The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-28
THE CARTHAGE MASSACRE.
An Incident That is Even Now Recalled witt
Terror.

An Incident That is Even Now Recalled with
Terror.
CARTHAGE, Illinois, April 1.-THE re
markable vision at the execution Of the
Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith, which
some people. still in the land of the living,
claim to have witnessed at that grim spec
tacle, is among the singular ''spook lore
of Hancock county, and is even recalled
with terror forty-four years after. It's a
matter of common history that Joseph
Smith had gotten into serious trouble at
Nauvoo with the civil authorities for hav-
ing ordered a newspaper office called the
Nauvoo ErpOsit0r demolished, and the type
and presses thrown into the river. For
this act Smith. his brother Hyrum, DR..
Taylor, recent president of the Mormon
church at Salt l axe, and a Mr. Richards,
all Mormon dignitaIies, were arrested and
brought to Carthage on June 20, 1874
They were accompanied by an armed posse
under orders from Governor Ford, more
for protection to the prisoners than through
any fear that they would escape. While
crossing the then trackless prairies TO
Carthage, Smith suddenly drew rein and,
turning in his saddle addressed his fellow
prisoners, in substance, as follows:
brothers. have had vision, and am
sorely troubled. Governor Ford has prom
ised US due protection in the Carthage jail
and fair trial; but. alas, we are doomed.
An angel has told me that my days and
Hyrums are numbered We shall be muir
dered before sunset tomorrow. 1t is writ
ten"
He then turned toward NauvOO and
glzed with earnest longing in that direction
for several minutes.
Then he exclaimed: Zion, my love, my
ioy-my people-farewellH'
The prisoners arrived at Carthage that
day and were placed in the debtors room
of the old stone Jail, which now stands in
good condition. On the next afternoon,
June % 1874, about / o'clock, a mob of
armed men, wearing hideOus DISCUSSES,
emerged from "a strip of timber near the
Jail and made furious assault upon the
guards, who fled in confusion. 1t was the
work of but few moments to send a
shower of bullets into the struggling bodies
of the prisoners. Smith defended himself
nobly, but finding himself Overpowered,
ran to the east window and attempted to
Jump out. His appearance was the signal
for volley of bullets from determined
men in the yard below. With heavy
groan the prophet fell to the earth and ex-
PRED. In the meantime the mob had fed,
and most of the inhabitants of the town
also.
A few who remained and Went to the Jail
declare that as Smiths body lay, torn and
bleeding on the ground most beautiful
vision appeared, which cast a dazzling light
upon them, binding their sight for mo-
ment Then, as they declare, the vision
took clearer form. it being that Of an
angel arrayed in spotless white. In one
hand she carried a flaming sword, while in
the other swung a basket of incense, the
odors of which filled the air with strangely
sweet perfume. The angel approached the
PROSTATE form of the prophet Then the
light became more dazzling, when, amidst d
cloud of great glory and beauty, the vision
disappeared.
The bodies of the murdered Morm0ns
were cared for by citizen and taken the
next day to Nauvoo Here they were re
ceived with great sorrow aud lamentations
by the stricken people. Both bodies We're
secretly buried. and their resting place is
now unknown save to but one or two.
At the trial of those supposed to have
been connected with this murder, at least
one witness for the prosecution swore that
the attack was made. The testimony had
little weight, however, with the jury, who
acquitted the defendants after a short con-
sultatiOn.
There are few persons living day who
claim to have been eye witnesses to this
great tragedy. Some members of the old
Carthage Grays who were there guarding
the Jail, yet live, AS do one or two who re-
sided near the jail at the time. So great
was the terror of the people, fearing ven
geance at the hands of the MoImOns, that
few remained to witness the beautiful
vision which, as some of the faithful be-
lieve, came to bear away the spirit of their
prophet to its new Zion, where trouble
cometh not.-GlObe-D Democrat.
THREE days is very short time in which
tn c11,.a n had ace of rhnunati SIN hut Il