140 years ago today - Sep 20, 1876

In John D. Lee's second trial he is convicted of murder for his part in the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The jury deliberates for 3 hours and 45 minutes. Unlike at his first trial where no faithful LDS testified for the prosecution, many now testified against Lee including Daniel H. Wells (second counselor to Brigham Young), and massacre participants Nephi Johnson (Lieutenant in Nauvoo Legion who lead killing of women and children), Jacob Hamblin (president of Southern Indian Mission). Johnson and Hamblin perjure themselves and put all blame on Lee. Judge Jacob S. Boremon allowed the all-Mormon jury to be informed that Wells's presence indicated that the LDS church supported the prosecution. Juror Andrew Correy quoted the Book of Mormon to justify his guilty vote: "Some one had to be sacrificed, so at last I gave in-.Better for one man to die than for a whole nation to dwindle in unbelief." But he says of his guilty vote that finally made it unanimous, "I felt miserable, just as though the devil had some power over me."