They were received by the jailer, Mr. George W. Stigall, and put into the criminal's cell; but he afterwards gave them the debtors' apartment, where the prisoners and their friends had amusing conversations on various interesting subjects, which engaged them till late. Prayer was offered, which made Carthage prison into the gate of heaven for a while. They laid promiscuously on the floor, where they all slept from 11:30 until 6 a.m. of the 26th.
Counselor H. T. Reid, in his published statement, writes as follows: "The recitals of the mittimus, so far as they relate to the prisoners, having been brought before the justice for trial, and it there appearing that the necessary witnesses of the prosecution were absent, are wholly untrue, unless the prisoners could have appeared before the justice, without being present in person or by counsel; nor is there any law of Illinois which permits a justice to commit persons charged with crimes to jail, without examination as to the probability of their guilt."
Footnotes:
[1]. This was Captain Dunn, of Augusta township, who had been sent to Nauvoo a few days before to collect the state arms at Nauvoo, and who afterwards escorted the Prophet and his friends into Carthage.
CHAPTER XXX.
INTERVIEW IN CARTHAGE PRISON BETWEEN GOVERNOR FORD AND THE PROPHET—TAYLOR'S REPORT OF THE INTERVIEW—TESTIMONY TO THE EXISTENCE OF A CARTHAGE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE PROPHET'S LIFE.
Wednesday, June 26, 1844; 7 a.m.—Joseph, Hyrum, and the rest of the brethren, took breakfast with Stigall, and were then removed to the room upstairs.
Dr. Southwick went to see the Governor.
Messages to the Governor