The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-06
AN AvENGING ANGEL.
Death of Bill Hickman, the Perpetrator of
Nineteen Murders.

Denver Special.
The death OF Bill Hickman, one of the
"Avenging Angels" or Dantes, whom the
church authorities, having used fol deeds of
blood and atrocity for many years, found it
convenient to slight and ignore, was an
nounced few days ago, and a reporter Wis
tied George c. Bates, exUnited States Dis
trct attorney of Utah, to whom Hickman
made a confession of his evil deeds about ten
years ago, and asked him for some particu-
lars in regard to the Avenging Angels life
80 old Bill Hickman is dead, at last"
said the reporter.
Yes" Mr.. Bates replied, land no man in
this country ever left darker biography for
cold-blooded murders than this same Bill
Hickman. During the last years of his life,
having turned States evidence against
Brigham Young he was as great terror to
the Mormon Church and the Mormon peo-
pie as he had hitherto been to the gentiles."
He made a confession to you, under
stand about the time of the trial of Brig
ham Young and his confederates for the
murder OF one Sprague."
He made a confession to me, and it was
so terrible in its nature that shuddered as
the words came from his lips. He not only
confessed to the murder of Sprague but gave
me some particulars of nineteen other muir
ders in which he had been engaged In re-
gard to the murder of Sprague, he gave me
minute particulars. Sprague, he said, was
engaged as spy in carrying information to
the United States troops who were then en-
route to Utah. For this reason Brigham
Young determined to have him captured
and put to DEATH and Hickman was detailed
with mounted party of Mormons, and
finally captured him and started with him
to Salt Lake, While on the way Joseph
Young arrived with orders from his father
not to bring him in, but to kill him in the
mountains, where his body never could be
found and where there could be no wit
nesses Accordingly, when night came, and
Sprague was asleep, Hickmsn and his two
confederates took an AK and moving quietly
to his side, crushed in his skull, and then
took from his person belt containing about
5000 in gold. Removing the fire they buried
his body under the ashes in the earth, and
then replaced the fire over the grave so that
the place of his burial could never be ascer-
tanned. Immediately thereafter they went
to Salt Lake. Brigham called upon them to
turn over to him as president the gold, and
then and there began the first feud between
Hickman and President Young The latter
insisted and demanded that all this money
should be turned over to the church. while
Hickman claimed that he had made large
expenditures in the expedition and had fur
nshed his own horses, so that he ought to be
permitted to keep at least part of it.
Young, of course, conquered, and took every
dollar of the gold, but the iron entered into
Hckman's soul, and now it was that he an
ticipated his revenge by swearing Young on
to the gallows for his meanness in not divd-
ing the plumber taken from the corpse of the
murdered man"
"Did Hickman ever repent of his crimes?'
Fully, think. The one aim of his life.
however was to get even, as he said with
Brigham Young.