JOHN WILLIS, a MORMON SHOOTER AND CLUBBER, Danite and was a
member of the Iron County Militia. He was married to Jane KIRKPATRICK.
Read about John Willis in the online book "MORMON MENACE" starting
on the bottom of page 282.
Read the follow except from the book; "The Mormon Menace."
(page 282 - 283) By John Doyle Lee:
"Some time in the fall of 1857, not long after the Mountain Meadows massacre, it was decided by the authorities at Salt Lake City that Lieut. Tobin must be killed. Tobin had left a train in Salt Lake, joined the
Church there, and afterwards married a daughter of Brother Charles C. Rich, one of the twelve apostles.
Tobin was a smart man, and soon after his marriage he was sent to England on a mission.
While preaching in England, it was reported that he had committed adultery, and he was ordered home. On his arrival in Salt Lake he was cut off from the Church, and his wife taken from him by order of Brigham. He made several efforts to get out of the Territory.
Finally he joined a company and left Salt Lake, intending to go to California. After he had been gone
a few days the Destroying Angels were put on his trail, with orders to kill him before they returned.
Two desperate Danites were selected, who knew nothing but to obey orders: Joel White and John Willis
were the Danites. They started on the trail, determined to kill Tobin when they found him.
White and Willis overtook the company that Tobin was traveling with at a point near the crossing of the
Magottsey. They found where he was sleeping, and, going to him as he lay on the ground rolled up in his
blanket, they shot him several times. Although thinking him dead, they concluded to shoot him once
more
to make certain that he would not escape, so they put a pistol against his eye and fired; the ball put out his eye, but did not kill him. The Angels made their escape and returned to Salt Lake City, and reported that their orders were obeyed. Severely wounded as he was, Tobin recovered, and was, when I last heard from him, in the Union army."
