roughing it-第113章

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fled　to　the　desert；　and　were　followed　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　before
they　were　overtaken　and　slaughtered。　　The　women　and　children　ran　on；　two
or　three　hundred　yards　further；　when　they　were　overtaken　and　with　the　aid
of　the　Indians　they　were　slaughtered。　　Seventeen　individuals　only；　of　all
the　emigrant　party；　were　spared；　and　they　were　little　children；　the
eldest　of　them　being　only　seven　years　old。　　Thus；　on　the　10th　day　of
September；　1857；　was　consummated　one　of　the　most　cruel；　cowardly　and
bloody　murders　known　in　our　history。〃

The　number　of　persons　butchered　by　the　Mormons　on　this　occasion　was　one
hundred　and　twenty。

With　unheard…of　temerity　Judge　Cradlebaugh　opened　his　court　and　proceeded
to　make　Mormondom　answer　for　the　massacre。　　And　what　a　spectacle　it　must
have　been　to　see　this　grim　veteran；　solitary　and　alone　in　his　pride　and
his　pluck；　glowering　down　on　his　Mormon　jury　and　Mormon　auditory；
deriding　them　by　turns；　and　by　turns　〃breathing　threatenings　and
slaughter！〃

An　editorial　in　the　Territorial　Enterprise　of　that　day　says　of　him　and　of
the　occasion：

〃He　spoke　and　acted　with　the　fearlessness　and　resolution　of　a　Jackson；
but　the　jury　failed　to　indict；　or　even　report　on　the　charges；　while
threats　of　violence　were　heard　in　every　quarter；　and　an　attack　on　the
U。S。　troops　intimated；　if　he　persisted　in　his　course。

〃Finding　that　nothing　could　be　done　with　the　juries；　they　were　discharged
with　a　scathing　rebuke　from　the　judge。　　And　then；　sitting　as　a　committing
magistrate；　he　commenced　his　task　alone。　　He　examined　witnesses；　made
arrests　in　every　quarter；　and　created　a　consternation　in　the　camps　of　the
saints　greater　than　any　they　had　ever　witnessed　before；　since　Mormondom
was　born。　　At　last　accounts　terrified　elders　and　bishops　were　decamping
to　save　their　necks；　and　developments　of　the　most　starling　character　were
being　made；　implicating　the　highest　Church　dignitaries　in　the　many
murders　and　robberies　committed　upon　the　Gentiles　during　the　past　eight
years。〃

Had　Harney　been　Governor；　Cradlebaugh　would　have　been　supported　in　his
work；　and　the　absolute　proofs　adduced　by　him　of　Mormon　guilt　in　this
massacre　and　in　a　number　of　previous　murders；　would　have　conferred
gratuitous　coffins　upon　certain　citizens；　together　with　occasion　to　use
them。　　But　Cumming　was　the　Federal　Governor；　and　he；　under　a　curious
pretense　of　impartiality；　sought　to　screen　the　Mormons　from　the　demands
of　justice。　　On　one　occasion　he　even　went　so　far　as　to　publish　his
protest　against　the　use　of　the　U。S。　troops　in　aid　of　Cradlebaugh's
proceedings。

Mrs。　C。　V。　Waite　closes　her　interesting　detail　of　the　great　massacre　with
the　following　remark　and　accompanying　summary　of　the　testimonyand　the
summary　is　concise；　accurate　and　reliable：

〃For　the　benefit　of　those　who　may　still　be　disposed　to　doubt　the　guilt　of
Young　and　his　Mormons　in　this　transaction；　the　testimony　is　here　collated
and　circumstances　given　which　go　not　merely　to　implicate　but　to　fasten
conviction　upon　them　by　'confirmations　strong　as　proofs　of　Holy　Writ：'

〃1。　　The　evidence　of　Mormons　themselves；　engaged　in　the　affair；　as　shown
by　the　statements　of　Judge　Cradlebaugh　and　Deputy　U。S。　　Marshall　Rodgers。
〃2。　　The　failure　of　Brigham　Young　to　embody　any　account　of　it　in　his
Report　as　Superintendent　of　Indian　Affairs。　　Also　his　failure　to　make　any
allusion　to　it　whatever　from　the　pulpit；　until　several　years　after　the
occurrence
〃3。　　The　flight　to　the　mountains　of　men　high　in　authority　in　the　Mormon
Church　and　State；　when　this　affair　was　brought　to　the　ordeal　of　a
judicial　investigation。
〃4。　　The　failure　of　the　Deseret　News；　the　Church　organ；　and　the　only
paper　then　published　in　the　Territory；　to　notice　the　massacre　until
several　months　afterward；　and　then　only　to　deny　that　Mormons　were　engaged
in　it。
〃5。　　The　testimony　of　the　children　saved　from　the　massacre。
〃6。　　The　children　and　the　property　of　the　emigrants　found　in　possession
of　the　Mormons；　and　that　possession　traced　back　to　the　very　day　after　the
massacre。
〃7。　　The　statements　of　Indians　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　scene　of　the
massacre：　these　statements　are　shown；　not　only　by　Cradlebaugh　and
Rodgers；　but　by　a　number　of　military　officers；　and　by　J。　Forney；　who　was；
in　1859；　Superintendent　of　Indian　Affairs　for　the　Territory。　　To　all
these　were　such　statements　freely　and　frequently　made　by　the　Indians。
〃8。　　The　testimony　of　R。　P。　Campbell；　Capt。　　2d　Dragoons；　who　was　sent　in
the　Spring　of　1859　to　Santa　Clara；　to　protect　travelers　on　the　road　to
California　and　to　inquire　into　Indian　depredations。〃




