“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—'He was murdered in cold blood.’”
Hyrum also knew of their doom, for on the morning just before leaving for the murderous prison he turned down the leaf of the fifth chapter of the Book of Ether, which reads as follows:
“And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me, if they have not charity, it mattereth not unto you, thou hast been faithful; wherefore, thy garments are clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even to the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my father. And now I —— bid farewell unto the gentiles; yea, and also until my brethren whom, I love, [and all who knew him well knew of his mercy and benevolence], until we shall meet before the judgment seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.”
They were innocent of crime, as had been proven many, many times. It was a conspiracy of “traitors and wicked men,” and their blood, as I saw it on the floor of Carthage jail in 1844, soon after their martyrdom, and again in 1888, is still there as a witness against the murderers.
The jail is now transformed into a comfortable private residence, and is occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Mathews Browning, her husband having deeded it to her. Many years ago the county sold the premises to Mr. B. F. Patterson, subsequently he sold it to Mr. Jas. M. Browning, who in turn deeded it to his wife. While being shown around the premises, in its varied parts, by Mrs. Browning, we came to where the well curb once stood, which is now substituted by a bed of lilies of the valley, being assured that the spot [p.47] will ever be held in remembrance. The house has an addition of an east wing, and the rude fence has been remodeled into a nice picket fence. Just prior to leaving Carthage, the kind lady of the house took us up stairs, where the mob entered. We saw the bullet hole through the door. Although repaired somewhat, we saw where the bullet went that killed Hyrum. Other bullet marks were also visible. Although the floor was carpeted, we were assured by Mrs. Browning that the blood stain still remains, and cannot be washed away.
At the time of the Prophet’s martyrdom, many marveled why Joseph was taken away from the Church; but since that time we have learned that it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to them by whom they come. God suffered his Son Jesus to be crucified. It was necessary to accomplish certain ends. Many have marveled because of his death, but it was needful that he should seal his testimony with his blood, that he might be honored and the wicked be condemned. When Mr. O. H. Browning, pleading for the Prophet, gave a recitation of what he himself had seen at Quincy, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River (when the Saints were expelled from Missouri), so sad were the scenes depicted that the spectators were moved into tears. Judge Douglass himself and most of the officers wept. In conclusion, Mr. Browning said:
“Great God! have I not seen it? Yes, my eyes have beheld the blood-stained traces of innocent women and children in the drear winter, who have traveled hundreds of miles barefoot, through frost and snow, to seek refuge from their savage pursuers. ‘Twas a scene of horror sufficient to elicit sympathy from an adamantine heart. And shall this unfortunate man, whom their fury has seen proper to select for sacrifice, be driven into such a savage land and none dare to enlist in the cause of justice? If there was no other voice under heaven ever to be heard in this cause, gladly would I stand alone and proudly spend my last breath in defense of an oppressed American citizen.”
Judge Douglass dismissed Joseph on the 10th of June, 1841. Again in May, 1843, he was kidnapped in Dixon, Ill., but before his enemies succeeded in dragging him over the line into Missouri, he obtained the aid of three lawyers, who finally secured his release on habeas corpus. While in custody, Mr. Reynolds of Missouri several times cocked his pistol on Joseph, threatening to shoot. The latter bared his breast, saying:
“Shoot away! I have endured so much I am weary of life; kill me, if you please.”
After repeated failures to have him executed in a legal way, his enemies said: