as master _pro tem_ at that time; he also wished an interview first with Brother Joseph; at that time Brother Joseph was crossing the yard from the house to the store, he immediately came to the store and met Dr. Bennett on the way; he reached out his hand to Brother Joseph and said, Will you forgive me? weeping at the time; he said, Brother Joseph, I am guilty, I acknowledge it, and I beg of you not to expose me, for it will ruin me; Joseph replied, Doctor! why are you using my name to carry on your hellish wickedness? Have I ever taught you that fornication and adultery were right, or polygamy or any such practice? He said, You never did. Did I ever teach you anything that was not virtuous--that was iniquitous, either in public or private? He said, You never did. Did you ever know anything unvirtuous or unrighteous in my conduct or action at any time, either in public or private? He said, I did not. Are you willing to make oath to this before an alderman of the city? He said I am willing to do so. Joseph said, Doctor, go into my office and write what you can in conscience subscribe your name to, and I will be satisfied. I will, he said, and went into the office, and I went with him, and he requested pen, ink and paper of Mr. Clayton, who was acting clerk in that office, and was also secretary _pro tem_, for the Nauvoo Lodge, U. D. William Clayton gave him paper, pen and ink, and he stood at the desk and wrote {73} the following article which was published in the 11th No. of the _Wasp_; sworn to and subscribed before Daniel H. Wells, Alderman, 17th day of May, A. D. 1842. He called in Brother Joseph and read it to him, and asked him if that would do; he said it would; he then swore to it as before mentioned, the article was as follows: STATE OF ILLINOIS, CITY OF NAUVOO. Personally appeared before me, Daniel H. Wells, an alderman of said city of Nauvoo, John C. Bennett, who being duly sworn, according to law, deposeth and saith: that he never was taught anything in the least contrary to the strictest principles of the Gospel, or of virtue, or of the laws of God, or man, under any occasion, either directly or indirectly, in word or deed by Joseph Smith: and that he never knew the said Smith to countenance any improper conduct whatever, either in public or private; and that he never did teach to me in private that an illegal, illicit intercourse with females was, under any circumstances, justifiable, and that I never knew him so to teach others. JOHN C. BENNETT. Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 17th day of May, 1842 DANIEL H. WELLS, Alderman.