| Show DANIEL H WELLS ox ON SUNDAY march 29 at 12 p m the funeral services over the mortal remains of Coun counselor belor daniel H wells will wili be held at the tabernacle to ta this city A brief sketch of the life of this valiant soldier of christ and faithful latter day saint h is already been made in these columns but we are now able to give a more detailed epitome of his career only a few of the principal incidents can be presented for a complete account would fill many columns aud and no newspaper article could do anything like justice to the subject daniel hanmer wells was waa the son of daniel and catherine chapin wells and ami was born at trenton oneida county new york october 27 1814 his hia father served in the war of 1812 aud and was a descendant of the celebrated thomas wells the fourth governor of connecticut who was several times elected alternately as governor Jover Dor and governor of that colony brother wells mother was the daughter of david chapin a revolutionary soldier and connected with one of the oldest and most distinguished now new england families he served under the immediate command of washington during duping the greater part of the war of independence in 1826 when he was but 12 years of age brother wells lost his father and six years later with his hie mother and sister he be moved to ohio and the following spring to illinois he took up his abode at commerce then a small village but it was afterwards noted as the mormon city of nauvoo here he was elected constable then justice of the peace and was an officer in the first militia organization of the district newasa he was a whig in politics nd figured prominently prominent lyAn in the political conventions of the period he was an ardent champion of universal liberty and a fue foe to oppression opp in every form he was highly esteemed by people of all parties and creeds and frequently acted as arbitrator in difficulties difficult les between neighbors and families squire wells was noted in that early dayas a man of strict integrity with a high sense of justice and impartiality in 1839 when the saints sainto fleeing from missouri settled at commerce he aided in securing for them a cordial welcome he owned among other pieces of property eighty acres of land on the bluff this he platted into city lots and let the poor and persecuted mormon refugees have them at very low figures and ami on long time for payment this endeared him to the people and determined the location locati ott of the chief part of the city and of the temple which was built on land that had belonged to him on making the acquaintance of the prophet joseph smith he became strongly StrOD gly attached to him though then unconnected with the church when the church was granted by the illinois legislature to the city of ef nauvoo he was elected an alderman and member of the city council also a regent of the university and a bri agadier general in the nauvoo legion he was prominent in the city affairs and supported every public measure lor for the progress sad and welfare of the citizens when the opposition to the mormons Mor mons nw reached its height general wells re mainee on the side of the assailed assal lej lei people and would not join in any of the movements for their injury the murder of the prophet and patriarch joseph and hyrum aroused his bis deepest indignation and he strongly protested against the de demand mandof of the gov eror of the state forthe for the arms of the legion which was made under the pretext that the people of nauvoo might attempt to avenge the he slaughter of their leaders but it was not until the exodus of the main body of the church and the people who remained in the city were w eft in their direst extremity being attacked by their enemies in violation of sc a solemn compact that this sterling champion of the oppressed cast in tile his lot for life with the latter iv dinv saints he joined the church iti n I 1 gave it his full faith and support he was baptized august 9 1846 six weeks later the battle of nauvoo occurred general wells was practically the leading spirit in this thle gallant defense of the city col johanon was taken sick and col cutler assumed the command brother wells was his him aide and on his white charger was a prominent target for the enemy bullets his house also was fired upon repeatedly he escaped unharmed and during the three days siege was a towel of strength to the men who were fighting for home and family when the city was evacuated be was one of the last to leave and being fired upon by the cannon after crowing crossing the river into iowa he sent one of the balls with his compliments to the Gover governor Dor of that state as a specimen ipen of illinois respect for its obligations one of the terms of the treaty between the saints and the mob was wae that the former should cross into iowa unmolested and have their arms returned to them brother wells rode day and night in a one horse hone buggy to reach the main body of the exiled cormona Mor mona that teams might be immediately sent back for the remnant that had bad been expelled from nauvoo after settling up hits bis affairs in illinois he started for the west and came to utah in 1848 acting as aide de camp to president brigham young on the second journey of the pioneers when salt gait lake