The kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the Saints of the Most High.
When it appeared clear that the prisoners believed in the Bible and in this particular part of it, their treason was established. The judge so decided in express terms and he then committed them; and as General Doniphan, who was present, remarked:
If a cohort of angels were to come down and declare the innocence of the prisoners it would be all the same; for King has determined from the beginning to throw them into prison.
King and Burch, the judge and prosecuting attorney, had sat in Lucas's secret tribunal in Far West which had sentenced the brethren to be shot; and they were anxious to take this new opportunity to wreak their vengeance. In open court the judge stated that there was no law to protect "Mormons" in the state of Missouri, and he was bound to aid the Governor's edict of extermination.
The prisoners had been kept in chains during the examination; and in chains they stood to hear the judgment of the court. It was that Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, Caleb Baldwin, and Sidney Rigdon be imprisoned in the jail of Clay County until delivered therefrom by due course of law. The others who were held were retained in Richmond jail.
Thus was the charge of treason maintained in that day; and upon the same grounds it has been repeated against the Saints down to the present time, for they still continue to believe that the Bible is the word of God.
Joseph and his companions were carried to Liberty, Clay County, in irons. As they entered the town considerable excitement prevailed among people desirous to view them. Arrived at the jail, they descended from the vehicle and walked up the steps to a landing or platform in front of the entrance of the prison building. Joseph wore a suit of black and had a cloak of dark colored material hanging on his arm. Hyrum followed him and the others stood close around. The gaze of the spectators was concentrated upon Joseph, and his majestic air made a deep impression upon them. One lady in the crowd cried: "Their Prophet looks like a gentleman!" Another looking at the group expressed the opinion: "Well, they are fine looking men if they are Mormons."
It was on the 30th day of November, 1838, that they were incarcerated in Liberty jail; and at once an order was made to cut off all communication between them and their friends, while every effort was put forth to drive away or frighten any witnesses whose testimony might be desirable for the defendants. And at the same time the threat went out through all that region that if judges or juries or courts of any kind should clear the prisoners, they would be slaughtered.
After a little time the rule concerning communications was relaxed, and Joseph was able to write to his brethren. In one of his letters, dated from Liberty jail, December 16th, 1838, he said:
But we want you to remember Haman and Mordecai: you know Haman could not be satisfied so long as he saw Mordecai at the king's gate, and he sought the life of Mordecai and the people of the Jews. But the Lord so ordered it, that Haman was hanged upon his own gallows. So shall it come to pass with poor Haman in the last days. Those who have sought by unbelief and wickedness, and by the principle of mobocracy, to destroy us and the people of God, by killing them and scattering them abroad, and wilfully and maliciously delivering us into the hands of murderers, desiring us to be put to death, thereby having us dragged about in chains and cast into prison, and for what cause? It is because we were honest men, and were determined to save the lives of the Saints at the expense of our own. I say unto you, that those who have thus vilely treated us like Haman, shall be hanged on their own gallows; or in other words, shall fall into their own gin and snare, and ditch and trap, which they have prepared for us, and shall go backwards and stumble and fall, and their names shall be blotted out, and God shall reward them according to all their abominations.
The people were making their preparations to leave the state; but in the meantime they addressed a memorial and petition to the legislature of Missouri, setting forth the wrongs and outrages committed upon them. These appeals were presented, but after an angry discussion they were laid upon the table. At the same time an appropriation of $200,000 was made to the mob to pay them for their crimes against the Saints.