He then told me there was a man at the fort from Chicago trying to
work up the case and if possible to find out just by whose
authority the Mormons had massacred those emigrants, and he said:
"From what I have seen of you, I think you would be just the man
to help him work up the case."
I said: "General, I think you are mistaken. I never did any
detective work among the white people, and I fear I am not good
enough a talker to obtain the desired information." The General
said: "All right, we'll see."
We reached the Fort that night at dark, having ridden forty miles
that day. That evening the General told me to come to his quarters
the following day at ten o'clock and he would introduce me to the
gentleman referred to.
I went to the General's quarters and the gentleman was present.
His name was Howard. By whose authority he was working up this
case I never learned, but, however, after questioning me for some
time as to what I knew of the Mormons, he asked me what I would
charge him per month to go along with him, play the hypocrite, and
try to help work up the case. I told him it was all new work to
me; that I knew nothing of detective work whatever. I said that if
it were a case of Indians it would be quite different, but I did
not think I would be of much service to him working among the
Mormons.
He proposed that he would furnish me a suit of clothes suitable
for the part I was to play, furnish money to pay my expenses, such
as hotel bills, whiskey bills, ball-room bills, and pay me fifty
dollars per month, I to do as he told me, or as near as I could.
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