The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-24


murdered In the Hancock county jail,
In Carthage. Perhaps no single crime
ever perpetrated IN the United States
ap TO that time was OF such a sensa-
uonal character and attracted az much
attention as did this one The few poo-
Ole living to-day who were alive az the
time OF the killing Of the Mormons say
that no event Of like nature ever took
place within their memory which ere
ated 20 much comment that thousands
OF people to-day are almost nB familiar
with the details "a n they had been
eyewitness. Even those who sane
toned the deed at the time and stu
sanction II agree that Il Is the blacklist
spot on the pages Of the history OF
Illinois. The Staying Of their leaders
was the cause OF the removal Of the
Mormons from illlnols 10 the far West
The return OF the executive branch OF
the church government TO the state
In placing the missionary headquarters
In Chicago marks an epoch OF the With
drawal OF the Latter-Day Saints and H.
cause. In the northwest part OF Car
thage Is sim standing the famous old
jail. with lts stone walls a yard In
thickness. but instead Of presenting the
forhiddlng aspects o. the average jail
a beautiful conservatory adorns almost
the entire front Of the lower story and
two woodbino vines are creeping up
the walls 20 the slll Of the window from
which Joseph Smith fell a corpse. On
the ground underneath the window o
flower bed marks the spot where the
prophet lay 40 he broathed his last
The old Jail IA now occupied as a
dwelling. The only mark which re-
mains 10 tell the tale Of that never-to-
bc-iorgotton day Is the hali-nllod bull
let hole IN the door through which came
the bullet that brought death TO Hyrum
Smith On the wooden floor. but nov
concealed by the carpet. Is a large spot
Of blood which marks the place about
four feet from the door where Smith
fell after the loaden missile reached bis
heart. Tho heavy stone wall OF IN,
window opening slopes slightly In such
way that the opening al the lnnei
edge OF the wall IL several Inches wider
that Il Is NJ the outside The wall ls p,
thick that two people could almos
climb within the window and slt sid'
BY side with comfort. There are tw,
windows on the south side Of the room
and one on the east. The latter Is al
most exactly opposite the door, an,
from Il Joseph Smith. his body pierce,
by three bullets. fell 10 the ground. I
distance Of almost fifteen feet Amos
hfiy-thrce years have passed since tha
day and only two men live In Carthag.
who were residents OF the town az that
time and who witnessed the attack AMI
murder by the mob. Histories and his
tories have been written and several
lives OF the prophet had been published
but probably no two accounts agree
all the details and u Is not probabl,
that any two ever Will
hut shorn Of all technlcallties ant
told IN plain. blunt language. you vii
receive the reply. n you ask anyone IN,
cause. that the Mormons we're killed be
cause they and their friends capture,
the cattle and carried on movable good
belonging 10 the Gcntiles OF the sec
tion OF the country Ia which they lived
That Is the charge In a nutshell Whlcl
was brought against Joseph Smith an,
his people. u Is further said that
number Of men who went TO Nauyoo.
town In which the Mormons dwelt. q
ask redress for wrongs disappeared an
never were heard OF afterwards. Jess
W. Weaver the only Mormon who no,
dwells In Carthage. claims that thes
thefts we're committed by Danltcs. VIII
he says. comprised a band OF lawles
citizens who attached themselves 70 a
Mormons Cor purposes OF robbery whc
the Iattor-Day Saints resided in Iacl
son county, Missouri prior 20 their r,
moval 20 Illinois. Soon after their al
rival Ia Nauvoo. which Is about TWEEN,
u lies from Carthage. the troubles b,
gin between the Mormons and the on
81 residents OF the county The troub
grow until the mos, bitter hatred e.,
listed between the two factions Pna
~. early In 1854. the following rosoll
tion was passed at Carthage and
Warsaw. another wcll-known town
y