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Show MOUNTAIN MEADOW MASSA- CRE. The ''Herald's" Special Correspond- eut Interviews the Noted Rachel, Wife of John D. Lee. A DESCRIPTION OK HKIi. Sue Tells her Story of the Horrible Hor-rible Massacre. Ami Taints the Scene i" IMH'er-out IMH'er-out Colors to Those Heretofore Hereto-fore Umsil by Word Ariinls. Ktichcl lliiigM to John I. Willi True Vt'oiiiutily Allcclioii. (Spocial Correspondence of tho IIkkalu.) Beaver, Dec. 27th, 1871. John D. Loe has long been known to the public. His recent arrest at Pangwitch brought before the community com-munity the name of a woman who should bo held as tho heroine of the 'Wonderful Story" that newspapers aro daily dishing out concerning this ni;ini. '.ictured hero, John D. Lee. I 6y t' .is because of the unti.ing and unscrupulous efforts of the papers and correspondents to make Lee the hero of tho allair; the Joshua among the Moabilcs; tho conquerer of Madge-hurgh. Madge-hurgh. His arrest was a very tame and commonplace matter of business, but was made memorable by the sen- ' aalionalisis introducing Rachel to tho ' public, us 1 A MATURED KATIE BENDER, ( by reaion of all which cheap photo- graphs of the hero, Major John, and his heroine, Rachel, sell rapidly nil over the country. I have seen this Rachel and talked with her frequently; frequent-ly; have heard her story, and propose at this time to give you a part of it, the part that haa bearing upon tho great Utah tragedy, leaving her personal per-sonal history fur her biographer. She lias had many during encounters with Indians, and has passed through many great dangers and dilticuUies; has endured en-dured wonderful fatigues and trials, on horseback and otherwise, but of her featd, adventures, 'rials, and achievements I shall not speak at this time. IIEIt PERSONAL APPEARANCE if that of a plain woman of 45 years; weight, 124 pounds; eyes, grey, small and piercing; features aquiline and marked; head, high and narrow; hair brown, inclining to gray. She is thin of flesh, agile, wirey, firm in body, strait in stature.aud steps off with the elasticity and apparent confidence of one who depends entirely upon herself, her-self, which fact you may bet all your spare nickels on with safety. She will take care of Rachel against the assaults of the world, the flush, TUB DEVIL AND THE INDIANS. She is tanhed ad sunburnt by exposure ex-posure to the sun and desert winds, yet witliall she is in appearance just such a woman as we see by hundreds every day, and is not the uideous, cruel creature, that correspordenta have represented her to be. I will bet a peck of pinyonn that she is better-looking and a more pleasant woman than the wives and mothers of a majority of the men who cry her down as a female fright. She talks well, and like Mr. Lee does not use the ungrainmatical western vernacular vernacu-lar that scribblers have attributed to her. She has a tolerable education, such as girls of her time were able to obtain. She is kind-hearted and sympathetic, sym-pathetic, and "stays by" John D. with a woman's all'ection that would do credit to and even astonish circles of high modem civilization. She is not handsome, nor yet ugly, but a plain, ordinary, common-appearing woman. It is proper here for me to state that in writing this article I do not consider it is in the least censurable because coming from the attorney of John D. Lee. I think so because tho Mountain Meadow tragedy is a part of the history of Utah that has been written and re-written, and is bemy, constantly again written, and that each aud all of these writings havo been composed and published by those whose sole aim is to fasten tho blame of a horrid crime upon John D. Lee an'.! the Mormon Church, and I think it perfectly proper to write and publish the NARRATION OF THE OCCURENCE by one who, from her intimate relations rela-tions with those who are accused of being chief actors, should be supposed to know the facta of the case. She is not a prisuner, nor oharged with biking bik-ing part in the affair, but was in the country at the time, and rehues her story as a cotemporary of the timea, givirg her version of the occurrence I will also state that Judge Hugo has been associaied with me in the defence de-fence of John D. Lee, and am free to inform the prosecution and the public pub-lic that under the pleaof "not guilty" the line of our defence will be, 1st, that John D. Lee took no part in it in any way, except at the risk of his own life to save the doomed emigrants; emi-grants; 2d, that Leti was not present on