Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-04-06
THE UTAH MASSACRE.
Confession Of John D. LIE,


The following is the confession of
John D. Lee, the Mormon, who was
shot at Mountain Meadow, Utah,
March %, for his participation in
the massacre at that place in 1857.
The circumstantial manner in which
Lee details the facts, gives to the
confession an air of truthfulness,b but
what he says in extenuation of his
own conduct and relation to the ter
rible tragedy will receive little Gre
dence. According to the evidence
elected on his trial, Lee was not on
ly prime instigator of the massacre,
but one Of the most active and blood
thirsty participants. There were 1873
victims of this unparalleled crime:
THE CONFESSION.
In the month of September, 1857,
the company of emigrants known as
the Arkansas Company" arrived in
Parowan, Iron County, Utah, on
their way to California. At Paro-
wan, young Alden, one of the COM
pany, saw and recognized one Will
lam Laney, Mormon resident of
Parowan. Alden and his father had
rescued Laney from an anti-Mormon
mob in Tennessee several years be-
fore and saved his life. He LaneyL,
at the time he was attacked by the
mob, was Mormon missionary in
Tennessee. Laney was glad to see
his friend and benefactor, and in
vited him to his house and gave him
some garden sauce to take back to
the camp with him. The same eve
ming it was reported to Bishop re oil. |
Dame that Laney had given potatoes
and onions TO the man Alden, one of
the emigrants. When the report was
made to Bishop Dame he raised his
hand and crooked his little finger in
a significant manner to one Barney
Carter, his brother-in-law, and one of
the "Angels of Death" Carter,
without another word, walked out,
went to Laney's house with a long
picket in his hand, called Laney out,
and struck him a heavy blow on the
head, fracturing his skull, and left
him on the ground for dead. G. Y.
Webb and Isaac Newman, President
of the "High Council" both told me
they saw Danes maneuver. James
McGuffee, who was then resident
of Parowan, but through oppression
has been forced to leave there and is
now merchant in Pahranagat Val
ley, near Phoebe, New, knows these
facts.
About the last of August, 1857,
some ten days before the Mountain
Meadow massacre,a "a company of en-
igrants passed through Cedar City.
George A: Smith, then First Coun-
selor in the church, and Brigham
Young's right-hand man, came
down from Salt Lake City, preach
ing to different settlements. was
at that time in Washington Co., near
where st. George now stands. He
sent for me. / went to him, and ne
asked me to take him to Cedar CITY
by way of Fort Clara and the Plato
settlements. On the tour up through
the canyon we saw herds of indians,
and he remarked that these Indians,
with the advantage they had of
rocks, could use up a very large com
pany of emigrants, or make it very
hot for them. He said to me, 'sBro.
Lee, what do you think the brethren
would do if a company of emigrants
should come down through here,
making threats? Don't you think
they would pitch into them?" l re-
piled that they certainly would; this
seemed to please him, and he again
said, ''And you really think that the
brethren would pitch into them?"
81 certainly do" was my reply, Sand |
you had better instruct Col. Dame
and Haight to tend to it that the |
emigrants are permitted to pass, if |
you want them to pass unmolest-
ed" He continued, 81 asked Isaac |
Haight the same question, and he
answered me just as you do, and / |
expected the boys would pitch into
them" / again said to him he had |