March 21, 2025
Interesting that the capital punishment industry is considering a return to the bullet in the heart method as a "more humane" alternative to lethal injection and hanging. The more things change. . .
And speaking of firing squads, it's hard to top the absurd reality of John D. Lee's sendoff at the scene of his crime.
"John D. Lee Falls Into Eternal Rest"
(from an engraving published at the time)
U.S. Army sharpshooters stood in the enclosure of three wagons parked in a U-shaped semi-circle. Tarps were wrapped around the wagons and the exposed corners to help conceal the shooter's identities. Sitting on his coffin, Lee had a hood placed over his head and he raised his arms high and said, "Center my heart, boys." After the command of "Ready. Aim. Fire!" the shooters did just that and Lee fell backwards into his coffin.
Back to Mountain Meadows
After the second trial and several appeals on behalf of Mr. Lee, the U.S. government finally got a guilty verdict and it was decreed that the alleged ringleader of the Mountain Meadows disaster should be driven to that exact meadow and shot to death by a firing squad. It was supposed to be a secret, but one of the attorneys alerted the press and you know how that goes: everyone has one person they can trust, so the next day as the U.S. troops and their prisoner arrived at the execution site, so did 75, or so, gawkers.
Note the wagon tongue at right which is part of one of the wagons used to conceal the shooters.
One Final Irony
It's the old gypsy curse: may you be found among lawyers!
John D. Lee, seated at right, with his legal team, including Wells Spicer over Lee's left shoulder. Spicer of course would find himself at another legal circus, I mean hearing, in Tombstone, A.T. in November of 1881 presiding over the Fremont Street Fight, later to be made famous as the Gunfight at The O.K. Corral.
Coffin Lounger
A photograph of John D. Lee moments before his execution looking at the camera. After the exposure was taken Lee reportedly called the photographer over and asked him to be sure and send a couple prints to his "two favorite wives." Of all his many wives, only Caroline, Emma and Rachel stayed with him to the end, so it's interesting that out of the trio, he still had two favorites.
Bitter to the end
"I was guided in all that I did which is called criminal, by the orders of the leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."
—John D. Lee
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