Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-19
BEYOND MANS REACH
A HERD DF CATTLE IN A MIGHTY
 GORGE.
Edith Sessions Tupper Relates the Facts of Singular Occurrence-A Grand Op- portunity For n Daring Cowboy-Mining Men and Sherifr-Cattle Thieves.
Special Corrcspou,lcnce.I

Men and SheriH-Cattle Thieves.
 Special Correspondence
 LA HUNTA, Colo, July I5.-It was the story told by the mining engineer who had just come from the western congress ut Telluride and who had given me several strange stories about the DaniteS. This struck me as being ono of the weiWlest and most remarkable, and I will give it in his words as near as can recollect them: My grandfather knew John Lee, that Mormon fiend intimately. I have often heard him describe the terrible Mountain Meadow massacre in all it's sickening and revolting details. He said it was one of Lees ten cts that rnbbing and killing gentiles was no crime at all. It was greed that under lay all the preparations for that cruel af fair. Tho gentilcs had splendid cattle and wagons, farming utensils, etc., on which the MormOns cast envious eyes. You know the latter were very poorly equipped in this line. So, as all the world knows, the Danites murdered the helpless emi- grants for the sake of their goods and chattels. I am not going to rehearse the awful story, as every one knows it, but I want to tell you curious sequel
 After the massacre government troops were sent out to pursue and punish these Mormon assassins. The latter learned that the avengers were on their track and fled into an isolated valley in Utah, near a stream which flows down from the Wa satch range into the Green river. It was a safe and remote retreat, rendered well nigh impregnablo by the lofty mountains about them, and here they founded first a camp, then a settlement which grew into a goodly sized town, now called Ashley. It lies near the Ute reservation, and the chief business of the place now is to fur nish supplies for the Indian agency.
 A Fearful Sight.
 Among these Mormon settlers was a cunning old dog named John Wyckliffe. It's wonder the great English reformer didn't turn in his grave at the acts of his namcsake. This Wyckliffe was one of Lees stanchest followers and devout believer in the Danites' creed that all is fish that comes from q gentile's to Nor mons net. Over in Wyoming at Henry's Ford was magnificent herd of cattle of which Wyckliffe thought with thievish longing. In 1874, think it was, he made night descent on this herd and carried away nearly 900 head, the pick of the lot. Tho owners of tho herd, woll known gcntilo Cattlcmcn, discovered their loss shortly and set out on the trail of the Nor mons with blood in their eyes. They traced the thieves to the Bear river, near where Blue mountain and Cross mountain loom up huge and defiant. Here occurred one of those wonderfully exciting scenes only known in the adventurous west. A frightful storm arose, which compelled the pursucrs to halt and during which the stolen cattle, rendered frantic by the vivid lightning and rcsounding thunder, sta1n- pedcd. The MOrmons tried ill vain to head off the infuriatcd herd They might just as well have tried to sweep back the storm itself. The cattle rushed madly along, carrying horses and men with them to de-