Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 April 1910 — The Mountain Meadow Massacre. [ARTICLE]

The Mountain Meadow Massacre.

On the 11th of September, 1857, an emigrant party numbering about 140 souls was journeying peacefully through Utah on their way to California when they were suddenly attacked by a horde of savages, ostensibly Indians, at Mountain Meadow. Although taken by surprise, the heroic emigrants kept their assailants at bay for five days, and were finally conquered only by treachery. They were induced by John- D. Lee, who represented himself as a friend and mediator, to lay down their arms and return to the East on the understanding that their lives would be spared. Guided by Lee, the emigrants started on their return journey Sept. 15, 1857, but thejr were soon attacked from an ambush and all but seventeen —these children under 7 "years of age—were murdered. The Mormons were accused of the massacre, but tor many years persisted in charging it to the Indians, but in 1874 evidence of the complicity of the Mormons was discovered and an investigation was ordered by the United States government, yhich indicated the guilt of John Lee, who was arrested apd tried for the offense in 1875. Every effort was made by the wealthy Mormon church to save Lee, bvt after two years of delay on legal technicalities, on March 23, 1877, twenty years after his terrible deed, Lee was taken to the scene of the massacre and executed by being shot.