| Show territorial dispatches pea tea LZ LINE from our special correspondent F EXECUTION OF johs SOUS D S ker XEE kee MONUMENT POINT mountain meadows march 10 25 p in the selection of this place the scene of the execution of D lee meets with general commendation men dation on account of it the identical spot where hi his crime was committed marshal marshai nelson kelson made very ample arrangements to have every thi thing ng carried out promptly and quietly at beaver the selection of this ground was imparted only to a few fow officials and press eind find by means there were out few spectators A company of soldiers at ft cammeron cameron cam Car meron aeron formed escort for the officials aud aid furnis furnished hed bed a gua gun that no interruption would place lee was taken from bis his cell the fort on wednesday and placed in 1 a closel closely N covered carriage well weli guarded and rapidly rip idly southward shortly after two or three other vehicles quietly out of beaver all been notified to be at the bonu ment here by 10 this morning no accidents or delays of an any nature occurred on the road read lee was wa very taciturn but apparently resigned he would hold no conversation with anyone upon any subject whatever to all questions observing a monotonous silence the off omm meers officers and soldiers soldier sand nand and part of the reporters arrived afteu af th monument about 8 pm yesterday the remainder came on early thia this morning mom mor ming lee broke silence this morning and conversed with the utmost freedom with the marshal and re porters he spoke of his connection with the massacre but made conflicting statement statements Q at times admitting mitt lilg the wilful killing of five persons to ethers others denying his guilt altogether the execution ground was yards east of the monument which is s now a crumbling mass of rocks and dirt dirty the spectators were kept outside of the line about half past ten lees leea coffin was placed twenty five feet in front of a corral formed by three wagons behind which five meu men were armed with needle guns lee was brought forward shortly after leaning jearling on the aim of pastor stokes and was seated on tha the end of the coffin marshal nelson then read the order of the district court for his execution after which the tho marshal marshai asked lee if he had bad anything 0 16 to say lee arose his countenance exhibiting lil hi no trace of fear or nr any other emotion and stated that be abe kasnot afraid to die he believed believe d in tha the mercy the only regret he had wag was that ho he was compelled to leave big bis wives and children pa protected unprotected he believed lie was anade made the victim to suiter for fur the tile sins sina others committed brigham young was leading the people astray but the doctrines or of the church led to salvation the thel only only request ho be had to make maho o was that th the executioners execution eis els ers should s spare p are hll his limbs and hit his hearl heart Fenne Fenn emores morea photographic apparatus was then placed in pohl position tion when lee requested that photographs of the scene be sent to lis ilia wives after prayer by pastor stokes all were ordered to withdraw a few steps the mars Mara marshal marshai ilal lial bound a haud hand handkerchief kerchief over teera leea eyes but left his bis arms unbound by lees leea request the word to fire was waa given precisely at 11 a m and the five guns s were discharged almost simultaneously lee dropped back upon the coffin and bied instantly examination aft afterwards erwardi showed that the bullets passed entirely thru through tigh bu hia body in the region of the heart tha the body was placed inside the coffin for delivery to his family and all was over forever lo rever lees speech after marshal nelson had concluded reading the order of the Court couri at 1031 am he asked lee if he hebi hemi hai bad anything to say before the execution was carried into effect lee said ibish to speak to W th that a t man pointing to mr air fence more moire who wag fixing his canvass near by by to take lees leea preceding the shooting aborting lee calling to the artist fennemore replied llin clin in a second mr air lee I 1 1 waiting till the artist asserted his readi readiness nees to listen lee said tl 1 I want to ask you a favor I 1 wa wanti you to furnish my three wires wives eich each a copy of my photograph meaning the tele one being taken afa gfa a copl copf of the same to rachel A sarah ci C and E emma mma B mr howard responded for 36 tl artist gih he e sa ys he will do it mr lee lee eee le e repeated repented re the names nam es osei el heated dented 01 a again F 1 0 care carefully saying I 1 please iea lea I 1 forward ir ard them i wll lee you will he thell theil thenarose and said vil vii dei wei but little lo 10 say this m morning orfil rig ilg oft ott 0 course