| 317 Their families, with the majority of the saints, left the State about this time, so their visitors were mostly strangers; but the few remaining paid them every attention possible, especially Heber C. Kimball and Theodore Turley, who visited them occasionally and unceasingly importuned the authorities for the release of the prisoners on bail or in some other way.
About March 1 they began to make a breach in the jail by means of augers, but the timbers being hard, the auger handles gave out, which delayed them until the secret was known to the authorities.
In the epistle written by them on March 20 they state:-
"We should have made our escape, and succeeded admirably well, had it not been for a little imprudence or over-anxiety on the part of our friends."-Times and Seasons, vol. 1, p. 100.
Lyman Wight writes of it as follows:-
"[March] 3. This morning hard at work for our deliverance. We expect to go to-day without fail. We have worked hard all day-we could not finish. We will do it to-morrow if the Lord will.
"4th. This morning I walked out and returned about ten o'clock. We expect to make our escape this afternoon without fail. We got all ready to go out, and Shoemaker felt so tickled to think that he was our assistant that he made a confidant of Doctor Moss. The thing leaked out, and there were ten guards called for," etc.
On March 15 the following petition to the Supreme Court was sworn to by and in behalf of Joseph Smith. At the same time each of the prisoners made a similar petition:-
"To the Honorable Judge Tompkins, or either of the Judges of the Supreme Court for the State of Missouri:-
"Your petitioners beg leave respectfully to represent to your honor, that Joseph Smith, Jr., is now unlawfully confined and restrained of his liberty, in Liberty jail, Clay County (Missouri); that he has been restrained of his liberty near five months. Your petitioners claim that the whole transaction which has been the cause of his confinement is
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