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
On Tuesday last Horace S. Eldredge, one of our county officers,
went to Carthage for the purpose of arresting Milton Cook, on the
charge of bastardy, and bringing him before R. D. Foster, justice
of the peace of this county, before whom affidavit had been made
to that effect. He found the accused in Bartlett's grocery,
(Carthage,) and arrested him.
Cook had a gun that he said he had loaded for the purpose, and
would make a hole through the constable if he molested him, and
swore he would not be taken.
Harmon T. Wilson and others then stepped forward to his assistance,
and said that they had sworn to stand by him, and that he should
not go. He [Eldredge] then returned with his process to the justice
of the peace, and told him what had occurred.
Mr. R. D. Foster then summoned eleven men to go along with the
constable and assist him in bringing the delinquent. They went out
and drove to the grocery, where they expected to find him; but he
was not there. They then went out for a short time, without making
known their business, when they saw an armed force gathering.
{172} They shortly afterwards returned to the grocery, and saw him
there where he swore he would not be taken. There was also an armed
force standing in the door, who also swore he should not be taken.
The officer having the process, Mr. Markham and Mr. Eagle stepped
forward and wished to reason the case with them, the officer at the
same time demanding their assistance. They were met with an armed
force of about twenty, four of whom stood in the doorway, two with
guns and bayonets, and two with pistols.
The two having the bayonets charged directly at Mr. Markham, and
swore they would run him through, and rushed upon him with their
bayonets. He, however, warded off their blows with his arm, and
the bayonet glanced and struck Mr. John Eagle in the abdomen. The
bayonet went through his clothes, scratched his body, and glanced
off without doing any further injury, other than giving him a
slight cut in the hand.
Those having the pistols then attempted to shoot, when Mr. Markham
seized the hand of one of them that held the pistol, and prevented
him from firing. The other put his pistol to Mr. Eagle's breast,
and swore he would shoot him.
The company at that time used all their force, and crowded the
officers and their assistants some distance back, and carried off
and secreted the prisoner. The officer and his company then went to
the tavern to stay all night.
The next morning, about eight o'clock, the constable and Mr.
Markham went to the grocery and searched, and Bartlett said that he
was gone--that he had taken his horse and gone out of town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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