city wai laid out brother wells drew a lot jot in the eighth ward but president young desiring his near presence he moved to the east side of the eagle gate and subsequently to the land east of the office where he occupied the small anoble houses still standing there and aad where most of his children were born and in one of which sister emmeline B wells now publishes the s Eh exponent brother wells took an active part in the organization of the provisional state of deseret and was elected electea to the first legislative council and appointed as state attorney and was also elected major general of the nauvoo legion the state militia by the general assembly may 26 1849 on the of march 1852 Z he received the rank of lieutenant general of the Legio nand was commissioned to that office by governor brigham young march 7 1855 on the passage of the territorial militia law providing for the election of veneral fie officers he was reelected elected re lieutenant general april in the indian troubles that arose in utah county and afterwards in sanpete county general wells took the field in person routing the savages at provo battle creek and payson pay son and saving the Sari sanpete pete and sevier devler settlements ments from the disasters that subsequently threatened them these indian campaigns were con ducted with great military skill and success and cost a great deal of money men munitions and provisions having to be largely furnished from salt lake city and the north A claim for over a million dollars against the united states to this day unpaid though ma ie out in doe dee and detailed form in the same manner as the oregon claim which was settled long ago general we wells is was in command of the echo canyon expedition and conducted it with signal skill under the direction of governor brigham young without shedding one drop of blood 11 II I his fearless character cool head bead fid executive talent were here exhibited in a manner that won for him unfading renown among the mormon 11 people hon D H wells was a member of the legislative council in the territorial assembly for many terms and of all the conventions that framed constitutions for statehood except the last his clear perception of legal points and strong regard for constitutional ari principles rendered him a valuable adviser and able legislator on the ath of january 1857 brother wells was appo appointed second counselor to president brigham young filling the vacancy occasioned by the death of president Jed jedediah edlah M grant brother wells had been ordained an apostle and with presidents brigham young and heber C kimball he visited the bainte throughout the Territory aided in cocat r ing and organizing many settlements and gave counsel in relation to the affairs of the church he was also the Super inte ident of public works occupying that position until 1864 in the absence of president young he was frequently left to in charge of affairs and was looked to for advice in import ant matters on the of october 1871 president wells was arrested arrea ted ou on a trumped up charge of being accessory to the murder of richard yates at the mouth of echo canyon in 1857 the notorious bill hickman hick man confessed to having done the deed but was induced to implicate general wells alleging that the occurrence took place while he was wag in charge of the boho canyon expedition tion he was sent to fort douglas for safe keeping where he received the most moat courte courteous oue treatment from gen morrow who regarded the whole proceeding as an outrage however on monday the slot being brought before judge mckean application was made that he be be admitted to ball bail his attorneys advised him that such an application would be in vain but his confidence was complete that he be would be successful and he insisted that the attempt should be made in spite of the claim of ofte tha prosecution that this was a charge of murder in the first degree judge mckean took into consideration all the circumstances including the fact that the defendant was mayor of the city and to the surprise of the entire community he accepted bail in the sum of the prosecution demanding half a million and the prisoner was released relea aed the whole charge of course fell to the ground as there was not the slightest foundation for it in far baft t in the summer of 1876 1873 he was placed in charge of a cow company pany to visit and en courage the newly started settlements in arizona while crossing ther the colorado river at lees perry ferry the boat containing his traveling wagon and outfit and a number of the party was capsized and thrown into the rushing and turbulent stream he was only an indifferent swimmer but though weighed down with Vs als boots imd clothing lie calmly struck out for the shore reaching it without wetting his bis necktie he a always regarded his bis escape as miraculous feeling as though unseen hands were supporting him bishop roundy who was regarded as an expert swimmer was drowned and the whole outfit was swept away and lost loot his position as one of the fi first rat presidency he heo occupied coupled until the dw decease ease of president young august 1877 then the twelve apostles succeed ing to the presidency brother wells was appointed a counselor to that quo aumand hold held the place until