JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR, IMPRISONED--AN ATTEMPT TO TAKE HYRUM.
On the same day that Hyrum left for Colesville, which was Wednesday,
the neighbors began to call, one after another, and inquire very
particularly for Hyrum.
This gave me great anxiety, for I knew that they had no business with
him. The same night, my husband was taken rather ill, and, continuing
unwell the next day, he was unable to take breakfast with me. About
ten o'clock I commenced preparing him some milk porridge, but, before
it was ready for him, a Quaker gentleman called to see him, and the
following is the substance of their conversation:
Quaker.--"Friend Smith, I have a note against thee for fourteen
dollars, which I have lately bought, and I have come to see if thou
hast the money for me."
Mr. Smith.--"Why, sir, did you purchase that note? You certainly was in
no want of the money?"
Quaker.--"That is business of my own; I want the money, and must have
it."
Mr. Smith.--"I can pay you six dollars now,--the rest you will have to
wait for, as I cannot get it for you."
Quaker.--"No, I will not wait one hour; and if thou dost not pay me
immediately, thou shalt go forthwith to the jail, unless (running to
the fire place, and making violent gestures with his hands towards the
fire) thou wilt burn up those Books of Mormon; but if thou wilt burn
them up, then I will forgive thee the whole debt."
Mr. Smith, (decidedly).--"That I shall not do."
Quaker.--"Then, thou shalt go to jail."
"Sir." I interrupted (taking my gold beads from my neck, and holding
them towards him), "these beads are the full value of the remainder of
the debt. I beseech you to take them, and give up the note."
Quaker.--"No, I will not. Thou must pay the money, or thy husband shall
go straightway to jail."
"Now, here, sir," I replied, "just look at yourself as you are. Because
God has raised up my son to bring forth a book, which was written for
the salvation of the souls of men, for the salvation of your soul as
well as mine, you have come here to distress me, by taking my husband
to jail; and you think, by this, that you will compel us to deny the
work of God, and destroy a book which was translated by the gift and
power of God. But, sir, we shall not burn the Book of Mormon, nor deny
the inspiration of the Almighty."
The Quaker then stepped to the door, and called a constable, who was
waiting there for the signal. The constable came forward, and, laying
his hand on Mr. Smith's shoulder, said, "You are my prisoner."
I entreated the officer to allow me time to get some one to become my
husband's security, but he refused. I then requested that he might be
permitted to eat the porridge which I had been preparing, as he had
taken no nourishment since the night before. This was also denied, and
the Quaker ordered my husband to get immediately into a wagon which
stood waiting to convey him to prison.
After they had taken him to the wagon, the Quaker stood over him as
guard, and the officer came back and ate up the food which I had
prepared for my husband, who sat in the burning sun, faint and sick.
I shall make no remarks in regard to my feelings on this occasion. Any
human heart can imagine how I felt. But verily, verily, those men will
have their reward.
They drove off with my husband, leaving me alone with my little girl.
The next morning, I went on foot several miles to see a friend by
the name of Abner Lackey, who, I hoped, would assist me. I was not
disappointed. He went without delay to the magistrate's office, and had
my papers prepared, so that I could get my husband out of the prison
cell, although he would still be confined in the jail yard.
Shortly after I returned home, a pert young gentleman came in, and
asked if Mr. Hyrum Smith was at home. I told him, as I had others,
that he was in Colesville. The young man said that Hyrum was owing
a small debt to Dr. McIntyre, and that he had come to collect it by
the doctor's orders, as he (McIntyre) was from home. I told the young
man that this debt was to be paid in corn and beans, which should
be sent to him the next day. I then hired a man to take the produce
the following day to the doctor's house, which was accordingly done,
and when the man returned, he informed me that the clerk agreed to
erase the account. It was now too late in the day to set out for
Canandaigua, where my husband was confined in prison, and I concluded
to defer going till the next morning, in hopes that some of my sons
would return during the interval. The night came on, but neither of
my sons made their appearance. When the night closed in, the darkness
was hideous, scarcely any object was discernible. I sat down and began
to contemplate the situation of myself and family. My husband, an
affectionate companion and tender father as ever blessed the confidence
of a family, was an imprisoned debtor, torn from his family and immured
in a dungeon, where he had already lain two dismal nights, and now
another must be added to the number, before I could reach him to render
him any assistance. And where were his children? Alvin was murdered by
a quack physician; but still he lay at peace. Hyrum was flying from
his home, and why I knew not; the secret combinations of his enemies
were not yet fully developed. Joseph had but recently escaped from
his persecutors, who sought to accomplish his destruction. Samuel was
gone, without purse or scrip, to preach the Gospel, for which he was
as much despised and hated as were the ancient disciples. William was
also gone, and, I had not, unlike Naomi, even my daughters-in-law, to
comfort my heart in this the hour of my affliction.
