Text 4530, 93 rader
Skriven 2009-04-12 13:59:25 av God Dan (1:138/666.0)
     Kommentar till en text av Ed Hulett
Ärende: Convicted!
==================
-> On 17 Mar 09  08:34:44, Ed Hulett got back to God Dan 
-> Re: Creationism

 GD> Open your eyes and read them.  Smith was convicted for his fraudulent
 GD> activities.

 EH> No, he was not.

STATE OF NEW YORK v. JOSEPH SMITH

Warrant issued upon written complaint upon oath of Peter G. Bridgeman, who
informed that one Joseph Smith of Bainbridge was a disorderly person and an
imposter. Prisoner brought before Court March 20, 1826.
Prisoner examined: says that he came from the town of Palmyra, and had been at
the house of Josiah Stowel in Bainbridge most of time since; had small part of
time been employed in looking for mines, but the major part had been employed
by said Stowel on his farm, and going to school.  That he had a certain stone
which he had occasionally look at to determine where hidden treasures in the
bowels of the earth were; that he professed to tell in this manner where gold
mines were at a distance under ground, and had looked for Mr.  Stowel several
times, and had informed him where he could find these treasures, and Mr.
Stowel had been engaged in digging for them.  That at Palmyra he pretended to
tell by looking at this stone where coined money was buried in Pennsylvania
and while at Palmyra had frequently ascertained in that way where lost
property was of various kinds; that he had occasionally been in the habit of
looking through this stone to find lost property for three years, but of late
had pretty much given it up on account of its injuring his health, especially
his eyes, making them sore; that he did not solicit business of this kind, and
had always declined having anything to do with this business.
Josiah Stowel sworn: says that prisoner had been at his house something like
five months; had been employed by him to work on farm part of time; that he
pretended to have skill of telling where hidden treasures in the earth were by
means of looking through a certain stone; that prisoner had looked for him
sometimes; once to tell him about money buried in Bend Mountain in
Pennsylvania, once for gold on Monument Hill, and once for a salt spring; and
that he positively knew that the prisoner could tell, and did possess the art
of seeing those valuable treasures through the medium of said stone; that he
found the [word illegible] at Bend and Monument Hill as prisoner represented
it; that prisoner had looked through said stone for Deacon Attleton for a
mine, did not exactly find it but got a p- [word unfinished] of ore which
resembled gold, he thinks; that prisoner had told by means of this stone where
a Mr.  Bacon had buried money; that he and prisoner had been in search of it;
that prisoner had said it was in a certain root of a stump five feet from the
surface of the earth, and with it would be found a tail feather; that said
Stowel and prisoner thereupon commenced digging, found a tail feather, but
money was gone; that he supposed the money moved down.  That prisoner did
offer his services; that he never deceived him; that prisoner looked through
stone and described Josiah Stowel's house and outhouses, while at Palmyra at
Simpson Stowel's, correctly; that he had told about a painted tree, with a
man's head painted upon it, by means of said stone.  That he had been in
company with prisoner digging for gold, and had the most implicit faith in
prisoner's skill.
Arad Stowel sworn: says that he went to see whether prisoner could convince
him that he possessed the skill he professed to have, upon which prisoner laid
a book upon a white cloth, and proposed looking through another stone which
was white and transparent, hold the stone to the candle, turn his head to
look, and read.  The deception appeared so palpable that witness went off
disgusted.
McMaster sworn: says he went with Arad Stowel, and likewise came away
disgusted.  Prisoner pretended to him that he could discover objects at a
distance by holding this white stone to the sun or candle; that prisoner
rather declined looking into a hat at his dark colored stone, as he said that
it hurt his eyes.
Jonathon Thompson: says that prisoner was requested to look for chest of
money; did look, and pretended to know where it was; and prisoner, Thompson
and Yeomans went in search of it; that Smith arrived at spot first; was at
night; that Smith looked in hat while there, and when very dark, and told how
the chest was situated.  After digging several feet, struck something sounding
like a board or plant.  Prisoner would not look again, pretending that he was
alarmed on account of the circumstances relating to the trunk being buried
[which] came all fresh to his mind.  That the last time he looked he
discovered distinctly the two Indians who buried the trunk, that a quarrel
ensued between them, and that one of said Indians was killed by the other, and
thrown into the hold beside the trunk, to guard it, as he supposed.  Thompson
says that he believes in the prisoner's professed skill; that the board he
struck his spade upon was probably the chest, but on account of an enchantment
the trunk kept settling away from under them when digging; that
notwithstanding they continued constantly removing the dirt, yet the trunk
kept about the same distance from them.  Says prisoner said that it appeared
to him that salt might be found at Bainbridge, and that he is certain that
prisoner can divine things by means of said stone.  That as evidence of the
fact prisoner looked into his hat to tell him about some money witness lost
sixteen years ago, and that he described the amn the witness supposed had
taken it, and the disposition of the money: And therefore the Court find the
Defendant guilty.

- Joseph Smith's 1826 court transcript; see Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, p.
501


... Joseph Smith:  Story teller, liar and rascist
--- OMX/Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
 * Origin: Soundly on the Fault Line (1:138/666.0)