| 410 Convinced now that recourse to the Courts of Jackson County would be unavailing their next step was to appeal to the President of the United States for protection, in their homes, after they should be reinstated by the Governor. On April 10 the following petition was forwarded to President Jackson:-
"Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, April 10, 1834.
"To the President of the United States of America:-We, the undersigned, your petitioners, Citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the County of Clay, in the State of Missouri, being members of the Church of Christ, reproachfully called Mormons, beg leave to refer the President to our former petition, dated in October last, and also to lay before him the accompanying handbill, dated December 12, 1833, with assurances that the said handbill exhibits but a faint sketch of the sufferings of your petitioners and their brethren up to the period of its publication.
"The said handbill shows that at the time of dispersion, a number of our families fled into the new and unsettled county of Van Buren, but being unable to procure provisions
February, 1834, in the county of Jackson, and State of Missouri, a company of men, armed with whips and guns, about fifty or sixty in number, came to the house of my husband; among them was John Youngs Mr. Yocum, Mr. Cantrell, Mr. Patterson, and Mr. Noland. Five of the number entered the house, among them was John Youngs. They ordered my husband to leave the house, threatening to shoot him if he did not. He not complying with their desires, one of the five took a chair and struck him upon the head, knocking him down, and then dragging him out of the house, I in the meantime begging of them to spare his life, when one of the number called to the others telling them to take me into the house, for I would "over power every devil of them," Three of the company then approached me, and presenting their guns, declared with an oath, if I did not go in they would blow me through. While this was transpiring, Mr. Patterson jumped upon my husband with his heels; my husband then got up, they stripped his clothes all from him excepting his pantaloons, then five or six attacked him with whips and gunsticks, and whipped him till he could not stand but fell to the ground. I then went to them and took their whips from them. I then called for Mrs. Bruce, who lived in the same house with us, to come out and help me to carry my husband into the house. When carried in he was very much lacerated and bruised, and unable to lie upon a bed, and was also unable to work for a number of months. Also, at the same time and place, Mr. Josiah Sumner was taken from the house, and came in very bloody and bruised from whipping.
(Signed) Abigail Leonard,
-Times add Seasons, vol. 6, p. 1023.
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