The following affidavit was taken:
Affidavit: John P. Greene—Joseph H. Jackson,—Threatens Prophet's Life.
STATE OF ILLINOIS, HANCOCK CO.,
CITY OF NAUVOO. ss.
June 21st, 1844.—Personally appeared John P. Greene before me, Willard Richards, recorder of said city; and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on or about the 27th day of May, 1844, while at Hamilton's tavern, in Carthage, county aforesaid, in company with Joseph Smith and others, Robert D. Foster called deponent into a private room, and there and then said, "For God's sake, don't suffer that man, Joseph Smith, to go out of doors; for if he steps outside of the door his blood will be spilt;" to which statement deponent replied he had no such fears; when said Foster confirmed said statements with considerable emotion, and said he knew that Smith could not go out of doors, but his blood would be spilt.
Deponent asked Foster who would do it. Foster said he would not tell; but he knew the proud spirit of Jackson, that he would not be insulted, and that he would kill Joseph Smith if he had to die on the spot; and there were many others in Carthage who would assist to do the same thing. Joseph H. Jackson was in the house below at the time.
A day or two previous to the above conversation, while at Carthage aforesaid, deponent heard Joseph H. Jackson say that Joseph Smith was the damnedest rascal in the world, and he would be damned if he did not take vengeance on him, if he had to follow him to the Rocky Mountains; and said Jackson made many more such like threats against Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith.
JOHN P. GREENE.
Sworn and subscribed this 21st day of June, 1844, before me,
[Seal]
WILLARD RICHARDS,
Recorder of the city of Nauvoo.
And as this affidavit confirms what was told me in Carthage, I made the following affidavit:
Affidavit: Joseph Smith—Conspiracy Against Affiant's Life.
STATE OF ILLINOIS,
COUNTY OF HANCOCK. ss.
CITY OF NAUVOO, June 21st, 1844.
Personally appeared Joseph Smith before me, Willard Richards, recorder of the City of Nauvoo; and after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that while at Hamilton's tavern at Carthage, in the county aforesaid, on or about the 27th day of May, 1844, whither deponent had gone to transact business in the Circuit Court of the county aforesaid, Charles A. Foster took deponent into a private room, and told deponent there was a conspiracy against the life of deponent, and that deponent had not better go out of doors. If he did, his blood would be shed. Foster said he was deponent's friend, and did not want to see bloodshed.
JOSEPH SMITH.
[Seal]
Sworn and subscribed this 21st day of June, 1844, before me,
WILLARD RICHARDS,
Recorder of the City of Nauvoo.
I instructed my clerks, Willard Richards, William Clayton, Thomas Bullock and John McEwan, to prepare all necessary papers and affidavits ready to be sent to the Governor tomorrow morning.
Joseph Jackson made the two following affidavits:
Affidavit: Joseph Jackson—Francis M. Higbee's Threat to Kill the Prophet.
STATE OF ILLINOIS,
CITY OF NAUVOO. ss
On the 21st day of June, 1844, came before me, W. W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court, Joseph Jackson: and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that on Tuesday, the 11th instant, he was in Nauvoo, when Francis M. Higbee, while speaking of the destruction of the printing press, said he was very sorry, for the proprietors had set up that press for the destruction of the city, and that he meant to kill Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith; and he saith no further.
JOSEPH JACKSON.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 21st day of June, 1844.
WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.
Affidavit: Joseph Jackson—Reporting Mob at Pilot Grove.
STATE OF ILLINOIS,
CITY OF NAUVOO. ss
On the 21st day of June, 1844, came before me, W. W. Phelps, clerk of the Mayor's Court for said city, Joseph Jackson; and after being duly sworn, deposeth and saith, that on the 19th day of June instant, at his residence near Pilot Grove, in the afternoon, about twenty-four persons fired about twenty-six guns at him, and that the balls whistled close by his head. Thus this mob, of which John McKay was one, fired about one hundred guns, but not all at your affiant; and that this mob was very noisy, cursing and swearing that they would kill every damned Mormon; and he says no further.
JOSEPH JACKSON.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 21st day of June, 1844.
WILLIAM W. PHELPS, Clerk M. C.
At 7 p.m. James Emmett went by order of the Sergeant of the Guard at the Stone House to the Major-General and reported the crew of the Maid of Iowa for firing five guns contrary to orders, which were, that any firing of guns was an alarm.
After the news had reached the city of the Governor's arrival at Carthage, an express was sent to Keokuk to stop an express which I had sent to the Governor at Springfield before I had learned of his arrival at Carthage.
An officer of the United States army, having arrested a deserter, came to Nauvoo, and stayed at my house all night.