the ground' at the time, and neither neith-er in word, deed nor interest took part in, nor aided as accessory before or after the fact in the great crime; 3d, that ho held no authority ol any kind at tho time, either in church, state or militia. So much I will give you in explanation expla-nation of this article, so that if lam accused of trying the caso in the papers, I can point to the article and say that it is not Irom the defendant and is only a scrap of history related by one who lived amidst the passing events, and whose version should be held us harmless in print as the thousands thou-sands of other versions of the affair, written by those who know nothing ofit, and only written through malice to cast obloquy upou innocent people, and chargo an innocent community with the crime, only to obtain political politi-cal effect. The following is the narrative nar-rative of the Bftid Rachel, the fourth wife of John D. Lee, taken down in words as she uttered them: Rachel's story. "At the time of the massacre we lived at Fort Harmony, about forty miles from the Mountain Meadows. We had lived there six years or more. At the time Mr. Lae was fanner to the Indians, or rather a small band of them, near the fort, which position we had held only a short time. Isaac O. Haight, then stake president at Cedar City, wan a bitter enemy of Lee, and had succeeded in having him thrown outof all offices church, territory, county and militia. Mr. Lee felt agrieved at this and presented it to firigham Young, who was then governor of Utah and also superintendent superin-tendent of Indian affairs in Utah. Rrigham Young told Mr. Lee to act aa fanner for the Indiam there and he would pay him for it. Mr, Leo was not Indian agent as has been reported, re-ported, and bad no authority over them. Rufus Allen had charge of the Indian mission, and T. D. Brown was also there as aid to Biigharu Young, or as his secretary as superintendent. superin-tendent. Mr. Lee understood the Piute larguae a little, but not much at that time. I could talk the languages lan-guages ol the Uttu, Piutes, Uribahs and Navajus. Mr. L'0 wits very friendly with the Indians. The Indians loved Loo on account of vry many friendly acts of himself and family te them, such as dividing his last sack of flour or pound of meat with them when they were in a perishing per-ishing condition, and by aiding them when in distress in many way.-, and particularly on account of his genor-oiib genor-oiib treatment of an Indian called To-nab, To-nab, who attempted to kill Mr. Leo's first wife, Agatha, but succeeded succeed-ed only in cutting open her Bcalp, very nearly killing her. The Indians ol the band took the offender and tied him lo a tree in front of Lee's door, taking turns whipping him with gads on his bare back until he was nearly dead. Lee begged for his life, which the Indians reluctantly spared, when Lee dressed his wounds, fed him and let him go. At the TIME OF THE MASSACRE Utah was in a stato of war, and the people were all in a desperate condition condi-tion for the necessaries of life, such as provisions and clothing. They were positively in rags mul the grasshoppers grass-hoppers had devoured tlmir crops. Johnson's army was coming in at tho north, and hostile IndUnssurrounded tho people on tho ea-t, south and west. The Indians in the territory surrounding the settlements were iii a measure friendly, but their friendship friend-ship was obtained only by constant coucilliation and concession to them, aud at the same time were not so very friendly but that the people had to maintain constant vigilance and build forts and block houbes for protection pro-tection to flee to in caso of an outbreak, out-break, which might occur any day or night. The people were at all times at the mercy of the bands of Indians ' surrounding them, aud hence used every effort to quiet and keep them ' friendly. Frequent-disturbances oc- 1 curred between the Indians and 1 people over little difficulties. These 1 (roubles required the greatest efforts I ol the people to keep from ripening into a general Indian war of extermination. THE RUMOR OF WAR. When it was known that Johnson's army was coming, the Indians gut the idea that there was a hie war on hand between the people of Utah ad some other people who were then sending their braves into Utah to light the people here, and so they prepared for war. These Indians, the Utes, Piutes and Pah van ta, being the friends and allies of the people, believed they should rally on the war path to fight the "Americalj," as they called all the emigrants