C。
CONCERNING　A　FRIGHTFUL　ASSASSINATION　THAT　WAS　NEVER　CONSUMMATED

If　ever　there　was　a　harmless　man；　it　is　Conrad　Wiegand；　of　Gold　Hill；
Nevada。　　If　ever　there　was　a　gentle　spirit　that　thought　itself　unfired
gunpowder　and　latent　ruin；　it　is　Conrad　Wiegand。　　If　ever　there　was　an
oyster　that　fancied　itself　a　whale；　or　a　jack…o'lantern；　confined　to　a
swamp；　that　fancied　itself　a　planet　with　a　billion…mile　orbit；　or　a
summer　zephyr　that　deemed　itself　a　hurricane；　it　is　Conrad　Wiegand。
Therefore；　what　wonder　is　it　that　when　he　says　a　thing；　he　thinks　the
world　listens；　that　when　he　does　a　thing　the　world　stands　still　to　look；
and　that　when　he　suffers；　there　is　a　convulsion　of　nature？　　When　I　met
Conrad；　he　was　〃Superintendent　of　the　Gold　Hill　Assay　Office〃and　he　was
not　only　its　Superintendent；　but　its　entire　force。　　And　he　was　a　street
preacher；　too；　with　a　mongrel　religion　of　his　own　invention；　whereby　he
expected　to　regenerate　the　universe。　　This　was　years　ago。　　Here　latterly
he　has　entered　journalism；　and　his　journalism　is　what　it　might　be
expected　to　be：　colossal　to　ear；　but　pigmy　to　the　eye。　　It　is　extravagant
grandiloquence　confined　to　a　newspaper　about　the　size　of　a　double　letter
sheet。　　He　doubtless　edits；　sets　the　type；　and　prints　his　paper；　all
alone；　but　he　delights　to　speak　of　the　concern　as　if　it　occupies　a　block
and　employs　a　thousand　men。

＇Something　less　than　two　years　ago；　Conrad　assailed　several　people
mercilessly　in　his　little　〃People's　Tribune；〃　and　got　himself　into
trouble。　　Straightway　he　airs　the　affair　in　the　〃Territorial　Enterprise；〃
in　a　communication　over　his　own　signature；　and　I　propose　to　reproduce　it
here；　in　all　its　native　simplicity　and　more　than　human　candor。　　Long　as
it　is；　it　is　well　worth　reading；　for　it　is　the　richest　specimen　of
journalistic　literature　the　history　of　America　can　furnish；　perhaps：＇

From　the　Territorial　Enterprise；　Jan。　20；　1870。

SEEMING　PLOT　FOR　ASSASSINATION　MISCARRIED。

TO　THE　EDITOR　OF　THE　ENTERPRISE：　Months　ago；　when　Mr。　Sutro　incidentally
exposed　mining　management　on　the　Comstock；　and　among　others　roused　me　to
protest　against　its　continuance；　in　great　kindness　you　warned　me　that　any
attempt　by　publications；　by　public　meetings　and　by　legislative　action；
aimed　at　the　correction　of　chronic　mining　evils　in　Storey　County；　must
entail　upon　me　（a）　business　ruin；　（b）　the　burden　of　all　its　costs；　（c）
personal　violence；　and　if　my　purpose　were　persisted　in；　then　（d）
assassination；　and　after　all　nothing　would　be　effected。

YOUR　PROPHECY　FULFILLING。
In　large　part　at　least　your　prophecies　have　been　fulfilled；　for　（a）
assaying；　which　was　well　attended　to　in　the　Gold　Hill　Assay　Office　（of
which　I　am　superintendent）；　in　consequence　of　my　publications；　has　been
taken　elsewhere；　so　the　President　of　one　of　the　companies　assures　me。
With　no　reason　assigned；　other　work　has　been　taken　away。　　With　but　one　or
two　important　exceptions；　our　assay　business　now　consists　simply　of　the
gleanings　of　the　vicinity。　　（b）　Though　my　own　personal　donations　to　the
People's　Tribune　Association　have　already　exceeded　1；500；　outside　of　our
own　numbers　we　have　received　（in　money）　less　than　300　as　contributions
and　subscriptions　for　the　journal。　　（c）　On　Thursday　last；　on　the　main
street　in　Gold　Hill；　near　noon；　with　neither　warning　nor　cause　assigned；
by　a　powerful　blow　I　was　felled　to　the　ground；　and　while　down　I　was
kicked　by　a　man　who　it　would　seem　had　been　led　to　believe　that　I　had
spoken　derogatorily　of　him。　　By　whom　he　was　so　induced　to　believe　I　am　as
yet　unable　to　say。　　On　Saturday　last