Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-08-24

no report to the United States Govern
ment of this massacre.
Shortly after its erection the cross
was torn down. the words obliterated
and in their place was substituted
vengeance is mine, and | have had it
saith Brigham Young"
It was charged that this was done by
the orders of Brigham Young. but il
was never proven This Dissertation
and infamous boast of hellish assas
sination was removed by the soldiers
and another cross substituted with the
burning Scriptural words: vengeance
is mine; [ will repay, saith the Lord.
The little children who had beer
spared were given over to the Indians
no doubt, to lend color to the report al
once spread by the Mormons that the
massacre was the work of the red men
These children were subsequently re-
covered from the Indians, and, on June
%, 1853, were sent East overland, il
spring wagons, escorted by soldiers
Every possible provision was made TO,
their comfort, and in due time they
were delivered to friends in the towr
of Carrolton, Carroll County, Ark
It was sad day in the little county
seat. Nearly every citizen had lost {
relative in the massacre, and bitter
tears were accompanied by bitter
curses on the murderers. The children
were all cared for and brought up by
relatives and friends living in the
neighborhood of their former homes,
The total value of the property taken
as nearly as could be ascertained, was
over $4,000. Persons residing in AR
kansas who were familiar with the or
ganization of the Fancher train esti.
mated it's value at 800, 1000, and their
estimate does not include the large
amount of money which the emigrants
were known to be possessed of. None
of the property was destroyed. It was
disposed of by the agents of the Nor
mon Church, and the proceeds placed
in its Golfers. Wagons belonging te
this train were in use by the saints fol-
years after the massacre. And some
of the fine jewelry is known to have
been worn in Utah up to a recent date
The MormOns were never compelled t(
restore one penny of this blood money
to the heirs of the murdered people
and, Brigham Young, the arch-con
spirator in this atrocious crime, wa:
never punished.
execution or JODn Lees
Such monster crime could not be
forever kept from the knowledge o.
mankind. Although for long time
the opinion prevailed that the Indians
had committed the massacre, it was
not long until the true facts in the case
were developed. The Mormon Church
had ordered the destruction of the
"Fancher train," and Bishop John D
Lee was appointed to execute the Or
der. John D. Lee, being the chic:
actor in the bloody drama, was the first
one called out to answer for the crime
Three different trials were had in his
case, the jury each time failing tC
agree. The witnesses in the case being
principally Mormons, dared not tell the
truth, for an avenging sword hung over
their heads, hence the trials were mere
farces. The excitement produced by
these trials in the public mind was run
ming high, and a general uprising
against the MOrmOns was threatened
if the courts failed to convict the
guilty parties. The church authorities
became alarmed for their own safety,
and decided to sacrifice Lee, anG
on the next trial the testimony
against him was overwhelming. The
witnesses made a clean breast of the
whole story, describing infinitely the
main facts of the horrid tragedy, which
the writer has without bias faithfully
narrated. Lee now realized that the
church had deserted him and that he
was lost He broke down completely
and openly cursed the Mormon leaders
The Jury was out three hours, anC
brought in verdict of guilty of muir
der in the first degree. Judge Bore
man informed the prisoner that, unde,
the statute, he had the choice of being
hung, shot or beheaded. Lee said: 81
prefer to be shot" He was according
" sentenced, and on March % the sen
tence was executed in the Mountain
Meadows, at the scene of the massacre
At the last moment Lee confessed thai
he had killed five of the emigrant:
with his own hands, and that all the
charges alleged against him in the in
dictment were true. He made shor'
speech, declaring his faith in Mormon
ism as taught by Joseph Smith, ant
his assurance of place in the Mormon
heaven. He then sat down on his cot
fin, a short prayer was offered, the or
der to fire was given, five rifles were
discharged and he fell dead without {
struggle.