History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

566 THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE.
The court-room was crowded with spectators, who
cared little for the accused, but listened with rapt
attention to the evidence, which, as they supposed,
would certainly implicate the dignitaries of the church.
They listened in vain. In opening the case to the
jury, the district attorney 49 stated that he came there
to try John D. Lee, and not Brigham Young and the
Mormon church. He proposed to prove that Lee
had acted in direct opposition to the feelings and
wishes of the officers of the Mormon church; that bymeans
of a flag of truce Lee had induced the emigrants
to give up their arms; that with his own hands
the prisoner had shot two women, and brained a third
with the but-end of his rifle; that he had cut the
throat of a wounded man, whom he dragged forth
from one of the wagons; and that he had gathered
up the property of the emigrants and used it or sold
it for his own benefit. 50
These charges, and others relating to incidents that
have already been mentioned, were in the main substantiated.
The first evidence introduced was documentary,
and included the depositions of Brigham
Young and George A. Smith, and a letter written by
Lee to the former, wherein he attempted to throw
the entire responsibility of the deed upon the Indians.
Brigham alleged that he heard nothing about the
massacre until some time after it occurred, and then
only by rumor; that two or three months later Lee
called at his office and gave an account of the slaughter,
which he charged to Indians; that he gave no
directions as to the property of the emigrants, and
knew nothing about its disposal; that about the 10th
of September, 1857, he received a communication
from Isaac C. Haight of Cedar City, concerning the
Arkansas party, and in his answer had given orders
49 Sumner Howard, who was assisted by Presley Denny. The prisoner's
counsel were Wells Spicer, J. C. Foster, and W. W. Bishop. The trial of
John Lee, in Mormonism Unvaried, 302.
50 A summary of Howards opening address to the jury, which was forcible
and well studied, will be found in the Deseret News, Sept. 20, 1876.