| 656 CHAPTER 30
1843.
AS MENTIONED in the last chapter Joseph was arrested, or rather kidnapped, by Reynolds of Missouri and Wilson of Illinois, on June 23, 1843.
In this chapter we give the account of this arrest, trial, and release, as published in the records of the time. The testimonies of some of the witnesses are quite lengthy, but the events of the Missouri troubles are given by them in a more consecutive manner than found elsewhere, and hence we think a careful reading would be profitable.
Lucy Smith in her "Joseph Smith the Prophet" briefly relates this incident, as follows:-
"About the middle of June, 1843, Joseph went with his wife to visit Mrs. Wasson, (ten miles southeast of Dixon, Illinois,) who was his wife's sister. Whilst there an attempt was made to kidnap him and take him into Missouri, by J. H. Reynolds, from that State, and Harmon Wilson, of Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, who was a Missourian in principle. You have read Hyrum's testimony, and can judge of the treatment which Joseph received at their hands. Suffice it to say, he was shamefully abused. Wilson had authority from the Governor of Illinois to take Joseph Smith, Jr., and deliver him into the hands of the before-named Reynolds; but as neither of them showed any authority save a brace of pistols, Joseph took them for false imprisonment. He then obtained a writ of habeas corpus of the Master in Chancery of Lee County, returnable before the nearest court authorized to determine upon such writs; and the Municipal Court of Nauvoo being
(page 656) |
