| 283 directed to nobody, containing anything our enemies were disposed to write. . . .
"After much legislation, disputation, controversy, and angry speechifying, as the papers of Missouri published at the time abundantly testify, the petition and memorial were laid on the table until the July following: thus utterly refusing to grant the memorialists their request, thereby refusing to investigate the subject.
"After we were cast into prison we heard nothing but threatenings, that if any judge or jury or court of any kind should clear any of us we should never get out of the State alive.
"The State appropriated two thousand dollars to be distributed among the people of Daviess and Caldwell, the 'Mormons' of Caldwell not exempted. The people of Daviess thought they could live on 'Mormon' property and did not want their thousand, consequently it was pretended to be given to those of Caldwell. Judge Cameron, Mr. McHenry, and others attended to the distribution. Judge Cameron would drive in the brethren's hogs (many of which were identified) and shoot them down in the streets; and without further bleeding and half dressing they were cut up and distributed by McHenry to the poor, at a charge of four and five cents per pound; which, together with a few pieces of refuse goods, such as calicoes at double and treble price, soon consumed the two thousand dollars; doing the brethren very little good, or in reality none, as the property destroyed by them was equal to what they gave the saints.
"The proceedings of the legislature were warmly opposed by a minority of the House, among whom were D. R. Atchison, of Clay County, and all the members from St. Louis, and Messrs. Rollins and Gordon, from Boone, and by various other members from other counties; but the mob majority carried the day, for the guilty wretches feared an investigation, knowing that it would endanger their lives and liberties. Sometime during this session the legislature appropriated two hundred thousand dollars to pay the troops for driving the saints out of the State.
"Many of the State journals tried to hide the iniquity of
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