"In December, 1857, Bishop Abiah Wadsworth, of East Weber Ward, gave permission to his friends to steal cattle for beef, from gentile merchants, and aided them in so doing. In carrying on these operations, they took cattle belonging to Mormons who had purchased them of gentile merchants. Having the brand of those merchants upon them, it was supposed they belonged to gentiles. The taking of the Mormon cattle gave rise to a church meeting to investigate the affair. I was present at that meeting. The result was, that those who had taken cattle which were proved to belong to Mormons, should pay for them. It was also determined at the same meeting, that those who had taken cattle belonging to gentiles, should pay their value to Brigham Young, as Trustee of the Emigrating Fund. The gentile owners of these cattle had been driven out of the Territory.
(Signed) —— ——.
"Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 2d day of May, A. D. 1863, at Great Salt Lake City.
"Charles B. Waite,
"Associate Justice for Utah Territory."
The names of these affiants, and some of the circumstances tending to identify them, are omitted, as the writer does not feel at liberty to place their lives in danger. We do not hesitate to say, however, that the evidence furnished by them is entirely reliable. Both of these witnesses saw Burton shoot Morris, and corroborate Dow's affidavit on that point.
Many of the murders committed on the Plains, and attacks on emigrant trains, usually attributed to Indians, may be traced to the Mormons. Some light is thrown upon these transactions by the following statements furnished by men who were crossing the Plains in the summer of 1863.
Statement of James P. Veatch.
"I am going to Oregon. Am from Newbern, Marion County, Iowa.
"We travelled on the road from Salt Lake City to within eight miles of the City of Rocks, when we turned north, and went about three miles. There we struck the old California Road, which passes by the City of Rocks. Just before reaching the road, we came to a large camping-ground, or corral, covering about an acre.