The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-08-23
THE DESTROYING ANGELS.

THE DESTROYING ANGELS.
Bishop Smith Falls Victim to the
Blood Atonement
Last Act in the Terrible Mountain
Meadow Massacre--Lee's Incrimi-
nator Pursued to Death--An I'm
placable Vengeance Tracking Him
for Years--Mormon Molly Ma
guires.
! On Thursday news reached this city that
| the body Of Philip Klingeasmith, gemer-
ally known as Bishop Smith, formerly .
| Bishop in the Mormon Church, had been
| found in prospect hole in the State of Son.
ora, Mexico. 1t is certain that his death was
| brought about by the church to which he had
formerly belonged. This mans death marks
| The close Of the last act in the Mountain
Meadow massacre, in which he was partici
John ID. Lee, the principal actor in that
tragedy.
The story of the Mountain Meadow mas
sacre is one of the most awful in the history
Of American border civilization. Ia August,
1857, large train of emigrants from Arkan
sas was on its way to California. 1t num-
bered 14O souls, including men, women and
children. The train was owned by wealthy
men, and had fine stock of richly orna-
mented carriages for the women and chill
Il l. L.,
possession. 1t reached Salt Lake in safety,
and the members were advised TO take what
was known as the Southern trail, as the old
trail was liable to be obstructed by snow at
the time they would reach the Sierra Nevadas.
When 200 miles south of Salt Lake City
Cedar City-they inquired Of prominent
Mormons where they could find good range
on which to recruit their stock, and were di-
rected to Mountain Meadow, a beautiful up
land tract, five miles long, by one in width,
and lying between the Great Basin and the
Colorado River.
The day after they left Cedar City a coun-
Gil of Mormon leaders was held, and it is be-
liev.d that the massacre was then and there
uetC upOus 1 uS lCdl VI bEdb
council will probably never be known. On
the same night party of sixty white men in
Indian disguise, besides large number of
real savages, followed the emigrant train.
They were reached in the morning while eat
ing breakfast on the meadow. With out a
note of warning voiley was fired into their
midst, and ten or twelve persons killed out
right. The astonlshed emigrants hastily re-
covered from their surprise and arranged
their weapons and threw up breastworks for
defense. For five days and nights they with
stood the attacks. Finally, unable to over
come the emigrants, the MormOns resolved
upon work of strategy. The firing was sus-
pended, and the Indians apparently disap-
peared.
On the morning Of the sixth day the little
party saw wagon load of men coming into
the valley: all were white men, who unfured
the United States flag. They We're received
by the emigrants with great cordiality as their
defenders; young girl in gay attire was sent
out to meet them. Among he men in tie
wagon were John d. Lee and Isaac c
Haight. They at once charged the emigrants
with having poisoned a certain spring from
which the Indians had drunk and died. Lee
and Halsht said this was the cause of the at
tack from tie Indians; but as that they were
on friendly terms with the savages, they
would tly to conduct treaty. They retired
and in few hours returned, saying that the
Indians were greatly enIaged; that their only
terms were surrender by the emigrants of
the route they had taken in coming. Lee,
with other Mormons in the party, offered to
make the delivery and conduct the emigrants
back This proposition was accepted and the
arms given up.
With the Latter Day Saints as guide
they proceeded to the north Oh foot. After
walking about mile the company entered
thicket Of scrub oaks, near large pile of
rocks. In this Lhcket the Indians and dis
Guised white men were concealed. John ID.
Lee gave the order. "Haltr'
Suddenly Lee brought his gun to his shoul-
der and fired at woman in the forward
wagon, killing her Instantly. 1t was the sig
nal for the massacre. Indians rose from be-
hind bushes, painted MormoDs stepped from
their concealment. and along the line the
men and women were shot down like cattle
i'll The shamb!es, while Lee and his aids
dragged women and children from tie
wagons aud cut their throats from ear 10 ear
The venerable, gray-headed clergymen, the
sturdy farmers, the stawart young men aud
the beardIess youths, all were cut down one
by one, and above their dead bodies waved
the Stars and Stripes! Lee is said to have
shot girl who was clinging to his son. Sick