Memorandum of Testimony, circa 27 October 1844 [State of Illinois v. Williams et al.]
Source Note
John J. Hicok and James Reynolds, Memorandum of Testimony, [], IL, ca. [27] Oct. 1844, State of IL v. Williams et al. (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1845); handwriting presumably of John J. Hicok; signatures of John J. Hicok and James Reynolds; four pages; CCLA.
I was offered $2.500 to come <if I> would leave the so as not to testify against the men who killed the Smiths $1.500 in money & $1.000 in real estate in . This was made me in . I do not expect to receive any remuneration for coming hear to give testimony. I have never been offered any thing to come and testify against the men who killed the Smiths.
, Sworn before the Grand Jury, says, that he drove one of <the> Bagage waggons, that left for (or ) on the morning of the day the Smiths was killed in . When they got to the Railroad Shanty, at the Railroad, the troops ware disbanded he said he would not drive the waggon back to , Capt [William] Grover <had a consultation with> Mr Fuller the man that I was to worked for, and who owned the team I was driving. And Mr Fuller agreed to take the baggage to for Capt Grover, and Grover was to pay Six dollars, Mr Fuller Sat me to driving drive the team, Capt Grover Said he wanted to go to to See the , to ascertain why the disbanded the troops with the arm in their possession as he (Grover) had given security for them , Then waggons & men went on together towards I was about the middle, of the procession, a Carthage Gray met us and took & Henry Stephens out to one side and ta[l]ked with them, Carthage Grey said if you are a going to do any thing now is the time, do not Know it was Carthage Gray was told so, first I saw the Carthage <Gray> he was talking with & Stephens, they kept the road some distance farther, and then the men tur[n]ed to the left along a hollow, Grover said “they <waggons> ne[e]d not be in hurry about Getting in to Carthage, they had better keep 1/2 mile a part,[”] had two Gallons of whiskey in my waggon, besides a pint bottle full the Guard had, I asked the Guard that was placed over my waggon what that the Carthage Grey me[a]nt, he at first would not tell, but after as a while said they ware a going to take Jo Smith to and hang him. I stop[p]ed and fed my horses, then went on, got within a mile of the Jail, saw men coming out the wo[o]ds, go along the fence [p. [3]]