Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1877-03-30
EXECUTION or JOHN D. LEE,

A disnatch from Salt Lake City, Utah, states
that John D. Lee was shot at Mountain Mead
ows at eleven o'clock on Friday last, in pur-
sunnce Of the verdict by which he was declared
guilty Of being the leader Of the massacre of
emigrantS perpetrated al that place about TWEEN
ty years ago. and of the sentence subsequently
pronounced against him. There was some
firing very sensational and unusual in the Sc
lection Of the scene of his crime as the place
of punishment, bat as all The circumstances
connected With the offence and trial were pc
eulihr, it was perhaps fitting that there should
also be something novel in the mode OF execut-
ing the dread mandate of the law.
There is no doubt that John D. Lee deserved
an ignominious death, and the sentence i'm
posed upon him was essentially just. His
hesses and he certainty took an active part in
what was probably the most dastardly, cruel
AID outrageous crime ever perpetrated on this
continent. If full weight is given to all thai
has been or could be alleged in his behalf, and
if everything he asserted in his confession is
true, be still richly merited his doom.
The blood thirsty spirit that led him to in
cite body Of savages to attack the emigrants,
and the inhuman treachery he displayed in per-
suading lbe emigrants 10 abandon the camp or
improviscd forli6cation, in which they found
Temporary safety, under the pretense that he
would rescue them from the Indians, when his
real intention was to Lead them into position
where every member Of the party except few
young childreR could be mastered, marked
him rs merciless murderer who deserved the
most severe punishment the government could
legally inAict.
II these horrible transactions were entirely
beyond the pale of Mormon or semi military
authority Lee aud all his confederates richly
deserved 10 be executed as murderers, but,
even if the claim is admitted that he acted in
a military or semi military capacity, he deserv-
ed TO die for his erossest violation of the hu-
name rules which restrain the combatants in
actual war, II Mormon faaaticism was the
melting motive of the massacre, il could fur
nish no Justification for The wanton slaughter
OF scores of helpless men and women.
The chief matter Of public interest now is
whether Lees execution should be followed by
the punishment of some of his confederates.
II his confession is strictly true Utah contains
81 number of men who should share his doom
But it may prove impraclicabe to convict
them, and Brig ham Young has already denied
in the most positive terms the portions Of the
confession which impicaio him in connivanc,
at or approval of the massacre. 1t is 10 be
hoped that the leader of Mormondom was moi
foolish or cruel enough 10 desire the death o.
the emigranis. lie has crimes enough to an
swer for exclusive of guilty participation in
that great slaughter, and ii is probable thai
the Mormons of western Utah who were under
Lees leadership acted on their own response
biiity AT time when they were wrought up tC
high pitch of excitement. II is not easy
however to discredit the mass of evidenc,
which indicates that soon after the massacre
Brigham Young obtained knowledge of al
OF its horrible details aud that for years he en-
deavorcd TO shield the murderers from punish
ment. But il may be said that he partially ex
plated this offence by rendering useful assist
ance in the prosecution Of Lee, whose convic
tion would have been scarcely possible il tn
head Of Normondom had endeavored to pre-
vent 1t. The entire story is one of the mos
terrible that has ever disgNced American an
mails.
Lee, according to one report, said that h
was the father OF sixty-four children, ofwhon
hhy- -four are still living. Not one Of then
was present al his execution, and it is to b
hoped that his fanatical and blood thirsty ma
ture was not transmitted to them. But ,h
awful revelations of the past week will csus
serious reflections as 10 the nature of the com
munty that has established ilsslfin Utah. anC
the terrible effects OF such fanatical system
as Brigham Young has established.
The sale Of the farm OF Levin Ofutt by W