Manchester, Ontario Co. N. Y. Dec. 8th, 1833.
I, William Stafford, having been called upon to give a true
statement of my knowledge, concerning the character and conduct of the family of
Smiths, known to the world as the founders of the Mormon sect, do say, that I
first became acquainted with Joseph, Sen., and his family in the year 1820. They
lived, at that time, in Palmyra, about one mile and a half from my residence. A
great part of their time was devoted to digging for money: especially in the
night time, when they said the money could be most easily obtained. I have heard
them tell marvellous tales, respecting the discoveries they had made in their
peculiar occupation of money digging. They would say, for
instance, that in such a place, in such a hill, on a certain man's farm, there
were deposited keys, barrels and hogsheads of coined silver and gold -- bars of
gold, golden images, brass kettles filled with gold and silver -- gold
candlesticks, swords, &c. &c. They would say, also, that nearly all the hills in
this part of New York, were thrown up by human hands, and in them were large
caves, which Joseph, Jr., could see, by placing a stone of singular appearance
in his hat, in such a manner as to exclude all light; at which time they
pretended he could see all things within and under the earth, -- that he could
see within the above mentioned caves, large gold bars and silver plates -- that
he could also discover the spirits in whose charge these treasures were, clothed
in ancient dress. At certain times, these treasures could be obtained very
easily; at others, the obtaining of them was difficult. The facility of
approaching them, depended in a great measure on the state of the moon. New moon
and good Friday, I believe, were regarded as the most favorable times for
obtaining these treasures. These tales I regarded as visionary. However, being
prompted by curiosity, I at length accepted of their invitations, to join them
in their nocturnal excursions. I will now relate a few incidents attending these
excursions.
Joseph Smith, Sen., came to me one night, and told me, that Joseph Jr. had been
looking in his glass, and had seen, not many rods from his house, two or three
kegs of gold and silver, some feet under the surface of the earth: and that none
others but the elder Joseph and myself could get them. I accordingly consented
to go, and early in the evening repaired to the place of deposit. Joseph, Sen.
first made a circle, twelve or fourteen feet in diameter. This circle, said he,
contains the treasure. He then stuck in the ground a row of witch hazel sticks,
around the said circle, for the purpose of keeping off the evil spirits.
Within this circle he made another, of about eight or ten feet in diameter. He
walked around three times on the periphery of this last circle, muttering to
himself something which I could not understand. He next stuck a steel rod in the
centre of the circles, and then enjoined profound silence upon us, lest we
should arouse the evil spirit who had the charge of these treasures. After we
had dug a trench about five feet in depth around the rod, the old man by signs
and motions, asked leave of absence, and went to the house to inquire of young
Joseph the cause of our disappointment. He soon returned and said, that Joseph
had remained all this time in the house, looking in his stone and watching the
motions of the evil spirit--that he saw the spirit come up to the ring and as
soon as it beheld the cone which we had formed around the rod, it caused the
money to sink. We then went into the house, and the old man observed, that we
had made a mistake in the commencemnt of the operation; if it had not been for
that, said he, we should have got the money.
At another time, they devised a scheme, by which they might satiate their
hunger, with the mutton of one of my sheep. They had seen in my flock of sheep,
a large, fat, black weather. Old Joseph and one of the boys came to me one day,
and said that Joseph Jr. had discovered some very remarkable and valuable
treasures, which could be procured only in one way. That way, was as follows: --
That a black sheep should be taken on to the ground where the treasures were
concealed -- that after cutting its throat, it should be led around a circle
while bleeding. This being done, the wrath of the evil spirit would be appeased:
the treasures could then be obtained, and my share of them was to be four fold.
To gratify my curiosity, I let them have a large fat sheep. They afterwards
informed me, that the sheep was killed pursuant to commandment; but as there was
some mistake in the process, it did not have the desired effect. This, I
believe, is the only time they ever made money-digging a profitable business.
They, however, had around them constantly a worthless gang, whose employment it
was to dig money nights, and who, day times, had more to do with mutton than
money.
When they found that the people of this vicinity would no longer put any faith
in their schemes for digging money, they then pretended to find a gold bible, of
which, they said, the book of Mormon was only an introduction. This latter book
was at length fitted for the press. No means were taken by any individual to
suppress its publication: No one apprehended any danger from a book, originating
with individuals who had neither influence, honesty or honor. The two Josephs
and Hiram, promised to show me the plates, after the book of Mormon was
translated. But, afterwards, they pretended to have received an express
commandment, forbidding them to show the plates. Respecting the manner of
receiving and translating the book of Mormon, their statements were always
discordant. The elder Joseph would say that he had seen
the plates, and that he knew them to be gold; at other times he would say that
they looked like gold; and other times he would say he had not seen the plates
at all. I have thus briefly stated a few of the facts, in relation to the
conduct and character of this family of Smiths; probably sufficient has been
stated without my going into detail.
WILLIAM STAFFORD.
State of New York, Wayne County, ss:
I certify, that on this 9th day of December, 1833, personally appeared before me, William Stafford, to me known, and made oath to the truth of the above statement, and signed the same.
TH. P. BALDWIN,
Judge of Wane County Court.