Account of Trial, [, Hancock Co., IL], 24–28 May 1845, State of IL v. Williams et al. (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1845); handwriting of ; 101 pages; Wilford Wood Museum, Bountiful, UT; images in Joseph Smith Murder Trial Papers, 1844–1845, CHL.
night— Did not see any of these men when I returned— I heard it very often said among drinking men and notorious loafers <and cowards> among the Crowd, that they would kill the Smith’s— but these men were from other counties, and did go away,— my opinion is that such men were of no account to King or Country— I think no better of them than <I do> of the Mormons— I do not know whether the guns of the guard at the jail were loaded with blank cartridges or not— not Cross-ex.
Was Captain at that time, and had been during the excitement here— it was not a regular company— I do not now recollect how many men my company was company <composed of> was thinks about 30. or 40— I had my commission from — we were rangers— and my business was to scour the Country— knows of no arrangement between the Carthage Greys and the murderers that they were coming here to kill the Smiths— I left that day about 3 oclock— p. m. thinks recollects seeing & in town before I left— thinks he saw , and [William] Grover— Not one word was said to me by these men to go out towards to keep watch— Three of us went out to see if we could see any Strangers or any thing unusual or going on in the point of timber or out in the prarie in that direction— I went at my [p. 40]