The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-09-08
BISHOP SMITHS DEATH.
n Reminder Ofthe Mountain Meadows
Massacre Quarrel with Iis Son.
Ioche (Ney.) RECORD

| iN'hV ANc''J hetoru'
News has reached Phoebe that Bishor
Philip klingen Smith, at one time
man of high standing and great inhu
ence in Mormon church, and the ex
poser Of the Mountain Meadows mas
sacre, and the names of the men who
participated in the bloody deed, il
dead. His body was found in pros
poet hole in the state of Sonora, Mcxi
co, and letter from there, which was
received in the vicinity Of Phoebe
states that the mystery surrounding
the body indicates that Smith had beer
murdered. Smith died Just as he ex.
pected, for on his return from Beaver
in 1876, after testifying in the trial o.
John ID. Lee, we met Smith in town, in
sort of secluded spot, and during the
conversation Smith Remarked: 81
know that the church will kill me
sooner or later, and | am as confident
ot" h." t". .:. :: III ,y iii
rock. It's only question of time,
but I'm going to live as long as can. u
! Immediately after Smiths return from
Lees trial, as his wife at Panaca re-
fused to have anything to do with him,
being so ordered by the church, he
started southwark, and lived in Arizona
for some time, following prospecting
During his residence in the mountains
of that territory two attempts were
made upon his life, by whom he was
never able to discover. Smith made
the exposure of the butchery at Noun
tain Meadows more for self-protection
than anything else. In early days,
when Hike was the county seat of Lin
coin, and the fourishing and only
prominent mining camp in this south
ern country, the Mormons used to
haul all the freight from Salt Lake to
Hike. Smith was engaged in freight
ing, and his son, Bud Smith, was as
slstlng him. During one of these trips,
father and son had a quarrel, and Bud
Smith went to Hike and obtained en-
ployment. 1t was during the winter of
1858, when Klingen Smith arrived in
Hike with load Of freight, his son
pointed him out to the people, and
told them that just after the massacre
his father pointed out young girl to
him, and ordered him to kill her, saw
ing that eff he (Budl did not kill her
he (his father) would kill him." Bud
told his father chat he would not kill
the girl, and that he might kill him.
Then Bishop Smith turned upon the
poor girl himself, and Knocked her
braines out with club. This was the
hrst mixing TO anything authentic in
connection with the massacre, and
caused considerable excitement among
the settlers of Hike. Wandell, one of
the county officials at that time, in
formed Bishop Smith what his son had
exposed, and hurried him out of town.
After that, while engaged in hauling
freight, upon his arrival in Panaca,
Smith would always hire some person
to drive his team over to Hike. In
1871 Bishop Smith made aftidavits be-
fore the clerk of Lincoln county, MAX
lng the exposure of the massacre, and
the names of those connected there
with, which was published in the Rec
ord and made public for the first time.
Mrs. Smith is now living in Bullionville,
and IS married to man named Dolf
Laundrich. Mrs. Smith is an intelli-
gent old lady, and is the mother of sew
enteen children by Smith, the last two
born being twin girls. who are now
about sixteen years of age. Most of
the Smith family reside in Lincoln
county.