down upon the quailing guards, whose weapons dropped to the ground, whose
knees smote together." The ruffians instantly became still, and were very
glad when a change of guard came so that they could get away.

General Clark tried hard to find some law by which he could have Joseph
tried by an army court, but he failed in this and therefore he handed the
prisoners over to the civil authorities.

Another farce of a trial was now had. About forty men, mostly apostates,
testified against the prisoners. The brethren had no witnesses, and when
the mobber Bogart was sent to Far West for some, he simply arrested them
and put them in prison. The result of the hearing was that Joseph Smith,
Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin
were sent to Liberty, Clay county, to jail. Parley P. Pratt and others were
to remain in Richmond jail, while some others were released.

Joseph with his fellow-prisoners remained in Liberty jail from November 28,
1838, to April 6, 1839. During all this time they suffered the hardships of
prison life, together with abuses not usually imposed on common prisoners.
It is claimed by some that they were offered human flesh to eat. During
this time of trial Joseph was cheerful and told the brethren they would get
out safe. He wrote many letters of instruction to the Saints, bidding them
to be faithful to their religion. The brethren who were at liberty were not
idle. They were appealing continually to the judges and the governor for
justice for their brethren, but it was of little use. At one hearing,
Sidney Rigdon was released but he had to go back to jail for a time because
the mob threatened to kill him.

Seeing that it was useless trying to be released lawfully the brethren
decided to try to escape. The evening of February 7, 1839, when the guard