Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-07-20
Saints or Demons.
Correspondence New York Herald.
SALT LAKE CRY. June %, 1877

connection with the Mountain Meadow mas
sacre. The ghosts of that butchery are not
the only ones that haunt him. Certain spec
tres of men murdered later in Utah must
trouble occasionally, his dreams There
are two murders at least the evidence con-
cerning which leads directly up to and
through the doors of the Lion House. Per
haps two more atrocious crimes never com
mitted than the murders of Yates and of
Bucklin The very mention of these deeds
causes a shudder in the breasts of old resi-
dents here.
MURDER OF YATES.
The killing of Yates was done in 1897.
when Johnston's army was pushing forward
through the CANYONS and the Nauyoo Legion
was employed to harass and resist it, Yates
was trader who brought with him to Green
river, in the vicinity where the two forces
were operating, quantity of goods to sell to
the Indians, among them powder, lead and
caps. The Mormons wanted the ammunition,
but Yates refused to sell it to them unless,
they would take the rest of his stock. Yates,
however, found himself forced to part with
the ammunition in an unexpected manner.
When Colonel Alexander, paymaster of the
United States army, came in he demaned it,
took If for the use ofthe United States troops.
and gave vouchers for the price of 1t. This
incensed the Mormons, who, affecting to be-
leve that Yates had willingly parted with his
powder, SC, to their enemy, denounced him
as ''spy" and .'foe to the church, " and re-
solved on his destruction. 1t was accom-
plished, and in this way: Yates, mounted on
fine horse and with purse containing S935
gold in his pocket, WAS returning one day
from the United States camp to his trading
post. At the same time a man named Howt
Conover. Mormon and II natural morse thief,
Ial 10 hot art of ha NDuyOO Lemon
in service near Bridger, was out in the neigh
borhood. trying in thieves parlance, to ''win
u horse" Conover, who was heavily armed,
saw Yates approaching him from an opposite
bank of the Black Fork Creek, ordered him
to halt, crossed over and seized his horse,
and, recognizing Yates, took him prisoner,
placed him on his (Conovers) pony and es-
corted him TO the Bridger. There Yates was
turned over to the Mormon Major Callister,
who is now bishop Of Fillmore. He was kept
in Fort Bridger several days. and an incident
of his confinement will illustrate the thieyish
propensities OF the Mormon soldiery. Yates
was tall, fine looking, .active, strong man.
and though the wall surrounding the fort was
tolerably high he took n notion to scale it.
At what seemed II fortunate moment he drew
of pair of heavy boots and put on pair OF
low light shoes. He left his boots lear the
door OF his quarters and walked out and
around the corral intending to make the leap
and run. Discovered in the attempt, he Was
brought back within a few moments. During
these few moments his boots had been stolen,
and he was compelled to suffer the anguish
of irons with nothing but his stockings be-
tween them and his ankles.
WANTED HIM KILLED.
In the meantime Bill Hickman, a DANTE
who has committed so many murders that he
can hardly recollect the names ofhis victims,
returned from scout to Bridger, on his way
to Salt Lake City.
Callister, the Mormon major, directed Hick-
man TO take Yates and his purse Of S935 in
gold coin on with him TO this city. When
Hickman and Yates. accompanied by Hick-
mans Gentle brother and two Mormons
named Flack and Louis Meacham arrived at
the head of Echo Canyon they found the
headquarters of general Wells. The evidence
shows that Wells there told Hickman he
ought to be used up Hickman himself
quotes Wells as saying, HE ought to be
killed, but take him on; you will probably
get an order when you get to Colonel Jones
camp" which was at the mouth of Echo
Canyon on Weber river, about twelve miles
distant. Hickman himself proceeds to say:
'Aftor break fast We proceeded to Jones
camp and when within three or four miles of
the camp We met Joseph A. Young, son of
Brigham, going, as he said, to the generals
camp to take orders. He hailed me Il being
behind) and said his father wanted that man
Yates killed and that would know all about
it when l got to Jones camp.
