Scope and Contents

One handwritten court record. The item is a copy made in 1860 by William N. Keeny, clerk of Geauga County, of the original court record dated 1839. The Halsted Haines Co. sued Joseph Smith (1805-1844), Hyrum Smith, Olivery Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, Brigham Young, and other Mormon Church leaders for redress in connection with questionable business practices. Since the defendants failed to appear when summoned, the plaintiffs were awarded $2337.35 plus expenses.

Scope and Contents Photocopy of holograph account of the murder of Joseph Smith (1805-1844) and his brother Hyrum (1800-1844) on June 27, 1844. Jones was with the Smiths in the Carthage jail the night before they were killed. He was involved in carrying messages to and from Joseph and in appealing to Illinois officials for greater protection for the two men. Jones relates some comments verbatim made by Joseph that indicate he had a premonition of death, as well as remarks by the mob. He also tells of the...

Scope and Contents

Contains miscellaneous notes, correspondence, newspaper articles, several drafts of the book, footnotes, bibliographic notes, and photographs. Many of the items were gathered from the Hancock County courthouse. Materials were compiled between approximately 1970 and 1975 for the production of the book Carthage Conspiracy.

Scope and Contents Photocopied typescript of an autobiography. In 1882 when Woods was "upwards of eighty years of age" he was interviewed for several weeks probably by Edgar R. Harlan with a stenographer present who wrote down the conversations. These materials were later condensed and pertinent portions were woven into a narrative. As a lawyer in Iowa, Woods was involved in many legal actions of that state. Woods was hired by Joseph Smith (1805-1844) to serve as his counselor when he and his brother Hyrum...