The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-01
A Pair of Mormon Murderers.

A dispatch from Salt Lake City to the
New York Herald says: "Orin Porter
Rockwell, the notorious Mormon muir
derer and accredited chief of the Dan
ties, was indicted yesterday by the Grand
Jury of the First Judicial District of the
Territory, now in session at Provo, for
his participation in what is generally
known as the Aitken massacre, which
occurred in the central part Of the Ter
ritory, 100 miles south of this city, in
1858. Rockwell was arrested in this
city to-day by the United States Marshal,
and conveyed to the Penitentiary for
safe keeping. He was in state of in
toxication when arrested, and talked
loudly of writing his confessions, as Bill
Hickman, his former associate in crime,
had done.
Bishop Robert T. Burton, the Major
General of the Nauvoo Legion, who was
arrested some months ago for the muir
der of Joseph Morris, the rival prophet
of Brigham Young, in 1862, and DR.,
Jeter Clinton, who was also arrested
about the same time on the charge of
numbering Elder John Banks, the coun-
selor of Morris, have both been released
from custody on $4,000 and $4,000
bail respectively.
The arrest of Rockwell is regarded
here as an important step on the part of
the officers of the law, exhibiting as it
does that there is disposition on the
part of the Grand Jury to bring this no.
torious criminal to answer for his
bloody deeds. He has been the ready
tool of the Mormon leaders from almost
the foundation of their Church to carry
on their vengeance against their enc
mics. He was accused as far back as
1S4O of having made an attempt to as
sassina.2 Gov. Lilburn w. Boggs, of
Missouri, but the Governor escaped
with his life, though he was very serious,
~ wounded and never wholly recover
ed. 1t is matter of common belief
here that it was Rockwell, with his as
sociates, who murdered Secretary AL
mon w. Babbitt and his companions at
Ash Hollow, on the Plains, in 1857. A
few days after the murder of Mr.. Bah
bit small party of apostate Mormons,
leaving this city for the States, were al
so murdered. That Rockwell was sent
on the plains to "put them out of the
way'' is not doubted here. That he
was the chief of the party
who killed the Athens and
their associates while on their way
to California every body believes; but
what evidence the Grand Jury was in
possession of on which to indict him is
yet unknown. He is generally believed
to have committed several murders, and
there is a strong hope that he will carry
out his promise to-day, and publish his
confession. He is man of small
stature, but very wiry, and now about
60 years OF age. He has never followed
any settled course of life, and has lived
more on horseback than at home. Of
late years he has owned large droves of
horses, and has accumulated quite an
amount of money. For the last seven or
eight years he has given himself up to
almost constant intoxication, to drown
the reproaches of conscience, it. is be-
lieved. 1t was he who interrupted Vice
President Colfax in the midst of his
speech at the Townsend House, and
then made the astounding statement to
that public meeting that g he had never
killed any body who didn't want to be
killed, or deserved to be killed, any
howl"