The Mormon Troubles at Beaver Island—Both Sides of the Question. From the Detroit Tribune, June 13. I read in the Tribune of last evening, with the deepest pain and anguish, the communication and your remarks on the recent outrages perpetrated at Beaver Island. I have since learned the facts in the case upon reliable information, and beg you, in justice to some hundred persons, whose lives are daily in peril, to give place to this brief statement. Nearly four weeks since, two men, whose names I have forgotten, fell upon Mr. Samuel Graham, a Mormon, and for many years a most respectable resident of Jackson Co. in this State, but now a resident at Beaver, and beat him with a club cane, breaking his arm and his scull. A warrant was issued against them by J. M. Greig, Judge of Mackinac Co. charging them with assault and battery with intent to kill, and directed to the Sheriff, and he refused to arrest the offenders.—Subsequently, another warrant was issued by M. M. Aldrich, a Justice of the Peace of Mackinac Co., and the Sheriff refused to execute that; and the Mormons, awed down by threats and menaces, were obliged to submit without legal protection. For the correctness of these facts I refer by permission to Hon. David Shook, member of the Legislature from Macomb Co. and Hon. Mr. Lockwood, now of Pine Run, late a member, both of whom were there at the time. Some time last week Wm. N. McLeod, the Prosecuting Attorney of Mackinac Co. went to Beaver Island to prosecute such persons as he found in rebellion against the laws of the State, and obtained a warrant of M. M. Aldrich, a Justice of the Peace, against those who made the assault upon Graham, and put it into the hands of Mr. Chambers, a duly elected and qualified constable, to be executed. Chambers started to make the arrest, but was warned back by Thomas and Samuel Bennett, who, with arms in their hands, threatened him with death, if he attempted to arrest the offenders. After serious and in effectual remonstrance, he returned and reported on oath to the Justice the result of his efforts. Mr. McLeod, the Prosecuting Attorney, then applied for, and obtained a warrant against the Bennetts for resisting the officer in the execution of process. Constable Chambers, under the direction of the Justice, and in pursuance of the instructions of the Prosecuting Attorney, took a large posse and, went to arrest the Bennetts. As he approached their house they went in and closed the door. Leaving his posse behind, he went alone and urged them to desist from acts of violence, pointing out to them the fruitlessness of resistance, and in the kindest manner entreated them to submit to the authority of the law. They not only refused, but drove him away with the threat of shooting him. Retiring a short distance, he called his posse to his assistance, and as they advanced, the Bennetts fired upon them. The third shot took effect upon the Constable, wounding him in the head, but not fatally. After this the posse fired, and I submit to a candid world, that if they had not done it, they would have been branded as cowards, or as recreant to the law. Unfortunately, one of the Bennetts was killed and the other wounded; but I believe it is not common, when a man loses his life while engaged in open, bold resistance of the legally established civil authority of the State to characterize the act as murder. For these facts refer the reader to Hon. J. D. Irvine, member of the Legislature from Mackinac Co. I am aware that the public have been already told that the Bennetts were only resisting "Mormon law" and Mormon authority." But this Mormon law is the statutes and common law of the State of Michigan, and this Mormon authority is the authority of the civil officers duly elected in accordance with that law. The Mormons are not attempting: to establish any law of their own, except as a matter of discipline in their church. They seek earnestly to be governed by the ordinary law of the State, and claim protection under it. Truly and sincerely, Detroit, June 12. JAS. J. STRANG. We give above King Strang's version of the recent murder on Beaver Island, obtained, as will be seen, from Dr. Irwine. Letters received last evening from Mackinac, give rather a different phase to the affair. The circumstances attending the murder of Bennett, as communicated to us, were as follows: A difficulty had occurred between a Mr. O'Donnel, a Gentile, (as the Mormons term all who do not belong to their Church, and a Mormon named Graham. On going to the Mormon settlement Graham renewed the quarrel with O'Donnel, following and threatening him, until they finally came to blows, and Gra-ham got pretty effectually whipped, but received no serious injury, nor Was his arm or scull broken, as stated by Strang. We do not learn that the Bennetts had any connection with that affray, but it seems that, in pursuance of the previous threat of Mormons, a process was obtained against them, under some pretense or other, by the Prosecuting Attorney, who we are told never qualified, and acts under the appointment of Judge (!) Greig, the Mormon choice, which was handed to Mormon officers—every one of whom, we believe, hold their offices by at least 39 or 40 illegal votes. These officers, with some 60 Mormons, surrounded the house of the Bennetts, knocked at the door and demanded admission, stating that they came to arrest them. Bennett (the deceased) asked if the process was issued under Mormon law. The reply being in the affirmative, Bennett informed them that he would never submit to Mormon law, but to the law of the State of Michigan he would submit cheerfully. On giving that reply several shots were fired into the house. Bennett instantly stepped forward to take down his gun, when his wife interfered, took hold of it, and endeavored to prevent her husband from using it; in the struggle the gun was accidentally discharged, the contents lodging in the ceiling or roof. Hearing this the Mormons burst open the door, rushed upon Bennett, shot him down, and dragged him out the door by the hair of his head, having been pierced by five musket balls and several buck shot. During the affray the other Bennett ran; he was fired upon, severely wounded, and now lies in a dangerous situation. The body of the dead man was then removed to their settlement by the Mormons, a coroner's jury called, and an inquest held, during which the body was horribly mutilated, and the heart taken out literally, in the language of the letter, "washing their hands in the heart's blood of their victim." This report is given us by gentlemen whose integrity we have no reason to doubt. The talk of Mr. Strang about the Mormons being “awed down," we regard as mere bravado. There are not more than 40 resident "Gentiles" on the island, while the Mormons number some 70 or 80, or or more, well armed men, with a cannon, guns, pistols, &c., and some 20 or 30 of the ugliest looking two-edged knives that human eyes ever saw. Hear what their paper says, (of which Mr. Strang is the reputed editor:) "The Mormons on Beaver Island are not to be driven from their position. They are able to defend themselves against any force that can be raised in the country, and to waste any destroy any that can be sent here." We hope our State authorities will examine into this matter promptly and thoroughly. We have no disposition to excite prejudice against the Mormons. In such quarrels, there is generally fault on both sides; but we cannot permit the assertions of even the Mormon King to outweigh equally worthy testimony as to the facts—coming as it does from persons who have not, like him, any interest in the matter.