While I was thus meditating, a heavy rap at the door brought me
suddenly to my feet. I bade the stranger enter. He asked me, in a
hurried manner, where Hyrum was. I answered the question as usual. Just
then, a second person came in, and the first observed to a second,
"Mrs. Smith says her son is not at home." The person addressed looked
suspiciously around, and remarked, "He is at home, for your neighbors
have seen him here today." "Then, sir," I replied, "they have seen what
I have not." "We have a search warrant," rejoined he, "and if you do
not give him up, we shall be under the necessity of taking whatever
we find that belongs to him." Finding some corn stored in the chamber
above the room where Hyrum had lived, they declared their intention
of taking it, but I forbade their meddling with it. At this instant a
third stranger entered, and then a fourth. The last observed, "I do not
know, but you will think strange of so many of us coming in, but my
candle was out, and I came in to relight it by your fire." I told him I
did not know what to think. I had but little reason to consider myself
safe either day or night, and that I would like to know what their
business was, and for what cause they were seizing upon our property.
The foremost replied that it was wanted to settle a debt which Hyrum
was owing to Dr. M'Intyre. I told him that it was paid. He disputed
my word, and ordered his men to take the corn. As they were going up
stairs, I looked out of the window, and one glance almost turned my
head giddy. As far as I could see by the light of two candles and a
pair of carriage lamps, the heads of men appeared in every direction,
some on foot, some on horseback, and the rest in wagons. I saw that
there was no way but for me to sit quietly down, and see my house
pillaged by a banditti of blacklegs, religious bigots, and cut-throats,
who were united in one purpose, namely, that of destroying us from
the face of the earth. However, there was one resource, and to that I
applied. I went aside, and kneeled before the Lord, and begged that he
would not let my children fall into their hands, and that they might be
satisfied with plunder without taking life.
Just at this instant, William bounded into the house. "Mother," he
cried, "in the name of God, what is this host of men doing here? Are
they robbing or stealing? What are they about?"
I told him, in short, that they had taken his father to prison, and had
now come after Hyrum, but, not finding him, they were plundering the
house. Hereupon, William seized a large handspike, sprang up stairs,
and, in one instant, cleared the scoundrels out of the chamber. They
scampered down stairs; he flew after them, and, bounding into the very
midst of the crowd, he brandished his handspike in every direction,
exclaiming, "Away from here, you cut-throats, instantly, or I will be
the death of every one of you."
The lights were immediately extinguished, yet he continued to harangue
them boisterously, until he discovered that his audience had left him.
They seemed to believe what he said, and fled in every direction,
leaving us again to ourselves.
Between twelve and one o'clock, Calvin Stodard and his wife, Sophronia,
arrived at our house. Calvin said he had been troubled about us all
the afternoon, and, finally, about the setting of the sun, he told
Sophronia that he would even then start for her father's if she felt
inclined to go with him.
Within an hour after their arrival, Samuel came. He was much fatigued,
for he had traveled twenty one miles after sunset. I told him our
situation, and that I wished him to go early the next morning to
Canandaigua, and procure his fathers release from the dungeon. "Well,
mother," said he, "I am sick; fix me a bed, that I may lay down and
rest myself, or I shall not be able to go, for I have taken a heavy
cold, and my bones ache dreadfully."
However, by a little nursing and some rest, he was able to set off by
sunrise, and arrived at Canandaigua at ten o'clock. After informing
the jailor of his business, he requested that his father might be
immediately liberated from the cell. The jailor refused, because it was
Sunday, but permitted Samuel to go into the cell, where he found my
husband confined in the same dungeon with a man committed for murder.
Upon Samuel inquiring what his treatment had been, Mr. Smith replied as
follows:
Immediately after I left your mother, the men by whom I was taken
commenced using every possible argument to induce me to renounce
the Book of Mormon, saying, "how much better it would be for you
to deny that silly thing, than to be disgraced and imprisoned,
when you might not only escape this, but also have the note back,
as well as the money which you have paid on it." To this I made no
reply. They still went on in the same manner till we arrived at the
jail, when they hurried me into this dismal dungeon. I shuddered
when I first heard these heavy doors creaking upon their hinges;
but then I thought to myself, I was not the first man who had been
imprisoned for the truth's sake; and when I should meet Paul in the
Paradise of God, I could tell him that I, too, had been in bonds
for the Gospel which he had preached. And this has been my only
consolation.
From the time I entered until now, and this is the fourth day, I
have had nothing to eat, save a pint basin full of very weak broth;
and there [pointing to the opposite side of the cell] lies the
basin yet.
Samuel was very much wounded by this, and, having obtained permission
of the jailor, he immediately went out and brought his father some
comfortable food. After which he remained with him until the next
morning, when the business was attended to, and Mr. Smith went out
into the jail yard to a cooper's shop, where he obtained employment
at coopering, and followed the same until he was released, which was
thirty days. He preached during his confinement here every Sunday, and
when he was released he baptized two persons whom he had thus converted.