The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-01
@ Aemurrt
AVENGING A GREAT CRIME.
THE APPROACHING EXECUTION OF
BISHOP LEE FOR THE MOUNTAIN
MEADOW MASSACRE.
What Judge Mexican, Of Utah, Says o.
the Present Status of MOrmOnism.

Lee the convicted leader in the Noun
tain Meadow massacre, had been aban-
doned, and that the day on which Lee is
to be shot would soon be appointed by
the Court. Learning that Judge Mexican
of the Uuited States District Court for
Utah, was stopping at the Astor House,
World reporter questioned him sto the
circumstances of that horrible crime and
the steps taken by the Judge and others
to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"I suppose your memory does not ex-
tend back to the time of the massacre it.
SELF" said Judge Mexican. ut was in
1S57-towards the fall of that year, l
think. So you see it is almost twenty
wears ago. President Pierce hadappoint-
ed Brigham Young to be Territorial Gov
ernor, and when Buchanan came in he
appointed man named Cummings to
succeed him. Brigham Young rebelled
against this and prepared to prevent
Cummings from taking possession of the
government. Colonel Albert Sidney
Johnston, who was already known as an
excellent, brave officer, was marching
across the plains at the head of the Unit
ed States troops, under orders to suppress
any forcible resistance that might be Of
fered against the new Governor. About
this time it happened that very large
company of emigrants, whowere on their
way to California, stopped at Salt Lake
City for supplies. This was one of the
largest and best equipped companies Of
emigrants that ever started for the far
West They came from Kansas and Mis-
souri,"
GLOW many were there in the Com
pany?"
"Well, there were from 12O to 190 killed
and fifteen or seventeen children besides,
who were saved, but the exact number OF
the whole company before the massacre
is not known. AS was telling you, the
emigrants put in at Salt Lake City for
supplies, but were refused all facilities to
procure them. After some delay they
left the city and started off on their long
march across the plains. A few days
afterward George A, Smith, generally re-
cognized as Brigham Young's right hand
man, also left Salt Lake City, passed the
emigrant train, visited the settlements
through which it would have to pass, and
gave orders forbidding anybody to fur
nish the emigrants with supplies upon
any consideration. Notwithstanding
these hardships, the emigrants pushed on
till they came to the Mountain Meadows
in the southwestern corner of the Terri
tory. There they made halt to feed
their cattle"
"And it was there that they were at
tacked?"
"While there they saw company of
horsemen advancing toward them, and
fearing that it was an enemy they hastily
formed corral of their wagons and bag
gage, within which they gathered their
Company and effects, and prepared to de-
fend themselves. They were pretty we'll
armed. When the advancing party had
come within rifle shot they appeared to
be all Indians, and for many years after
the massacre it was generally believed
that there were no white men among the
murderers. 1t was afterwards discovered
however, that there were both Indians
and white men present, the white being
disguised as Indians. The attacking par
tv Immediately opened fire. The emf
Grants returned it, and as often as they
got an opportunity they scooped out holes
in the ground and let down the wheels
of their wagons so that the boxes would
make better defense. The emigrants
could not have been overcome by such a
eforce if the enemy had not resorted to
strategy. There was spring near by
where the emigrants were corralled, and
the enemy soon took measure to cut of
the supply of water Having been COM
pelled to suffer the pangs of thirst for
long time, they finally clothed number
oftheir little girls in white and started
them off to fetch water from the spring
The murderers opened fire on the child
rem, and they were obi iged to put back.
Still the emigra1ts maintained strong
defense, and at least two or three from
the attacking party approached them un-
der flag OF truce. Some ofthe emigrants
went out and a parley was held. The lea
der of the attacking party, who although
dressed like an Indian, spoke English
fuently, demanded surrender, promis-
ing to spare the lives ofthe prisoners and
to escort them safely out of the country.
The conditions were readily accepted"
"And yet the prisoners were put to
death ?"
"They laid down their arms and
marched out Their property, which
was considerable, was taken possession
of, and under the escort of the Indians
they begun their march towards Salt
Lake City. They had notgone far when,
at a signal, the enemy opened fire on
them. and the whole company, with the
exception of few small children, was
butehered. One man escaped and ran
away, but he was overtaken somewhere
on the plains and put to death"
nWhat was done with the children 2"
dThey were distributed around Nor
mon families. 1t is said that one of those
children, a little girl, on seeing Mormon
woman wearing the dress that had for
merly belonged to her mother, said, My
mamma used to have that dress Soon
after the girl disappeared She knew
too much"
"How did the truth about the massacre
finally come outP"
"The facts were got mainly from men
who have quarre'ed with the'Mormons
or become disgusted with Mormonism.
It was long ago proven beyond all doubt
that John D. Lee was the man who, dis
guised as an Indian, went down under
the flag of truce and held the parley with
the emigrants
"Why is it that none of the others have
been brought to trial?"
"Well, of course they did all they could
to cover up their crime, and besides they
were aided by all their Mormon brethren
Ao 7 uoid hafora II waa q lnny time hp-