Minutes and Testimonies, 12–29 November 1838, Copy [State of Missouri v. Gates et al. for Treason]
Source Note
Minutes and Testimonies, , Ray Co., MO, 12–29 Nov. 1838, State of MO v. Gates et al. for Treason (Fifth Judicial Circuit of MO 1838). Copied ca. late 1838–ca. early 1839; unidentified handwriting; fifty-seven pages; Mormon War Papers, MSA.
again practicing their former course— while this wi[c]kedness was going on in and his gang were writing letters to in order to distroy the character of every person they thought were standing in their way And and were assisting to prepare the way to throw Confusion among the Saints of . During the full career of and 's Bogus money business it got abroad into the wo[r]ld that they were engaged in it, and several gentlemen were preparing to commence a prosecution against . He finding it out took with him and fled to with their familys: stealing a property and bringing it with him; which has within a few weeks past been obtained by the owners by means of a search Warrent and he was saved from the Penitintiary by the influance of two influntial men of this place. He also brought notes with him upon which he had received pay and had promised to destroy them since here he made an attempt to sell them to of . And on his arrival reported that he had a note of One thousand dollars against a principal man in this Church when it is a fact that it was a palpable falsehood and had no such thing— and he did it for the purpose of injuring his character.
Shortly after and left for they were followed by , on whose arrival a general system of slander and abuse was commenced by you all for the purpose of destroying the Characters of certain individuals whose influance and strict [p. [21]]