Sample Documents from the Series

AFFIDAVIT OF ORSON PRATT

16 JANUARY 1844

Affidavit of Orson Pratt, 16 January 1844, 3 pp., MS, Nauvoo City Records, 1841–1845, Church History Library.

State of Illinois

City of Nauvoo

on the 15th day of January 1844 came orson Pratt one of the members of the city council of said city, before me, Willard Richards Recorder of said city and Clerk of the municipal Court, and after being duly sworn deposeth and saith that he was present in the city council, on Friday January 5, 1844, in the city of Nauvoo, in thi◊ se◊◊ case for the investigation of a certain matter between the police and Messrs William Marks and William Law, when Francis M. Higbee was sent for as a witness and he appeared and after his testimony, went out of said council without leave; and that since that time, viz on Sunday the 14th inst in the house of your said affiant, the same Francis M. Hi[g]bee used slanderous and abusive epithets and language toward the Mayor of said city and read an abusive letter, against said Mayor which he said he would send him, and put him under ten thousand dolla[r]s bonds; and if it was any other community he would settle it in another way by six o’clock tomorrow morn◊. and then Deliver himself up to the law to be [p. 1]

tried: if he came off victorious. he seemed angry and manifested a malicous sprit towards the Mayor and further he saith not.

Orson Pratt

Subscribed and sworn to before me Willard Richards, clerk of the Municipal Cour of the City of [illegible] Nauvoo Jany 15 1844 [p. 2]

Affidavit of Orson

Pratt. vs. F.H. Higbee

Jan. 15. 1844 [p. 3]