Connecticut western news., 1877-02-09
DEATH PENALTY IN UTAH.
Mountain Meadows NIassacre---TheT,La Law V1ndicated---The Execution of the Mormon ex-BishOp Lee. Chief of the Band.

Mountain Meadows Niassacre-.-TheT Law
 Vindicated---The Execution of the Mormon
 ex-BishOp Lee. Chief of the Band.
 Friday, the twenty y-sixth of January 1877, was the day named for the execution at Beaver, Utah, of John D. Lee, Nor mon ex-bishop and ex-maior, convicted as the active leader and director of tho Mormon assassins in the horrible Noun tain Meadow massacre of 1857. Thus in the twentieth year after that deliberate and remorseless butchery of peaceful immigrants, men, women and children one at least of thes sguilty conspiratort was called to meet the extreme pen atty of the law.
 In the history of this utterly detestable criminal, and of the enormous crime fol which he is to suffer, we have one of the most remarkable and most monstrous cases of diabolical fanaticism, conspiracy treachery and deliberate murder in the annals of any civilized or semi-civilized people. When first proclaimed to the world in 1857, this Mountain Meadow massacre was charged by the Mormons, in their reports of the awful tragedy, upon the Indians, and at first this account oi 1t was accepted outside of Utah as true. | a rich reward in scalps and plunder to it's captors, and as the plumber of immigrant trains after the killing of the immigrants had become an old story among the atro- cities of our Western Indians, there was no apparent reason for doubting these Mormon reports from the Mountain Meadows. But as time went on sus- picions began to be circulated that the col 1unc +I,oT T1,f1 this bloody drama. Then rumors came from Utah duplicating some of the lead ing saints by name, and then direct charges and specifications, with names, date, time and circumstances. Then at length, after the lapse of sixteen or 8ev- enteen years, the mystery was solved, and the Mountain Meadows massacre was fixed upon the Mormons.
 The leading facts in the case, briefly stated, are these: In the summer of 1857 two trains of immigrants bound for California entered Salt Lake City. One of these trains was formed of company of Missourians, all men, bold and rough, e1a route for the Sierra Nevada gold mines :; the other, and much the larger train, was that of a number of families from Ar kansas, comparatively wealthy people, and on their way to southern California as settlers. The Missourians at Salt Lake City having by their thoughtless conduct greatly exasperated the saints and having cause to fear their vengeance, deemed it expedient in leaving the city to join the Arkansas train. The Arkansas men on their part readily accepted this re-enforcement, inasmuch as the Mormons appeared to be bitterly hostile to all Gentle intruders in their territory, and were actively preparing to repel by force of arms 8 column of the United States army approaching over the plains under General Albert Sydney Johnston, escort ing new governor to Utah to take the place of Brigham Young, and new judges, etc. Most of our readers will remember how, on the verge of winter, Johnston's provision train, moving in ad- vance of his troops, was burned by the Mormons, and how thereby his entrance into Salt Lake City was delayed till the return of spring.
 The train of the Missouri and Arkansas immigrants moved on southward through Utah for over 300 miles, and without serious interruption, until they reached those fatal Mountain Meadows. Here, in little valley in the desert, were grass and water and, as their horses had sui fered from short supplies, the train halt ed for few days rest and recuperation. Here the Mormons, disguised as In dians, and with some Indian allies mus tered for the occasion, made their appear ance as enemies. The immigrants made fortifcation of their wagons, and after successful defense for several days John D. Lee came forward with flag of truce and with terms for 8 surrender, which were gladly accepted. The immigrants had no alternative for their horses were mostly killed and their Impoverished fort was then cut off from the spring which had supplied the garrison with water. The men marched out and laid down their arms, the women and children fol- lowing. Then the signal was given by Lee and the massacre began, and was continued until 127 men, women and children were butchered out of the train of 40, thirteen small children, too young to tell the tale, being saved, as it appears, by the Mormon Bishop Smith and carried off in his wagon. The mas sacre took place on the seventeenth of September, 1857.
 It was not till 1874 that the chain of evidence had become strong enough, and the United States courts in Utah sufi- ciently fortified to proceed to action against John D. Lee. On November IA, 1874, however. over seventeen years after his stupendous crime, Lee was arrested as leading conspirator and actor in it; but 1t was not till July 13, 1875, that he was brought to trial The trial was be- fore Judge Lowe, of the United States district court, at Beaver, in southern Utah, the county town nearest the scene of the massacre. In the course of the trial, Lee confessed his participation in the conspiracy and massacre, but plead ed, in attenuation of his guilt, that he had acted in obedience to orders from leader in the Mormon Church. This trial was brought to close on the eighth of August in the disagreement of the jury, several of the Mormon jury men not being satisfied that Lee should be convicted upon the evidence, includ- ing his own confession.
 On the sixteenth of September last Lee was brought before Judge Boseman, of the United States district court, at Beaver, for new trial. and this time the evidence was deemed by the jury con- elusive of the guilt of the prisoner, and their verdict was ''Gr1ilty of murder in the first degree. On the tenth of Oc- tober Judge Boseman, in passing sen- tence upon the murderer, said that he was offered up as a sacrifice to the pub lie indignation, but that others equally guilty in his great crime might hereafter expect to be brought to punishment. Under the Territorial law man convict ed of murder may choose death by hang ing, by shooting or by beheading; and as Lees choice was death by shooting, he was sentenced to be shot to death on Friday, the twenty y-sixth of January, 1877; and the sentence was carried into effect.