The Missouri PersecutionsRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
History
The Missouri Persecutions
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saints -- Missouri -- History -- 19th century
It was reported that Joseph would not submit to civil process, that he
defied the law. A charge had been trumped up in Daviess County against
him, for going there in arms to inquire about the Gallatin election
troubles, and on the morning of the 13th of August the sheriff of
Daviess County and Judge Morin called upon Joseph and informed him that
they had a writ for his arrest. Joseph expressed his willingness to
be tried, but as the people of Daviess County were very much--though
unjustly--exasperated at him, he wished to be tried in his own county,
and the laws gave him that right. Upon this insistence the sheriff
refused to serve the warrant, and he said he would see Judge King about
it. Joseph agreed to remain at home until his return; which he did.
On his return the sheriff informed the Prophet that he was out of his
jurisdiction.
The excitement which had been aroused, however, could not be abated.
On the contrary, it spread into surrounding counties and its intensity
increased.
CHAPTER XXXV.
BOGGS IN ACTION--DEFENSE CONSTRUED INTO OFFENSE.
This excitement in Daviess and surrounding counties, and the Indian
difficulties which were threatening about the same time, induced
Governor Boggs [A] to send an order to Gen. David R. Atchison, third
division of Missouri militia, ordering him to raise within the limits
of his district, four hundred mounted men, armed and equipped as
infantry or riflemen, to be held in readiness to quell disturbances
arising either from the excitement concerning the "Mormon" troubles, or
Indian outbreaks. This order was dated August 30, 1838.
[Footnote A: This was Lilburn W. Boggs who, during the troubles in
Jackson County, was lieutenant-governor of the State, and who not only
quietly looked on and saw the saints driven from their homes by mob
violence, but secretly aided and encouraged the mob in its atrocities.]
In order to show his willingness to honor the law, Joseph, under the
counsel of General Atchison, under whom and General Doniphan, Joseph
and Sidney Rigdon were studying law, volunteered to be tried for going
armed into Daviess County before the circuit judge, Austin A. King.
The judge was notified of Joseph's action, and the place selected for
trial was the house of a Brother Littlefield, about fifteen miles north
of Far West, where the little village of Winston is now located. But
as the plaintiff, Wm. P. Peniston, failed to put in an appearance, the
trial was postponed until the next day, to take place at the house of
a Mr. Raglin, one of the chief mobocrats. The result of the trial was
that Joseph and Lyman Wight were bound over in a five hundred dollar
bond to appear at the next session of the district court; though Judge
King afterwards said nothing worthy of bonds had been proven against
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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