Further News from the Mormon Country.
NEAR THE TEMPLE OF NAUVOO, June 27th, 1845.
To the Editor of the New-York Tribune:
I wrote you some weeks since, informing you of the termination of the Trial of the individuals in-dicted for the murder of Joe Smith, the Mormon Prophet.
The Special Term of the Hancock Circuit Court, set for the trial of the same individuals for the mur-der of Hyrum Smith, commenced on Tuesday morning of this week—Judge Young on the Bench. After waiting one day, and neither Mr. Elliott, the Prose-cuting Attorney, nor Mr. Lamborn, the Special Prosecu-tor, appearing, the Judge released the defendants from their recognizances, and dismissed the cause for want of prosecution. Thus, these famous trials, which have caused so much excitement in the public mind, are at an end—and the result has been a most signal triumph of Anti-Mormonism, and the sore discomfiture of the clique, who, through their Mormon allies, have endeavored to rule this country.
A most melancholy occurrence took place, however, on the first day of Court, which has cast a shade of gloom over the whole county, Dr. SAMUEL MARSHALL, one of the old citizens, for several years Clerk of the County Commissioners' Court, a man of fine talents, and a most estimable citizen, was killed in a personal rencontre, by sheriff DEMING. Some trifling difficulty, arising out of an error in the sale of some lands for taxes, which had been bid off by Dr. M., and which error the sheriff had neglected to correct, when requested, was the cause of this most unhappy affair. Harsh words were used, and a struggle commenced, when the sheriff drew a pistol and shot the doctor in the abdomen. He expired in about fifteen minutes. The doctor had no arms about his person—and it is thought by many that he was merely intending to ward off the blows of his adversary; and it is quite possible that Mr. D. would not have fired had he not misapprehended the doctor's move-ments. The sheriff was immediately taken into custo-dy—a Grand Jury was summoned by the coroner, and two indictments have been found against him—one for murder, the other for manslaughter. Whether he will be tried at this term, I am unable to say.
The two Hodges, indicted for the murder of Miller and Liese, the Germans, in Lee County, Iowa, have been convicted at Burlington, and are sentenced to be hung on the 15th of July. Brown, the accomplice, has not yet been taken.
Another Hodge, a brother to the criminals above named, was assassinated in Nauvoo, on Monday night, by some person unknown, and for a cause which has not yet transpired. He had just returned from Burlington, where he had been to testify in behalf of his brothers, and was called out at night and stabbed. Many rumors are afloat as to the cause—one of which is, that, indignant at the heads of the church for allowing his brothers to be taken from Nauvoo, and sacrificed, he threatened them with further exposures, and was silenced by the Danite Band, to prevent him from carrying his threats into execution.
The repeated robberies and murders perpetrated by these people, have at length arotised this whole section of country to the highest pitch of excitement—and one thing is evident—the Mormons must either cease these depredations on their neighbors, or find another spot on which to rear a Temple to Folly! There can be no other result! Yours, truly, X. Y. Z.