I'VE got there about sundown. and were
met outside by Colonel Jones. and conducted
around under the hill below, and Just outside
the camp.
He had q fire built for us, and sent our
horses out under guard to grass. He then
took me aside and told me that he had orders
when Yates came along to have him FUSED
up" and that was why he had taken me out
side of his camp. Supper was brought to u.s.
and Yates soon went to sleep on his blankets
Flack and Meacham spread their blankets
and soon went to sleep also. | told them to
do it. as l would guard the prisoner until
called them. My brother, Ibeing Il gentle,
had been sent on to the next station, some
ten miles ahead, on business. ] remained at
our camp fire until eleven or twelve o'clock
that night, several coming and chatting with
me.
A HORRIBLE BuTcHERY.
"About this time all was still and every
body supposed to be in bed. No person was
to be seen, when Colonel Jones and two
others, Hosea Stout and another man whose
name do not recollect, came to my camp
fire and asked me II Yates was asleep. told
them that he was, upon which his brains
were knocked out with an axe He was coy-
cred up with his blanket and left lying. Picks
and spades were brought and grave dug
some three feet deep near the camp by the
freight all hands assisting. Flack and
Meacham were asleep when the man was kill |
ed, but woke up and saw the grave digging.
The body was put in and the dirt well packed |
= t,vn
sisted of small wood and brush, was moved |
on to the grave in order to prevent notice of
q change in ground" Hickmon used the
axe, and Hosea Stout, formerly a lawyer and |
now a farmer near Salt Lake City (whO was
once indicted and held under arrest here), is |
said 10y Hickman to have pulled aside the |
brush that overhung Yates face that the as |
sassin might have free swing to strike the
blow. Hickman goes on with his statement |
as follows:
THE PRICE or BLOOD.
.Our horses were Immediately sent for and |
We were of before daylight went 10 the next |
station, found my brother. got breakfast and
arrived ct Salt Lake City that day. The next
day took the S93j. and we all went to head
quarters. Flack and had talk. as We
went, about the money. lie said Brigham !
ought to give 1t to us, as we had already been
to more expense than that money amounted
TO from horses used up and other losses, and
urged me to get it, told him | would try,
saying TO him, you know how much | Am
out and can testify to it, and think he will
give IN part, any wny.
BRIGHAM SEIZED IIK GOLD.
'Soon after dark Fluck and | went to Brig
hams Office lie asked how things were go
ing on out east, and told HIM. He then
asked me If l had got word from him. |
told him that | had received instructions at
Jones camp, and also of the word ! had re-
ceived from hIs son Ju. lie said that was
right and good thing. | then told him that
| had 5000 given me tu bring in that Yates
had at the time OF his capture told him
of the expense had been to during the war,
and asked him if | might have part of the
money He gave me II reprimand for asking
such thing and said 1T must go toward de
fraying the expenses of the war. pulled
out the sack containing the money and he
told me to give IT TO his clerk Il do not re-
member who he was now. Tho money was
counted and We left. This knocked all the
MoTmonism out of Flack and he has never
had speck oft III him since making many
observations OF this and other things, of hard
work, obeying brigham Young. and being
never allowed dollar for all he hns done.
'In IL few days returned east and found
Yates goods and all his property had been
taken and stock belonging to him and other
mountaInceTs
ArFRoPHIATING YATES HORSE AND WATCH.
Yates had II watch worth from $3.50 to $500,
with a Specimen (nntIve gold cham at
tached to it. The watch was subsequently
given to II Mormon named Lot Smith, Tor his
bravery in capturing and burning govern
ment train. The horse taken from Yates 10y
Conover was ridden for several months by
Joseph A. Young. ON the approach of tho
United States Army in the spring 1t was fear
ed that the horse would he recognized; 1t WAS
given to Callister, the bishop before men
toned, who took ii south with him. This
horrible crime. the evidence IA regard TO
which is 10y no means that alone of Bill lhck-
man, wac first traced out 10y Mr.. s. II. Gil
son, n detective officer, whose friend, Brass
field. had been murdered here and who CON
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