passing through the country. They looked udou all emigrant em-igrant trains as " America ta" and enemies, and it wag with the utmost difficulty that the people could keep them from fighting every train that passed through, and that several irnins were savpd from destruction only by the greatest efforts of the people. The emigrants that perished at Mountain Meadows might have gono through the country in safety with the assistance of the settlers as other trains had down before them, had they not brought destruction upon themselves by their own bad conduct, by exciting and maddening the Indians In-dians to such an extent that the people could not control them. At orn Creek, forty-eight miles north of Beaver, aud about 150 miles from Mountain Meadows, these emigrants excited the Indians to great hostility by POISONING A SPRINO, which caused the death of cattle, horses and some Indiaus, among them Nou-a-quich one of their leading lead-ing braves. The Indians at Corn Creek were old Kanosh's band of Pah van ts. They becoming infuriated followed the train and surrounded it between Corn Creek and Beaver, and would have then massacred the whole of them, had not the people rallied to their assistance and got them into Beaver in safety, guarded by a company com-pany of Mormons. The Indians still novered around, but it was thought they could then get through in safety aud so the guard who had saved them let them go alone. The train had no further difficulty until it got past Parowan, where the Indians began to rally from other tribes and bands to join until nearly all the Indians of southern Utah were on the warpath war-path thristing for blood and plunder. Tneir numbers and firmness appalled the entire white population, who were stricken with fear for their own safety. Gloom and terror reigned in the minds of ail, and the strongest hearts were paralyzed with fear of the great army ot hungry, relentless and frenzied savages who were determined upon blood and plunder. They saw that it was not alone tho hapless emigrants who were in danger, but that when once the Indians got a taste of blood and victory, their own firesides would be invaded and themselves, them-selves, their wives and families would share the fate of the " Am erica ts." A RUNNING FIGHT was then going on between the Indians Indi-ans and emigrants. A great many Indians had been killed, and they were furious over their loss and disappointed. dis-appointed. The people lied to their forts and block houses; everybody was armed, watching with sleepless vigilance vigil-ance for the moment when the infuriated infur-iated savages, after having drank the blood of those whom they were then pursuing, their instincts would rise above neighborhood distinctions, and in their intoxication of victory he able to discriminate only as to races, and inaugurate a general massacre of all whites, whether " Americats " or "Mormons," lee's efforts to save the train. At this dark hour John D. Lee, then only a lay member, holding no office whatever of any kind, called to his uid lour of his -friends of nerve, courage cour-age and discretion, and went to the Indians to try to persuade them to make peace and spare the "Americats." "Ameri-cats." They continued their efforts for two daj s or more, until tho Indians Indi-ans became infuriated and tried to kill them, while they were begging for the Uvea of the emigrants. Tne Indians called them "ememies" and "Americats," and attempted to shoot them down, two of the bullets passing through Lee's clothes, one of them inflicting a flesh wound. Lee and his comrades fled for their lives, pursued by the Indians, until they fell in with a company ot the people who had assembled as-sembled to protect the settlements in case the Indians Bhould turn on them. Meeting this company, Lee begged and implored tbem that a message be sent to Cedar Fort to rally the people to protect and save tho emigrants. Cedar Fort was then the headquarters ot all Southern Utah. P. K. Smith was bishop and Isaac C. Haight was stake president there; Haight was also lieutenant-colonel, being the officer highest in command available. The aieasage was sent, but did not return until u-xtdav, the distance being too great to get back sooner. When it returned John M. Higby was on the field as major commanding. Mr. Lee was not there in response to any military mil-itary order, nor does he kmw that auy other person was. The fight between be-tween the Iudiaus and emigrants wits atid progrc-Bing. The Jndians had lost heavily in killed and wounded and were furious. The emigrants