Complaint, 12 September 1838 [State of Missouri v. JS et al. for Riot]
Source Note
, Complaint, before Philip Covington, [, MO], [, MO], 12 Sept. 1838, State of MO v. JS et al. for Riot (Daviess Co., MO, Justice of the Peace Court 1838); handwriting of Philip Covington; signature of ; certified by Philip Covington; docket by Philip Covington, [, MO], [12 Sept. 1838]; notation by , , MO, 8 Oct. 1838; two pages; Historical Department, Nineteenth-Century Legal Documents Collection, CHL.
being sworn sayeth that on the Eight day of August last 1838 that his hous ware [were] approach by 17 men well armed and caled him to his Fence and demanded of him to sign a obligation which he considered no no Free me[n] ot [ought] to have don[e] <don> they threatened his life if he did not signe it and he refused and after some considerable chat they left his house and after about one half our they returned with about 150 men well armed with guns swordes and pistel and approched his house and Surroun Surrounded it and droveto head by Joseph Smith and and drew out a pease of paper and said that they had come to be plaine with me if I did not sign it Inst death would insue and at the same time said that intende[d] to make all of th the sivel [civil] and mellithia [militia] officers it sign it they als[o] thethen [threatened] the lives of some indivdels [individuals] and said that they would not be Goverend by the Sivel law and part of the above band ware by the names as follows to wit Ephraim Owens [Owen] John Woods Riley Steward [Stewart] Ephraim Tubbs James Nelson
Sworn and subscribed to before me the undersigned Justice of the Peace this 12th day of September 1838