June 13, 1843, Governor Reynolds issued the requisition and Joseph H. Reynolds was dispatched to Illinois. Governor Ford lost no time in issuing the warrant for the arrest and placed it in the hands of Harmon T. Wilson, who, with Reynolds, immediately started for their prisoner. The night before the warrant was issued Governor Ford incidentally remarked to Judge James Adams that the next day he would issue such a writ. Judge Adams sent an express at once to Nauvoo to warn the Prophet of impending danger. His message arrived in the evening of Sunday, June 18, but President Smith was not at home. On the 13th, he and his family had gone north to visit with Mrs. Wasson, sister of Emma Smith, who resided near Dixon, Lee County, Illinois. Hyrum Smith sent William Clayton and Stephen Markham on horse back with all speed to warn his brother Joseph. They arrived at Wasson's on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 21, a distance of two hundred and twelve miles. Hearing their report, Joseph said: "I have no fear. I shall not leave here; I shall find friends, and Missourians cannot hurt me, I tell you in the name of the Lord." He cancelled an appointment to preach in Dixon, and concluded to remain with the Wassons, fearing that if he started for home he might fall into the hands of his enemies where he had no friends. His Arrest by Reynolds and Wilson From some source Reynolds and Wilson learned that Joseph was at Dixon and thither they went with haste. On the way to Wasson's they passed William Clayton, who had been sent to spy out the land, but as they were disguised, Clayton did not know them. Arriving at their destination the sheriffs represented themselves to be "Mormon" elders and were directed to the Wasson home. President Smith was in the yard when they arrived. Springing upon him like fiends, and without showing any papers for his arrest, they pointed cocked pistols at his head and with many vile oaths, threatened to shoot him if he stirred. They repeatedly jabbed the muzzles of their pistols in his ribs, and were for hurrying him off to Dixon without giving him a chance to say farewell to his family or friends, or obtain his hat and coat. Stephen Markham grabbed the horses by the bits and held them saying: "There is no law on earth that requires a sheriff to take a prisoner without his clothes." They threatened to shoot him, but he paid no heed to their threats, and Emma Smith brought her husband his hat and coat. As the wagon rolled away, Joseph called to Markham to go to Dixon and secure a writ of habeas corpus. On the way the officers repeatedly thrust their pistols in the Prophet's sides with accompanying oaths of blasphemy, and did not desist until shortly before reaching Dixon, when Markham, who had overtaken them, upbraided them for their cowardice and brutal treatment of their prisoner, who was defenseless.