had lost several in killed and woui ded and were nearly out of ammunition; besides, the Indians had got all their block except two teams, and had the train completely surrounded. The messengers returned IWnn Cedar Fort, saying that nothing C'Uild bo dune to save Ihem. Tne Indians were (-till hovering about, and Leo did all in his power, remonstrating with them, but thoy were greatly enraged, en-raged, and with savage grins mocked him fur being ao greatly overcome with grief lor those whom they considered con-sidered their deadly enemies. They called him squaw and yaw-o,( which means in English "cry-baby") because be-cause he shed tears a name I hut he bears among them even lo this day. He is frequently called yau-gots by the whites. The emigrants being entirely at the mercy of the savages, had also sent a I message to Cedar Fort, implori.ig the people to save them from the Indians. In-dians. Three men were sent by the emigrants on this minion, two of whom were killed, and tho other returned re-turned wounded. When the message returned from Cedar Fori to the company, where Mr. Lee was, there followed a scene of indiscribable confusion. Lee wept with great emotion because he coirid not aid to save them, while the Indiana, In-diana, who kuew Lee well, were yelling yell-ing yau-gots at him. The train was about a mile distant, surrounded by Indians. At this juncture Vi aj. Higby ordered Lee and others to go to the train to assist the emigrants and try to got them to Cedar Fort in safely. The men obeyed the order, went to the emigrauU, found them in great distress, many killed and out of ammunition. am-munition. Tn-y told them to load their arns into the two wagons for which they hid teams, and have the women and children to follow firet, and the men after, and be as quick as possible and follow them to Cedar Fort, and they would do the best Ihy could to save them; that they must be quick, as the Indiana wro angry and desperate, and the chances were against tbem; but that all would be donfl that cnillll Un In aiva I ho,,. I The two teams started with Lee for Ceder Fort, and had ,got only half a mile from the emigrant camp, when the firing of gins was heard in the rear ol the corral and wagon that : formed the camp, about a half-mile or more distant from where Mr. Leo tuen was, aud entirely beyond where ho could see the corral. Immediately Immediate-ly alter hearing the fire in the distance, dis-tance, he saw the Indians rushing in from all sides and commenced an indiscriminate in-discriminate fire upon the emigranU, and a general massacre ensued. Mr. Lee saw no one engage in it except Indians, and saw no one killed, he being ahead of tho two wagons, the emigrants being beyond and outof his eight. horroh-stricken at what was going on, Mr. Lee and the two friends that were with him went to Hamblin's ranche, about seven miles distant, and passed the night without sleep, in anguish and I tears. The next day, in company with Higby and others, filr. Lee visited the field of death to assist in disposing of the dead. During the previous night everything available had been carried away by the Indians, even to the ticks of feather beds. Mr. Lee has been harrassed over this affair for years past, waiting the time to come when a fair and impar-partial impar-partial investigation could be had, which time he believes is now at hand. Ke has told visitors to his home in Arizona for years past that he was anxious to go to any court for trial, aud would do so as Boon as he felt assured of a fair trial. When he was arrested he did not attempt to flee. The dav of his arrest, which took place at 10 a.m., he was notified by three of his eon3 before aunrise that the marshal was there after him, and a horse, wil h saddle and bridle, was brought to him, but he refused to flee, saying he had borne the blame of this long enough, and that he now wanted to go to court to have it tried. When the marshal's rosse rode up to the house where he was witn their arms drawn, there was much excitement in the house, as many children were present. In the excitement I told Mr. Lee to get out of the way. I urged him so strongly that he went out doors with me, and went into a hen coop covered with straw a few feet from the door. This was done after the posse rode up and were in plain sight. I went into the house and the arrest was made. Mr. Leo made no resistance nor attnnpU to escape, but was perfectly willing and even desirous of being taken. He told the marshal ut the time that it was all right, and that he would go to Beaver lor trial." Spiceb. |