History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
After attending a few times she told her husband she had a dream,
in which she saw it was a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the
living God, and requested to be baptized.
Mrs. Pugmire talked with her, reminding her of her harsh
expression. She confessed all, and said, "I am very sorry; and as
my conduct is known to all this neighborhood, I do not wish to have
my baptism public, but to have it done privately; and I wish no
female to accompany me to the water but you."
On the night of her baptism (November 23, 1843), she was conducted
to the water by her husband and Elder Pugmire, witnessed by Mrs.
Pugmire and James Moore. Previous to this time, Elder Pugmire had
baptized eight or ten persons in the same place.
On arriving at the water, they found the creek had overflowed its
banks, in consequence of a heavy rain which had fallen that day.
Elder Pugmire examined its banks, and concluded he could attend to
the ordinance without going into the regular bed of the creek.
This was done; but on raising Mrs. Cartwright, and as they were
walking out, they both went under the water.
It was afterwards discovered that the water had undermined the
bank, and it gave way under their feet. Meantime, Thomas Cartwright
leaped into the creek and seized hold of his wife's petticoat; but
the water carried her off, and left the garment in his hand.
James Moore got hold of Elder Pugmire by the hair of his head, Mrs.
Pugmire holding Moore's hand, and thus they dragged him out.
Moore then ran to the village to give the alarm. On his return, he
found Cartwright about one hundred yards from where he leaped in,
{162} with his head above water, holding on to the stump of a tree.
He said he could not have remained in that situation one minute
longer.
George Knowlen swam the stream and got him out; but his wife was
not found until the day following, when she was found about two
hundred yards from where the accident occurred, standing upon her
feet, with her head above water, the stream having fallen about two
feet.
On Pugmire reaching home, a Church of England minister had him
arrested and dragged from his family the same evening, and kept in
custody of a constable until a coroner's inquest was held on the
body of the deceased.
After she was buried, Cartwright was arrested, and both were sent
to Chester jail, to wait their trial before the judge of assize.
They were in confinement six weeks and three days before their
trial came on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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