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Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 September 1841

Source Note

, on behalf of JS, Statement of Expenses, , Hancock Co., IL, to [], deputy sheriff of , IL, 30 Sept. 1841; handwriting of ; Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, Chicago History Museum, ICHi-173701-004. Includes address, postal stamps, postal notation, docket, and archival marking.
Bifolium measuring 10⅝ × 79/16 inches (27 × 19 cm). The letter was written on the recto of the first leaf. The bifolium was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, sealed with an adhesive wafer, and mailed from , Illinois. At an unknown time, “6824” was inscribed in ink on the top left corner of the first page, “69” was written in pencil on the top right corner of the first page, and “70” was written in pencil in the top left corner of the last page.
The letter is part of a collection of manuscripts and printed material about Latter-day Saints accumulated by the Chicago Historical Society (now Chicago History Museum) over several decades. The Society purchased a majority of the collection from the estate of Charles Gunther in the 1920s, while other portions were gifts from Henry Asbury, Otto L. Schmidt, and others. The collection was cataloged in 1962, and its register was later revised.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Register for Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, 1832–1954, Chicago History Museum.

    Kirtland Safety Society. Stock Ledger, 1836–1837. Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, 1832–1954, Chicago History Museum. Copy at CHL.

Historical Introduction

On 30 September 1841 in , Illinois, JS produced a statement of expenses addressed to the deputy sheriff of , Illinois. The expenses were incurred nearly three months earlier, in June 1841, when JS was arrested in to be extradited to . Before Missouri governor left office in November 1840, he issued a requisition to Illinois governor to extradite JS as a fugitive from justice on charges of treason, burglary, and murder. On 5 June, as JS was returning to Nauvoo from a brief trip to , Illinois, he was arrested in , Illinois, by , the deputy sheriff of Adams County. After obtaining a writ of in Quincy, JS was ordered to appear a few days later for a hearing in , Illinois. On 6 June, officers escorted JS to Nauvoo and remained with him there until he departed for Monmouth on 7 June. Though scheduled for 8 June, the hearing was delayed until 9 June. After several witnesses testified on JS’s behalf, counsel on both sides argued the legality of the case until late that night. The next day, judge ruled that the warrant and arrest were invalid and ordered the release of JS. Still, the episode had cost JS and several others significant time and expense.
JS apparently assigned , a clerical assistant, to produce a statement of expenses JS had incurred during the arrest and trial. The statement included an itemized list of expenditures and a request for reimbursement. The statement was mailed through the post office 15 October 1841. No response from the deputy sheriff has been identified, nor is it clear if JS received any reimbursement.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    In 1838, JS was indicted in Missouri for multiple criminal offenses related to the 1838 Missouri conflict. The June 1841 arrest was the first attempt to extradite JS based on these earlier charges.

  2. [2]

    Requisition for JS, 1 Sept. 1840, State of Missouri v. JS for Treason (Warren Co. Cir. Ct. 1841), JS Extradition Records, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IL.

  3. [3]

    “The Late Proceedings,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:447–449; see also “Joe Smith Arrested,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 9 June 1841, [2].

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  4. [4]

    In a letter to one of his creditors, JS complained of the disruption and the expenses caused by the ordeal. (Letter to Smith Tuttle, 9 Oct. 1841.)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 September 1841
Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [1]

September 30th 1841
The of
The following is a statement of my expenses, costs and liabilities, consequent upon my arrest and trial while in your custody
to wit:— in June last
 
To Amount of fees to Esquires , & Co 250.—
Little, Williams, Walker & 100—
7 Days for self, Horse and Carriage $5— 35—
Money expended during that time— —consequent upon the arrest— 60—
12 Witnesses, to wit: , , , , , , , and , four days each, their time carriages & horses & expenses— at $5. ea. Day— 240—
$685.—
Dear Sir, you will please take such measures as to put me in possession of the above amount which is justly due me as above Stated, to say nothing of false imprisonment— Would have been presented earlier but for the sickness & death of my Clk. Receive my respects &c—
Joseph Smith
pr. [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 September 1841
ID #
7010
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:280–283
Handwriting on This Page
  • John S. Fullmer

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Judge James Ralston was a member of the Illinois state senate. Calvin Warren served as master in chancery for Adams County. Both men were members of the law firm Ralston, Warren & Wheat. Warren helped JS obtain a writ of habeas corpus for the June hearing. (Palmer, Bench and Bar of Illinois, 2:875; “Joe Smith Arrested,” Warsaw [IL] Signal, 9 June 1841, [2]; “The Late Proceedings,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:447; Oaks and Hill, Carthage Conspiracy, 54; Advertisement, Wasp, 16 Apr. 1842, [3]; see also Historical Introduction to Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 31 Aug. 1841.)

    Palmer, John M., ed. The Bench and Bar of Illinois. 2 vols. Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1899.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Oaks, Dallin H., and Marvin S. Hill. Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1975.

  2. [2]

    Orville Browning was an Illinois state representative and lawyer who served as a principal member of JS’s legal counsel at the trial. (“Letter from the Editor,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:449.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  3. [3]

    After suffering from symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis, Thompson died on 27 August 1841. (Letter to Oliver Granger, 30 Aug. 1841; “Death of Col. Robert B. Thompson,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:519.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

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