Account of Trial, , Hancock Co., IL, 21–28 May 1845, State of IL v. Williams et al. (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1845). Transcribed from shorthand [before 24 Aug. 1858]; handwriting of and Daniel Mackintosh; 106 pages; Report of the Trial of the Murderers of Joseph Smith, 1845, CHL.
Jessie Griffiths, Solomon J. Hill, Gilmor Callison, Frederick M. Walton, Silas Griffiths, they were accordingly sworn,
The were then instructed by the , to provide for the Jurors, a comfortable lodging, Meat and Drink and such other things necessary to their comfort, and not to suffer any person or persons to converse with them individually, or collectively, neither suffer them individually or collectively to converse with any person or persons, except through the Elizors, neither to converse with each other untill the trial is brought to a close, the empaneling of the Jury, consumed Thursday and Friday, Court adjourned untill Saturday morning at Seven O’clock.
Saturday morning May 24th. Court opened pursuant to adjournment
read the to the Jury (see Inditements) after which he opened the case by the following speech.
You are here called upon to Judge a truly extraordinary case; it is extraordinary on account of the peculiar Celebracy of the person killed, and on account of the peculiar circumstances, attending the killing of this man, and that has attended the whole account throughout this and the adjoining Country, the Case is one of peculiar interest, and vast importance to the whole , to it public attention is directed from every part, the eyes of the whole is upon us, it has not only excited a feeling of considerable interest among the people of the , but throughout the civilized world, [p. [5]]