Mormon History
Mormon Prisoners in Missouri - 1838
Daily Missouri Republican – December 13, 1838
THE MORMON PRISONERS.
It will
be seen by our correspondence, that the examination of the Mormon prisoners, at
Richmond, Ray county, and the [sic] resulted in the discharge of some, and the
retention of many others, to answer various crimes, from treason down to
larceny. The same letter gives us some rumors in regard to the conduct of a
portion of the anti-Mormon party, in the purchase of lands at the recent land
sales at Lexington, which if true, will have a tendency to excite public
sympathy in favor of the Mormons, and create a strong prejudice against their
oppressors. Much as we censure the course of the Mormons, there is no act, of
which we have any knowledge, which will at all compare with the unrighteousness
of those who, it seems, got up this crusade in order to obtain possession of the
houses and lands of their victims. We will not, even now, believe that any
considerable portion of the anti-Mormon party are obnoxious to the charges
brought against them, and hope that it may be found to apply to few of them.
The prisoners are, we learn from Richmond, to be distributed to different jails,
and to be guarded by armed men, until the second Monday of March next, when the
first court will be held in that district. It seems to us, that the Legislature
would save the State much expense by authorizing a special term of the court in
some county in which the prisoners are likely to have a fair and speedy trial.
We also learn, that a gentleman of Richmond, who was present at the examination
and took down all the testimony, intends to prepare it for publication, together
with a history of the rise and progress of Mormonism up to the present time. The
gentleman -- Mr. Orville H. Searcy -- is represented to us as entirely competent
to the task, and such a history, if fairly and impartially given, will be well
received. But we do not think the evidence so taken, or the time of its
publication, exactly calculated to advance the ends of justice -- inasmuch as it
might greatly prejudice the cause of the prisoners now awaiting their trial.
Both houses of the Legislature have interposed their authority to prevent the
publication of the same evidence, submitted to them with the Governor's Message,
and it ought not to be permitted to find its way to the public in a less
authentic shape, or until the trials are over.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR.
CITY
OF JEFFERSON,
Saturday, Dec. 8th.
By a letter received yesterday evening from Richmond, at Ray County, I learn that the Court of Enquiry has terminated its labors, and the following is the result:
MORMONS SENT ON FOR FURTHER TRIAL.
For
Treason. --
Joseph Smith, Jr., Hiram Smith, Lyman Wight, Sidney Rigdon, Alexander M'Ray,
Caleb Baldwin.
For Murder. -- Parley P. Pratt, Norman Shearer, Darwin Chase, Lyman
Gibbs, and Maurice Phillips.
Accessaries before and after the fact of Murder -- Joseph Smith, Jr.,
Lyman Wight, Sidney Rigdon, and Washington Vams.
For Arson, Burglary, Robbery and Larceny -- George W. Robinson, Alanson
Ripley, Washington Vams, Sidney Tanner, Jacob Gates, Jessie D. Hunter, George
Grant, Darwin Chase, Thos. Rich, Alexander M'Ray, Caleb Baldwin, John S. Higby,
Ebenezer Page, Ebenezer Ribinson, James M. Henderson, David Pellegrue, Edward
Partridge, Francis Higbee, George Kimball, Joseph W. Younger, Daniel Corn, James
H. Rolling, Samuel Bent, Jonathan Dunham, William Whitman, Joel S. Mills, Clark
Hallett, Norman Shearer, and Maurice Phelps.
The result of this enquiry has been what was anticipated, a serious difficulty,
it seems to me, will now arise as to the trial of these men. In the counties
where the disturbance took place it will be almost impossible to find a jury for
the trial, for I presume there is no man who has not formed an opinion of the
case. If the prisoners do not change the venue the State cannot change it, and I
am well assured that such has been the excitement that no man in the counties of
Ray, Carroll, Caldwell and Davies will be in a condition to serve as a juror --
What will be the ultimate result of these prosecutions, I am at a loss to say.
This much is very certain: the detention of those thirty-six prisoners under a
guard, to be fed and protected during the winter season will be an expense which
the State will feel before it is done.
We have many reports here in relation to the conduct of some of the citizens of
Daviess and other counties, at the recent Land Sales at Lexington -- It is
reported, said to be on the authority of a gentleman direct from Lexington, that
at the recent land sales, the lands in Caldwell and Daviess were brought into
market, and that some of the citizens who have been the most active in the
excitement against the Mormons purchased a number of Mormon tracts of land.
Where the Mormons had made settlements and improvements, it is said, these
citizens have purchased then for speculation. It is said that the town of "Adamon
Diamond," a Mormon town in Daviess, in which there are several houses, -- a very
valuable site for a town -- was purchased at these sales for a dollar and a
quarter an acre. It is further said, that there is a company formed, embracing a
number of persons, for the purpose of speculating in the lands of these people.
I should not have felt authorised to allude to these reports, for I know nothing
of the source from whence they came, but for the fact, that the same matter was
accidently alluded to yesterday in the Senate. Many other things are said in
connection with these sales, but for the present I do not feel authorized to
give them. This matter should receive the attention of the committee on this
subject, for it may lead to a better understanding of the causes of these
disturbances. I look upon it as a matter of the greatest importance, how the
committee on this subject may conduct this enquiry. The character of the State
and the reputation of every citizen is involved in it, and it is due to all that
a full investigation and impartial report should be made.
There is a talk amongst the members, at this time of adjourning for several
months, say to the first of June or July, and giving power to the committee to
prosecute the investigation in vacation. This is the only method by which it is
possible to make a full and thorough examination into the matter.