Declaration, circa 7 May 1844 [JS et al. v. C. B. Street and M. B. Street]
Source Note
Bachman & Skinner on behalf of JS, , , , and the estate of , Declaration, , IL, ca. [7] May 1844, JS et al. v. C. B. Street and M. B. Street (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1846); handwriting of ; docket by , [, IL, ca. 7 May 1844]; notation by , [, Hancock Co., IL], 8 May 1844; ten pages; photocopy in Historical Department, Materials Received from Mark W. Hofmann, CHL.
In 1982, the Church Historical Department (now CHL) acquired this document from Mark Hofmann. As was later discovered, Hofmann forged many early church history and Americana manuscripts and altered authentic documents to increase their market value; he also dealt in authentic manuscripts. In 1986, church representatives offered documents received from Hofmann to the courthouses or local government agencies where they may have originated, and this document was returned to the circuit court. A collection was created in 1995 to collate forged and suspect documents acquired from Hofmann directly or indirectly through other donors and included both manuscripts and photocopies of documents that were returned to government institutions in 1986. Since there is no provenance information definitively dating this document prior to its possession by Hofmann and there is no indication the document underwent forensic testing, it cannot be conclusively authenticated.
ing, to wit, in dry goods, groceries, Hardware, flour at two dollars per hundred, meal at twenty five cents per bushel, oats at twenty one cents per bushel, pork at five cents per pound cows or meat cattle, in such quan[ti]ties of said merchandize and produce as the said Joseph Smith, and the said since deceased should require which period has now elapsed; and the said Charles B. Street and Marvin <B.> Street under the style of the said firm of “C. B. & M. B. Street” and the said Robert F. Smith by then and there in consideration of the premises promised promised to pay the amount of the said note to the said Joseph Smith, , , and the said since deceased according to the tenor and effect thereof; and the plaintiffs aver that they <duly> demanded and were ready and willing to receive payment of the said note according to the terms thereof, to wit, on the day and year the same became due, to wit, on the first day of June A D 1841, and on divers other days and times after that day and before the commencement of this suit, at the place of payment thereof, to wit, at in said County of Hancock; Yet the defendants not regarding their said promises have not paid the said note nor any part thereof but, so to do have hitherto, wholly neglected and refused [p. [2]]