002

of the law, and the jury cannot pass
their judgment upon any questions of
law. Therefore, whatever is declared by the
Court to be the law is conclusive and
binding upon you.

The prisoner at the bar, John D. Lee,
stands before you charged with being a
participant and leader in a most
atrocious and unprovoked massacre
of human beings, men, women and
children, at Mountain Meadows in the
south-west part of the District, in the
month of September, 1857.

The evidence shows that the persons
killed were emigrants, who had passed,
with a number of wagons and many
cattle, through the settlements of this Territory,
and were about passing out of the
Territory upon the deserts to the west,
on their way to Southern California.
Before beginning their journey over the
wide deserts, they were recruiting their
stock upon the then rank and rich grasses
of the Mountain Meadows. For several
days a combination of Indians and
white men had been making attacks
upon them, but having failed in every
effort at their overthrow and been