Attended Court to day. The trial of Howard Egan for the murder of James Monroe came up. Seth M. Blair was prosecuting attorney on the part of the U. S. and W. W. Phelps and G. A. Smith attornies on the part of Egan. ...
From the Evidence it appears that while Egan was gone to the mines, Monroe seduced his wife by whom she had a bastard child. Monroe had gone to the East for goods when Egan returned, who upon learning the facts in the case, went to meet Monroe who was on his return to this place with a train of goods for Sirs Reese and near Bear River.
Egan met him some ten miles this side and camly saluting each other both appearantly friendly went some 100 yards from the carrall and appeared to talk peaceably some time when Egan drew a pistol and shot him in the face on the right side of the nose just below the eye. Monroe fell dead on the spot when Egan mounted his horse, rode to the company. told his name, made a short speech, said what he did he done in the name of the Lord.that Monroe had seduced his wife, ruined his family, and destroyed his peace on earth for ever and that they would find him in this place and then blessed them and hoped that they would have a safe journey to the city and rode off informing those he overtook on the road what he had done. This is in short the evidence of the case.after which Blair made his first plea and was followed by Phelps who used the Bible History, Homer, Virgil besides a large pile of law books & precidents to show that Egan was justified in his act when the court adjourned till tomorrow at ten a. m.
[Diaries of Hosea Stout]
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