On 10 March 1842, JS swore a complaint to , Illinois, mayor accusing of violating the city’s vagrancy and disorderly persons ordinance through his “indecent . . . language and behaviour.” Davis, a merchant and tavern keeper in Nauvoo, joined the church in 1840, but by 1842 his relationship with JS had soured. The basis for his discontent was a financial dispute; Davis claimed that JS owed him money on a promissory note and had promised to pay the debt in the spring of 1842 but had not done so. JS, meanwhile, claimed that he had offered to pay the debt using land but that Davis would only accept cash. On 9 March 1842, JS stopped at Davis’s tavern for tea, but Davis refused to enter the room with him and instead hurled a number of insults at JS, reportedly calling him a “Whoremaster,” a “Scoundrel,” a “Rascal,” a “Liar,” a “Knave,” and a “Swindler.” One claimed that Davis also asserted that he was willing to meet JS “in the Woods, with Words, Fists, or Rifles.”

After JS swore out his complaint, the Municipal Court subpoenaed witnesses, empaneled a jury, and heard the case the same day. Several witnesses, including JS, testified. Most of them focused on ’s accusation that JS was trying to swindle him in their business dealings. The jury found Davis guilty, and the court ordered him to enter a hundred-dollar recognizance to guarantee he kept the peace for six months.

Later that year, in late November and early December 1842, was the defendant in five other legal cases involving JS: City of Nauvoo v. Davis for Slander of JS–B; City of Nauvoo v. Davis for Slander of JS–C; City of Nauvoo v. Davis for Ardent Spirits; City of Nauvoo v. Davis for Assault; and City of Nauvoo v. Davis for Slander of Miles.

 

This calendar lists all known documents created by or for the court, whether extant or not. It does not include versions of documents created for other purposes, though those versions may be listed in footnotes. In certain cases, especially in cases concerning unpaid debts, the originating document (promissory note, invoice, etc.) is listed here. Note that documents in the calendar are grouped with their originating court. Where a version of a document was subsequently filed with another court, that version is listed under both courts.