Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-02
THE MURDER OF THEPRopHET

The letter We publish below will he
OF interest to the Latter-day Saints
and perhaps also TO many persons
who are not believers In "Mormonlsm"
II mny have been published before,
but we do not remember seeing II In
print II is only corroboration Of
statements that were made immedl-
ately after the assassination OF the
Prophet and Patriarch Joseph and
Hyrum Smith, but there are details
which make those statements more
clear and emphatic. The original let
ter was obtained by two Elders from
the editor Of the paper Il was sent to
who ala not think II Of sufficient inn
portance to publish but gave It to
them, gayng that It might be Of in
terest 10 'Mormons," but he had no
place for It except in the waste basket,
Brother Oldroyd, Of Fountain Green,
had possession Of the letter Tor num-
Der OF years, having obtained It from
his grandfather, who received It from
the Elders mentioned over hfy years
ago. President G, II. Brimhall Of the
Brigham Young University, obtained
copy OF the letter. from which we
have printed the accompanying COM
munIcation. The evidence OF It's au.
thenticity is established
Joseph Smith Killed 1874, Carthage,
oct, H. 1874
Mr., Editor.
"As your paper has quite circula-
tion In this congressional district, 1
hope you viii mud room In your paper
for these lines. My reasons for writ
ing II is TO let citizens Of this and the
adjoining counties know who they are
voting for when they are voting for
Tom Sharp of Wamlw. / have been
tending court here for several days
past, and ] nnd that ,here are some
that calculate to east their votes for
sharp. / VIII now glyc my reasons for
voting against sharp,
III came from Iowa 10 Warsaw, lll-
nos, three weeks before the murder
of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, / was %
young man not over twenty years old,
and had not much experience IN life,
sharp and some others persuaded mo
to call my maine BOggs, q son Of Gov
ernOr Borrs Of Missouri / agreed to
do 40, and then sharp circulated
all kinds of mean tales about the
Mormons he often said iu my PRES
ence mat there was a young man that
10 smith had his father shot which
had a great Influence Go raise the pre-
JUDGES the people against the Nor
mons lie also persuaded me to Join
the company that was gathering there
TO meet tho Governors troops at Car
thage, which Z ala.
"The time came when we had to
march 10 Carthage, We marched about
six or eight miles, and met "a man with
orders from the Governor that we were
not wanted aud TO return TO our homes.
This word curogcd Capt. sharp, ms he
was called very much lie said all
might 40 home that wanted TO- but
he would 30 90 Carthage n he had to
20 alone, he said Smith ought Go Doe
killed, and ID he could raise men 10
should Doe done before night, he was IN
jail and now was the time, lie then
asked how many were I'm tho company
that would 90 with him to Carthage to
commit this disgracCfu deed Clark
Burrs Snar RCdm1n aud Hoakes Mid
deton We're the fret TO Join Sharp. He
then asked N the rest were all cow
ards AZ that about nifty or sixty went
over 90 him. and / went with the
crowd, jack Davis said he was no
coward but hc would not go IN such a
company in q thing Of that kind lie
and several others went back We then
organized and moved Tor Carthage, and
waited Tor Williams TO return, as ne
had gone ON 10 see n there were any
there who would oppose us.
when we got TO the timber ~ man
came TO as ON large white horse. lie
brought with him "a note TO sharp stat
ing that be would not meet with any
opposition. This paper was signed by
william A. Smith, the man that had
charge OF the company which tho Cow
ernor had left at Carthage to protect
tho Smiths tn the day Of their trial.