I 1 feel leel that 1 I 1311 n upon the brink of eterna eter nU and the solemnities of ete eternity idly irlY should rest upon my mind 2 the present I 1 have made out endeavored to tot do ap a manu manuscript scrip I 1 and an abridged bistor history y of mi this is to be published sir 1 b 20 given my views and fe feelings ellings vw vid gid regard to all those things 1116 I 1 va resigned to my fate I 1 feel as al W aa W a summer morning 1 I llo lio done nothing adversely my conscience isele iscle is clean clear ar kan ken before b 10 uw od and man ad and I 1 iam lam aun ara re ready ady to ineat i my nay redeemer this tills it is Is thit places me on t hija this nied fied J X am dot not au infidel I 1 have not denied cod god I 1 tu or his mercy I 1 am a strong believer in those thill thili things gs ilie rhe most ngit I 1 regret ig Is parting wit with b my family many of them are fecter and will be left fatherless when I 1 speak of those little litt leones ones they touch a tender chord within me hera here hera here lees voice faltered perceptibly I 1 have done nothing designedly wrong in this anair affair I 1 used my utmost ende endeavors avora to save this ibis people I 1 would have given glyen worlds were it at my command to have avoided that calamity but I 1 could not I 1 am sacrificed to satisfy feelings and I 1 am used to gratify parties arties artles but I 1 am ready to die dio JL fave F have ave no n 0 fear death has no terror yo no P particle article of mercy have I 1 asked of the court or officials to spare my life I 1 demot do not fear death I 1 shall never go to a worse place than the one I 1 am now in I 1 have said it to my family and I 1 will say it today to day government of the united states baates sacrificed sacrifice a their best friend and that is saying a great deal but Iti it is true I 1 ama am a true beli bell believer everin in the gospel of jesus christ I 1 do not believe everything thatis that id now ed by young I 1 do not agree with him I 1 believe he lie is leading the people astray but I 1 believe in the gospel as it was taught in n its purity by joseph smith in former days I 1 have bave my reasons for saying this I 1 used to make this mans will my pleasure and did so for thirty years see bee hew how and what I 1 have come to this day I 1 have been sacrificed ina lna in a cowardly and dastardly manner thero thern are thousands of people in the church honorable good hearted that I 1 ij cherish in my heart I 1 regret to leavo leave my family they are near dear and dear to mo The these seare are things flings to rouse my sympathy Ide I 1 declare clarel I 1 did nothing wrong designedly in this unfortunate affair I 1 did everything in my poyer to save all the emigrants but I 1 am one that must suffer t having said eaid this I 1 feel resigned I 1 ask the lord llord my god to extend his mercy to me and receive rn my py spirit milt imy aly labors are done mtr hin 1 I 1 tf 1 99 gd 99 I 1 further particulars of the excia 1 41 tion gion of john jonn D keo leo nv v CEDAR CREEK creer march 28 the following are additional incidents relating to the execution yesterday th the e Blea meadows dows is about ninety miles due southwest south west of beaver A portion of the way is over very uneven roads requiring nearly thirty hours bouts to make the trip one way ever lee was very cullig and silent the theba rev bev air stokes of beaver who acted as his spiritual adviser in vain sought to draw him into conversation until early on an friday mornin morning when they slept tok tog together Wier gier and finally lee bommen hommen commenced ced talking ina lna in a way peculiar to himself about religion the parson advanced some ideas which did not meet lees levs api approval roval and a regular discussion ensued driffin drifting g from one subject to anetter till it reached the massacre and being closely pressed lee at last confessed to the parson that he killed five persons with his own hand he did not state what whai their sex or age were lee was asked by a reporter if it was true as 03 reported and generally believed that he followed two girls luto into a thicket of oak brush bruth close to the tho road lavished ravished ravi shed them and cut their throats by this time however he had got over the mood which prompted him to make mahe the confession and stoutly denied it he then denied having killed anybody or of being instrumental in accomplishing the destruction of any auy person t having again gacinto got into a conversational sat ional humor he conversed freely with every one who spoke to him and after breakfast pointed out various places of interest in connection 1 1 with themas always being g careful not dot to state anything antagonistic to his recently 3 innocence arat at 9 a m the company moved ot off towards the monument dis tant taut from the camping ground r about a mile mlle lee with the parton