The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-03
KILLING OF 1.-THE MARTYRS. -


we shall here refer to the matter of the
killing of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
at Carthage, Illinois, June 27, 1914.
Some time ago The Tribune made
the assertion that Mormons and apos-
tato Mormons were responsible for
these two murders. The Deseret News,
Of course, denied the truth of our
we produced, at various times, extracts
from sermons delivered by Joseph
Smith, showing that he' knew that some
Of his brethren were seeking his life.
We also brought forward sermons de-
livered in Utah by Brigham Young,
George A. Smith, Jedediah NJ. Grant,
and other high ccclesiasts. in which it
was declared unequlvocallv, time and
again, that false brethren and apostates
plotted and planned for the killing of
Joseph, and that they executed those
plots and plans to the bitter end. BY
Mormon authority we have shown that
when Joseph Smith. seeing that TO re-
main in Nauvoo among his outraged
and rcbelious brethren meant certain
death to him. made up his mind to flee
ont into this Western country. and
had actually crossed the Mississippi
river in his proposed flight, be was in
duced by his own brethren TO return
and face his enemies. This was IN
| execution of the plan Of rebellious
Mormons to prevent his escape. They
had determined that Joseph should die,
probably having what they considered
TO be sufficient reasons and justification
for this determination. Joseph was
| brought back and surrendered hlmsef
to the officers, which was exactly ac-
cordinp to the plans made by hostile
Mormons and apostaies. 1t was ar
ranged that he be taken out OF the
city of Nauvoo, and he was removed
to Carthage. He was about TO be re-
leased upon one charge when certain
Of his brethren and communicated
saints swore to another complaint for
the purpose of keeping him in Jail,
which was done, and the next day the
murders we're accomplished by these
Mormon malcontents and their allies.
Perhaps the strongest evidence upon
this matter that we have been able to
find is that furnished by Elder Dcnl-
son l.. Harris. formerly bishop of Mon
roe, Sewer county, Utah, and which
The Tribune has heretofore reproduced
at great length, The matter was taken
from the issue of the Contributor for
Anril. 1884, and was written by Elder
Horace Cummings from dictatlon by
Bishop Harris. (The matter may be
found in the Contributor, volume ,,
number I, pages 25l-60O Denison l..
Harris lived near neighbor TO Jo-
semi Smith at Nauvoo, He was lntl-
mateIy acquainted with the Laws, the
HI and the Fosters, who were
HIGH in the church (William Law nav
inc been counselor to Joseph), ana
was familiar with most Of the SAINTS
in Nauyoo at the time of the murders
at Carthage. Denison l.. Harris, then
young man and friend of hls by
the name OF Robert Scott, also young
fellow, received an invitation to at
tend a secret meeting at the house of
William Law upon certain named
evening Denison went to Joseph and
told him Of the invitation and sought
his advice as to what to do i'll the
matter Joseph told the two young
men to 90 to the meeting and report
to him all that went on. They did so,
attending three of these assemblages
I.f Loo II.
ers, says Mr.. Harris. in the plotting
and conspiring were William and Will
son Law, Austin A. Cowles, Francis
and Chauncey Higbee, Robert Foster
and his brothers and two men named
Bicks-all of whom held or had held
prominent places in the community, in
the priesthood. in Mormon official cir.
cles and In the Nauvoo high council,
Bishop Harris says that at the last Of
the three meetings attended by him
there were upward of three hundred
Mormons present, At the close of the
deliberations, declares tho bishop, each
and every cne took and swore TO the
following oath;
"You solemnly swear, before God
and all holy angels, and these YOUR
BRETHREN by whom YOU are sur
rounded, that you will give your life.
your liberty, your influence, your all,
for the destruction Of Joseph Smith
and his party, so help you God!
Whitney's history says that it was
on June %, 1914 Give days before the
assassination that Joseph, accompa-
MED by Hyrum Smith, Apostles Willard
Richards and John Taylor. together
with n few other friends, crossed the
river and started to escape to the Rocky
mountains. ''Messages from home in
tercepted him. says Whitney, Sin
ducing him to reconsider his design,
and he returned to meet his doom. We
are going back to be butchered.' said
he, and resigned himself to his fate. y
Note that the messages were from
home" and that Joseph knew what
was thp sigu fcauc0 of those mpssaueS