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.
can he claim Candor & magnaminity for letting off defts against whom there is not the slightest presumption of guilt— for withdrawing from this case the testimony of his three Mormon witnesses [William] Daniels & [Eliza] Graham— witnesses legally & conclusively — witness witnesses that no honest Mormon would for a moment credit— witnesses whose absurd & stultifying statements while on the stand, sent successive sensations of mirth & disgust through this audience & shocked the jury and every spectator at their utter depravity & degradation:— and for this, you are to accord to the prosecutor Candor & Magnanimity. One would Conclude that the supposed he had succeeded in his designing attempt at convincing you that by bo[a]sts & professions that he is purelyhonest, Candid & magnanimous; for, he tells you with assumed Sincerity that , & are fully proven guilty. Now, Gentlemen, before this argument commenced you and each of you had, after hearing all the witnesses, heard found no evidence of guilt in either of these defts. except, in the testimony of these <> perjured & abandoned witnesses — no man in this room found a tittle of proof of guilt from the mouth of any other witness. But, let us examine the evidence of guilt relied upon by the prosecution. tells you that there was a [p. 3]