, 1877-10-20
Another Mormon Butcher Ar
rested.

An0tnor mormon Butcher Ar
rested.
Grin Porter Rockwell, was arrest
ed in Salt Lake on the Both ult., on
a charge of completely in what is
known in Utah as the "Aiken Mas
sacte." A company of six men left
Sacramento, California, in the spring
of 1858, with the intention of meet
inf the United States army, then on
its way to Utah, under the command
of Col. Albert Sidney johnson. The
party consisted Of two brothers.
John and William Aiken, person
of the name of Buck, one who was
called Colonel" and two others.
The Aiken party are said to have
had in property. stock and money
to the value of $25 900. Upon reach
ing the Mormon settlements the par
ty were arrested as spies. Nothing,
however, being proven against them,
they we're given their liberty upon
conditions that they should return
to California by the southern route,
as they would not be permitted to
go exst to join the army after pass
ing through the Territory. Two of
the party remained in the city, and
the Alkens and the two others pro-
ceeded southwark from Salt Lake
City With an escort, of which this
Oriu ia6rter Rockwell was chief.
When they had reached a settle
ment called Nephi, seventy-fve
miles south of Salt Lake. the COM
pany rested, and as that was the last
settlement before entering upon a
less frequented road than that over
which they had already taaveled, it
seems that Rockwell had orders to
soon sitter "use them u.s." The
doomed men stopped at the house of
"a very excellent man" by the name
of Timothy 3. Foote, and from some
of the members of his family infor
nation has since been obtained that
leads now to the apprehension of
Rockwell. A council was there held
by the Mormon dignitaries of Nephi
and the plan of taking off " of the
-four Gentiles was decided upon.
Durin" the same night on which the
council was held a number of Nor
mons appointed by the council start
ed southwark, and the Gentiles, still
remaining under the escort of Rock
well, renewed their journey on the
following morning. When they had
reached good camping place by the
banks of stream Rockwell told
them that that was the best camping
place they would find that day, and
there they were to stop over night.
The party of Mormons who had
started ont ahead of them on the
previous night had wheeled round
and came up to them, as it were, un-
expectedly, aud asked permission to
join their camp for the night. After
supper the weary men removed their
belts with .heir pistols end knives,
took off their heavy overcoats and
drew them over their bodies as they
laid themselves down for the night.
They we're soon asleep. That there
should be no sudden awakening of
any OF them by the mis- sire of re-
volver the murderers had provided
themselves with clubs and the king
bolts of the wagons. Two of them
were instantly killed. John Aiken
was but slightly wounded, and
springjng to his feet made for the
brush, but q shot from John Kirk,
one of the Mormons, laid him sense
lass on the ground. The Colonel
fled and reached the'brush. carrying
with him q shot from the revolver of
Rockwell. and believing as he did,
that the whole party had been at-
tackled by the banditti, he fled back
to Nephi, never suspecting that it
was from that place that the murder
ers had gone. He travelled twenty
five miles during the night, and
when he again beheld the people he
had left only the morning before, he
thought he was once more safe and
related to them the incidents of the
attack. which they affected to hear
with horror. Before the murderers
left the camp where the attack was
made they threw the three bodies
into the river, and John A ken, who
was not mcrtally wounded as they
supposed, revived sufficiently to be
able to crawl into the brush, and in
the darkness was unseen. He over
heard the murderers and Rockwell
speaking of what had transpired.
leaving no doubt upon his mind that
the Mormons had acted ir-concert to
kill them all. He managed to get
back the next day to Nephi, for
there was nowhere else to go. and
there he joined the Colonel. !"
Their wounds were dressed and they
we're advised to return to Salt Lake.
and when they were four miles OH
the way they were treacherouslv
murdered, their bodies were loaded
with rock and thrown into swamp.
The two others who remained in
Salt Lake were afterward taken by
Rockwell and his associates south
ward, and when at ''the point of the
mountain, on the southern river of
the Salt Lake basin. they were MUIR
derously attacked. Buck, though
wounded, fled and plunged into the