Year: 1875

Trial Of John ID. Lee.


BEAVER, Utah, August 5th.-This
morning Baskin, for the prosecution,
commenced his closing address, re-
viewing judicial affairs here for the
past eighteen years. He said that till
recently the Mormon Probate Courts
had exercised criminal jurisdiction,
yet the Mountain Meadow massacre,
had been let alone all that time, until
it became necessary for the L. S. At
torney to come here in order to take
up the case. The Mormons, as COM
munity, would not punish the GRIM
inals. Theocracy would not take up
the massacre, and jurisdiction had
been taken from them by the Poland
bill. They had now under investiga-
tion what should have been under in
vestigation eighteen years ago. If
the MormOns had investigated affairs
as they should have done, there would
have been no trouble now. When the
officers of the Government take hold,
then come developments which would
sicken the hearts of the jury as they
listen. There were some honest peO-
pie in the Mormon Church, but they
hold the system as accessories before
the fact and robbers. After the popu-
lar clamor referred to, why are the
eyes of the world upon you? This
being q crime against humanity and
Christianity and the good name of the
Territory and the good name of the
United States, it demands an explana-
tion. 1t is not the desire merely that
Lee shall be hanged. Bishop had said
he wanted to convict Lee because he
was Mormon and an old man. This
was an insult to the intelligence of
the jury. Klingen Smith was made
the object of venom and vituperation,
with the object of breaking down his
testimony. Even if that was taken
out, there was enough evidence to
justify a conviction. Lee and the
MormOns have control of all affairs,
temporal and spiritual. Smith, by
virtue of his position as Bishop, was
assigned a conspicuous part in the
tragedy. There was lengthy defense.
The witnesses for the prosecution had
said nothing against Smith, except
that he was Bishop in the Mormon
Church. He was subdued man, car
rying in his bosom the tortures of hell
and guilty conscience. God had so
fixed it, and Lee could not be other
than subdued. He ridiculed the at
tempt of, the defense to prove these
lies, showing only deviations inminor
matters. The evidence shows that
Haight had been the worst murderer,
the vilest assassin in the affair, except
the prisoner at the bar. He illustrat-
ed the fact that no two men see one
thing alike, and men are not to be
discredited for deviations. There was
no sympathy for Klingen Smith or
any one else who participated. Genu-
inc Americans would have died rather
than kill women and children. They
unfortunately belong to q system
which robbed them of their manhood.
The Mormons had so given up their
individuality and manhood, that when
ordered out they dared not disobey.
No one asked any questions, because
the system made them dumb. They
were driven like cattle. This man
Lee knew no capitulation could be
made by the Indians, because, like the
Mormons, it is part of their religion to
kill the whites. Lee wears q white
skin, but his heart is blacker and
more degraded than the Indians. He
is Judge of human nature and knew
what effect a flag of truce would have.
When the emigrants saw him coming
"a man Of their own kind, who had
been Graded in Christianity-what a
shout of joy they must have sent
up! What tears of gratitude filled
their eyes! Mothers lclasped their
babes to their breast and thanked God
for their deliverance. Baskin then
gave vivid picture of the massacre,
dwelling extensively upon tine treach-
cry of the whites. What was the ne
cessity for taking the arms from the
emigrants if the object of the whites
was to save them from the savages.
Yet they had even some little human
ity left and the work of destroying the
women and children was allotted to
the Indians. After the arms had been
given up the massacre was cOnsum-
mated. ltwas not agreed upon by the
Indians, the red allies of the Church of
of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints.
This was a blasphemous expression.
He does not hold all the Mormons who
were not in the massacre responsible,
because there were some honest people





now revolt at such deeds. They had
been placed under grievous burden
by their leaders, and we had a striking
illustration of this. Lees mission was
not of mercy, but to lead the emf
grants into an ambuscade, that they
might be slaughtered. He ridiculed
the assertion of the defence that moth
ing but the testimony of Smith con-
nected Lee with the massacre, citing
several instances where Smiths state
ments were corroborated by other
with esses, some of them for the de-
fense. The position of the Mornons
at the massacre was such that had the
Indians fired first some of the Nor
mons must have been hurt. Butnot a
scratch could be found upon the carcass
of one of those craven, cowardly
wretches. Baskin said KlingenS Smith
turning States evidence was on estab-