History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Volume 1Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Religion
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Volume 1
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
"Did not he go to you and tell you that an angel had appeared unto him
and authorized him to get the horse from you?"
"No, he told me no such story."
"Well, how had he the horse of you?"
"He bought him of me as any other man would."
"Have you had your pay?"
"That is not your business."
The question being again put, the witness replied:
"I hold his note for the price of the horse, which I consider as good
as the pay; for I am well acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jun., and know
him to be an honest man; and if he wishes, I am ready to let him have
another horse on the same terms."
Mr. Jonathan Thompson was next called up and examined:
"Has not the prisoner, Joseph Smith Jun., had a yoke of oxen of you?"
"Yes."
"Did he not obtain them of you by telling you that he had a revelation
to the effect that he was to have them?"
"No, he did not mention a word of the kind concerning the oxen; he
purchased them the same as any other man would."
[Sidenote: Daughters of Mr. Stoal as Witnesses. The Acquittal.]
After a few more such attempts, the court was detained for a time, in
order that two young women, daughters of Mr. Stoal, with whom I had at
times kept company, might be sent for, in order, if possible, to elicit
something from them which might be made a pretext against me. The young
ladies arrived, and were severally examined touching my character and
conduct in general, but particularly as to my behavior towards them,
both in public and private; when they both bore such testimony in my
favor as left my {91} enemies without a pretext on their account.
Several other attempts were made to prove something against me, and
even circumstances which were alleged to have taken place in Broome
county, were brought forward, but these my lawyers would not admit of
as testimony against me; in consequence of which my persecutors managed
to detain the court until they had succeeded in obtaining a warrant
from Broome county, which warrant they served upon me at the very
moment that I was acquitted by this court.
[Sidenote: The Prophet's Second Arrest.]
The constable who served this second warrant upon me had no sooner
arrested me than he began to abuse and insult me; and so unfeeling
was he with me, that although I had been kept all the day in court
without anything to eat since the morning, yet he hurried me off to
Broome county, a distance of about fifteen miles, before he allowed me
any kind of food whatever. He took me to a tavern, and gathered in a
number of men, who used every means to abuse, ridicule and insult me.
They spit up on me, pointed their fingers at me, saying, "Prophesy,
prophesy!" and thus did they imitate those who crucified the Savior of
mankind, not knowing what they did.
[Sidenote: Unnecessary Severity.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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