the lead of the priesthood, from a
period before the butchery of Nau-
VOC to the present time, published
for the benefit of my family, and
that the world may know the black
deeds that have marked the way of
the Saints from the organization of
the church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints to the period when
weak and too-pliable tool lays down
his pen to face the executioners'
guns for deeds of which he is not
more guilty than others who to-day
are wearing the garments of priest
hood, and living upon the tithing of
a deluded and priest-ridden people.
My autobiography, if published, will
open the ewes of the world to the
deeds of the leaders of
the Mormon people, and will also
place in the hands of the attorney
for the Government the particulars
Of some most blood-curdling crimes
that have been committed in Utah,
which, if properly followed up, viii
bring many down from their high
places in the church to face offended
Justice upon the gallows. So mote
it be. J. D. L.