Closing Argument of Onias Skinner, 29 May 1845, Copy [State of Illinois v. Williams et al.]
Source Note
, Closing Argument, [, Hancock Co., IL], 29 May [1845], State of IL v. Williams et al. (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1845). Copied [29 May–20 June 1845]; handwriting of and printed text; thirty-one pages; Wilford Wood Museum, Bountiful, UT; images in Joseph Smith Murder Trial Papers, 1844–1845, CHL.
Gentlemen, before you can find the defts guilty it must be clearly proved th◊◊ <that> there was a at the Shanties, formed and entered into to kill the Smiths;— that, these this same Conspiracy did kill them; and that these defts. formed a part of that Conspiracy & plan[n]ed, aided & in Consumating the design of that Conspiracy. 1st. you know there is no evidence of the existence of a conspiracy for that or any other purpose. Men engaged in the amusements of shooting at marks & planning a public dinner at , could not have been planning & forming a conspiracy, deliberatly & coolly for — nor could they have been excited to the fury of a mob & ripe to burst forth into open rebellion. 2d. There is no evidence that these defts did an act that would identify them with the Conspiracy if, one was there formed. 3d. There is no evidence that the troops, or the troops that were at the Shanties did kill the Smiths. The case attempted to be made out by the prosecution is entirely founded upon supposed circumstances. tells you that these defts were at the Shanties with the troops at 12, O’clock M.— that they were at at the time the Smiths were killed— that a body of armed men came to the jail about 5, O’clock P. M. & did the act— that a large number of men the same night took supper at [p. 16]