d advised the Saints to have those arrested
who threatened them, and have them tried in court for their misdeeds.

This, seemingly, was very good advice, and would have worked all right
under other circumstances; but when it is remembered that the very
officers--the constable who would have to do the arresting, the judge who
would try the cases, and in fact all concerned--were men who were
themselves leaders of the mob, you will see how useless such a course would
be. However, the Saints engaged four lawyers to protect them in the courts.

This made the mobbers more angry than ever, and they made preparation for
further action against the Saints.

"We will rid Jackson county of the "Mormons"," they said, "peaceably if we
can, forcibly if we must. If they will not go without, we will whip and
kill the men; we will destroy the children, and abuse their women."

The Saints now resolved to defend themselves, and the men gathered in small
bodies, armed with guns.

On the night of October 31, 1833, a mob marched to the Whitmer settlement
of the Saints where they whipped several of the brethren to death, drove
the women and children into the woods, and tore the roofs from about a
dozen houses.

The next night an attack was made upon the Saints living at Independence. A
party of brethren went to the aid of the Saints, and found a mob tearing
down the store of Gilbert, Whitney & Co. The mobbers fled, but the brethren
captured one of them in the act of throwing brick-bats through the window.
They brought him to a justice of the peace to have papers made out for the
mobber's arrest. The justice would not do it, so the man was released.
Three days after, this same mobber had the brethren arrested. It was no
trouble for him to get papers from the same justice. As one of the brethren
remarked at the time, "Although we could not obtain a warrant against him
for breaking open the store, he had gotten one for us for catching him at
it!"

Topics.--1. The character of the early Missourians. 2. Mobbers' meetings
in Independence. 3. Work of the mob.

Questions and Review.--1. From what sections did most of the early
settlers of Missouri come? 2. From what section did the Saints come? 3.
What difference of opinion existed between the people of the north and the
people of the south? 4. Why did the Missourians hate the "Mormons?" 5. Why
did many outlaws come to Missouri? 6. What did the mobbers want the Saints
to promise? 7. What advic