Docket Entry, between 10 February and circa 5 May 1843 [State of Illinois v. Olney]
Source Note
Docket Entry, [, Hancock Co., IL], [between 10 Feb. and ca. 5 May 1843], State of IL v. Olney (Nauvoo, IL, Mayor’s Court 1843); in Nauvoo Mayor’s Court Docket Book, 45–50; handwriting of ; CHL.
The Mayor stated that the <Court> was ready to hear any Statements that might think proper to make. the Prisoner, then stated as follows, to wit:
I went to that Store, took out all the Goods, and no person with me, not the first Person knows of the taking of the Goods but myself. I was alone, and done it out of sheer necessity. knows no more about it than the babe unborn. All taken by myself from the Store of on Mulholland Street, on 23rd. January last. not all carried to my house that night. took only a little piece from the Store, into a field. got in by the Window after Ten at night. bored in, only through a light board, and took off the boards. the goods were kept in my house since. they were just as they are now. no person was frequenting my house. it was after ten at night. no persons moving about. carried them at about seven or eight times, under my arm. I cut off the making of a couple of gowns for my little Girls, and cut them out, and the Girls made them. I told I got it at . I did not sell any goods to nay person. have no Wife nor any person to keep house but my little girls. live in a part of the house that the prosecutor lives in. only a partition Wall between us. got flannel made into Shirts by Mrs. Roberts. the reason I took the goods was, because I was out of clothing. did not intend to sell them, had not made up my mind. intended to use them for myself. no teachings were ever received by me from the Church of latter day Saints, to induce or influence me to steal these goods. Joseph Smith the Mayor told me the influences I was working under were false, unfounded, and of the devil. I took those goods from the Store of , on Mulholland Street in the City of . I bored the board and took it off the Window, entered the Store, took the Goods and returned with them into the Street, through the Window. The board was nailed or fastened to the window. it was between nine oClock at night, and one oClock in the morning. I have kept the same goods in my house since they were taken by me from the Store, until they were taken by the officers. I entered the Store and took the Goods in January 1843, & the goods that are now here, and were taken from me by the officers, are the same Goods I took from the Store with the exception of a few Articles which I had used before the officer took the Goods. The fifty Dollar Bill here produced, on the Bank of Alabama, is the same Bill I took from the Store amongst the Goods. I found it in a Wallet amongst the Goods, and the Wallet now produced is the same Wallet in which I found the Bill, with other Papers which I burned. I went to that Store & I took them things out of that Store. no person knows any thing about them things but me. I destroyed the papers.