[Joseph Smith] Meanwhile, Joseph H. Reynolds, the Jackson County sheriff, and law officer Harmon T. Wilson of Carthage reach that area to arrest Joseph. Joseph sends Clayton to the town of Dixon to get information. Halfway there, Clayton runs into Reynolds and Wilson. Clayton fails to recognize them, as they are disguised as Mormon elders. In Dixon, Reynolds and Wilson learn of Joseph's whereabouts and ride to the Wasson home. They capture Joseph, arresting him illegally at gunpoint. Brutal jabbings with their guns cause Joseph's chest to turn black and blue with an 18-inch bruise. They swear and threaten to shoot him. Joseph tells them to go ahead, but says he is willing to submit to any legal papers they may have. When they throw him in a wagon, Stephen Markham attempts to hold the horses. They level their guns at Markham, threatening to kill him. Markham lets go of the horses. They ride off just as Emma throws Joseph his hat and coat. Markham rides to Dixon immediately to report thekidnapping. When Reynolds and Wilson reach the town, eight miles away, they lock Joseph in a room while they change horses on the wagon. Joseph yells out the window for help from a lawyer and a writ of habeas corpus. When a few lawyers arrive, Reynolds claims he plans to take Joseph to Missouri without interference and threatens to shoot anyone who tries to stop him. However, as the crowd grows, Reynolds compromises, agreeing to allow 30 minutes for the writ of habeas corpus. Joseph sends messages to several lawyers, including Cyrus H. Walker, a Whig candidate for Congress, who has been electioneering nearby. During this time, Markham swears out a writ against Reynolds and Wilson for threatening his life. The two are then arrested on two counts: for threatening Markham's life and for illegally arresting and threatening Joseph. Reynolds and Wilson as well as Joseph are all locked up overnight so that the complications can be sorted out the next morning.
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
No comments:
Post a Comment