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.
— to prepare them for scenes of blood & to impell them on to the slaughter of the Smiths, the crowd that was there would have assembled around the speaker & every one of them would have heard his Speech & would have known & remembered what he said & every word would have <been> too thoroughly riveted upon their minds ever to be forgotten;— there would have been no shooting at marks going on— no pastime—, no irregular & desultory Conversations — no talking of <a> public dinner that day at ;— there would have been an intense interest pervading the whole troops— deep feeling & attention would have marked the occasion— high excitement & alarm would have called forth their whole thought & every word & jesture of such a declaimer would have been noted & remembered by hundreds.— <Payton> & George Walker would have been able to have told you what said, the substance of his whole speech— the evident object & design of it & Eli Walker would have known that such a Speech was made; for you he was present & saw & heard what was going on. Now, Gentlemen, these circumstances are wholly irreconcilable with the <belief> befief that any such speech was there made by any body; for you do know if any such a speech had been made [p. 8]