his death in 1864 he went on a anwon to eng landane lan dand with elder brigham young jr presided over all the branches in europe visiting various countries ministering to the people and su on perin tending the emigration he returned to utah in the fall of 1865 and in 1868 took charge of the endowment huse where he ministered in the sacred ord nances bances for the living and the dead fur for many y years ears in february 1866 he be was 1 elected mayor of salt lake city he was reelected elected re until 1878 the first oDea occasion sion on which women exercised the elective fral franchise in was on the ot february 1870 when they cast their ballots for D H wells for mayor and for the other members of the city council in 1872 he was one of the prime movers in starting the gas works in this city in which he largely invested and which have been successful to the present day at the general election on august 3rd ard 1874 when a delegate to congress was to be elected R N baskin had been nominated as the liberal candidate in opposition to hou hon george Q cannon arid the U H marshal general maxwell attempted to take control of the election no trouble occurred except at the fifth precinct the polling place for which was at the city hall here a large number of armed deputy marshals with a mob of liberals interfered with the police in their efforts t to preserve the peace some arrests being made by the police they were in turn arrested by deputy marshals and excitement ran high mayor wells was on the spot alad en deavo red to keep down the tumult he was set upon by the mob brutally struck and his coat nearly torn from bib baik back the police came to his rescue the mob was forced back and the mayor appeared on the balcony and amid cries of shoot him shoot him t he read the riot act and commanded the police to disperse the crowd this was done at the expense of some broken heads but was effectual and the mayor and police held their places and vindicated the law H he e was next morning mor arrested and put under bonds the chief of police and several of his hi 3 officers were alou als arrested but the whole matter was dropped and it was everywhere acknowledged that the city officials simply did their duty and that mayor wells had exhibited fearless determination maintained the dignity of his bis office and prevented the serious conflict desired by those who provoked the disturbance to 0 be used for political purposes S when on M 11 1875 president young was sent to the penitentiary tent iary lary for contempt of courtin court in not oom complying plying with an absurd order by judge mckean president wells accompanied compa comp nied him and stayed with hira him until his release his bis imprisonment however lasted but one day judge mckean lost his official head for this act of tyrannical folly in 1879 brother wells again saw the inside of the penitentiary this time being imprisoned himself for contempt of court in refusing to disclose the secret anti and sacred rites of the endowment house As a witness in the miles polygamy case on may 2nd and he i was interrogated by the prosecuting attorney in relation to clothing worn in those ceremonies he declined to answer he was ws remanded to the custody of the marshal and next day being cited to appear and questioned again he replied 1 I declined to answer that question yesterday and do so today because I 1 am under moral and sacred obligations to not answer and it is U interwoven in n nw my character never to betray aft a friend lend a brother vw my country vw my god or my re heton 19 9 this was a clear exhibition of the character of the man maa not for worlds would he swerve from that position he was sentenced to a fine of a hundred dollars and imprisonment for two days he paid the penalty and on may ath he was escorted from the penitentiary by a procession hastily but thoroughly organized consisting of about people with banners mottoes flags and signs of rejoicing one of the most remarkable gatherings and demonstrations of respect ever witnessed in this country an immense but peaceful meeting was subsequently held itt in the tabernacle where appropriate speeches were made in december 1884 counselor wells wella crowed the ocean again and presided over the european Mis mission ston visiting the churches throughout the british isles and also in scandinavia ger many and switzerland his health was feeble but he labored energetic energetically tally until his release in january 1887 when he returned to the united states and after visiting relatives in the east reached his home again in july of that year and was joyfully welcomed by his family and friends when the manti temple was completed and dedicated he was appointed may 1888 to ta re e charge as president here he was in congenial element the salvation of the dead was the chief attraction to him in the doctrines expounded to him by joseph smith the tand led to his ate investigation and acceptance of the gospel he officiated in the temple and performed his duties as counselor to the twelve until stricken with the illness which culminated in his death he came to this city on the of march and received every attention that loving hearts and hands could could bestow he had suffered for many years with a painful physical ailment but his heroic nature and strong |