iod ton marshal nelson and district attorney howar howard d went up to a little hill to the west thickly stud deti deil with large larye boulders being the principal lurking place of the as basins previous to the massacre where bee lee took a seat near th the very ry spot where one or more of his treacherous band had lain in ambush and picked oft off those in the tb train who exposed them delves selves it ife was wat supposed by tt many nany that lee would falter or d eibl eihl tibI exhibits bits some gome 0 me slight emotion when confronted the monument and er Orid himself face to face with the r cebery kenery which witnessed his savage fielty but if ho felt any aljy it was wag not visible ills bis countenance wore the same stolid indifferent indice iudiCe rent look it had maintained from the first and he seated himself with as much coolness as if it were a sina bina piel business I 1 transaction that was going on soldiers were stationed around on eminences overlooking the ground and a squad were drawn up in line facing tho monument i three government wagons were placed in a semicircular semi berni circular posit position loni ioni the convex side resting upon the ravine down flowed the t water from a spring these thes e were thickly covered with blankets and the shooting party was stationed behind all the spectators were kept on the west side of the ravine so that the executioners execution ers coula could not be seen when all was ready lee was ordered to come down but first presented a bottle of stomach bitters to those immediately around him hlin requesting them to take a parting drink with him which a few of them did and leaning upon the arm of the parson he approached there was a slight trepidation noticeable when he looked at the commin coffin which had been placed in a position apposition for him to sit upon some twenty five feet west of the wagons but it was only momentary and he was waa im mediately himself again on reaching the coffin he took off his overcoat quite deliberately and laid it down then gave his hia hat to the marshal and hin bin comforter to the district distri dt attorney as took a seat upon the end of the commin coffin facing racing the tee execution executioner ers era marshai marshal neison nelson then read the death warrant issued by the district court which leo listened to quite attentively but without a change of countenance at its c conclusion delusion 0 the prisoner was told ULM that if he wished to say anything he could do so this opportunity he embraced and spoke about five minutes he wanted to be shot through the heart and reiterated that he was not afraid to die A when his speech was over the marshal announced that the parson would pray whereupon lee knelt by the side of his hig commin coffin opposite the parson the crowd stood with uncovered heads while the prayer was being offered the parson prayede very eloquently and feelingly for mercy for the doomed man hereafter with the hope that god would protect and comfort his tamil yAt this point it was thought lee would soften and exhibit at least a little emotion but he only onis showed his indifference by turning his head and blowing his nose after prayer the marshal ordered the reporters who had stood near the connin coffin up to this time to withdraw beyond the line which was done he took a white handkerchief and tied around lees eyes and when aboul about to bind his arms alee lee said done conf dont do that please let my arms be free the request was was wag granted and his ba hands dd we were replaced placed upon his head the marshai marshal then withdrew a few paces and lee said paid centre my heart boys after which the marshal said ready aim alra fire and nine guns gum live five of them loaded with balls baus the athera athers with blank ca cartridges r were discharged almost simultaneously A line of bf flame and smoke issued from the wagons the ground in the rear of the commin coffin was basom earn up with bullets and precisely at the ahme same instant lee dropped heavily backward upon the coffin his arms dropping itt lit its sides aides three bullets pierced hid his heart one struck bi hii bif i shoulder and another the sternum but all pissed through deah was instantaneous and painless the general feeling was about even evenly iv divided betwee between ii the admiration for the dead mans iron nerve and the disgust 0 at his hid ichu man indifference the body was placed in the coffin which was slightly tilted tilled up for a photographic negative to be lie taken of the corpse after which it was placed in a wagon and brought to 0 o cedar where bl barshal marshal stokes warded forwarded or it to panguitch Pan gultch for delivery to his family the crowd i quietly dispersed and he the aloun mountain tain meadows mas massacre Aldre so 10 far as joha john B D lees connection with it was concerned was fully avenged ven ged |
