Day in the Life

Jan 20, 1860

Journal Entry

January 20, 1860 ~ Friday

20 vary cold and Frosty I went to the office in the morning I there
learned that Joseph Rhodes was killed by Jason Luce last evening in
Butchers House whare William Hickman lay. Rhodes came to
the House and said he wanted to see Hickman Luce said he
could not Rhodes swore he would or die on the spot and drew
two pistols one cocked in Each hand and presented them at
Luce. Luce drew his knife and sprung at Rodes and struck
him in the Right Breast & the knife went through his body
Ormas Bates sprung at the same time and caught hold of each
pistol and turned the muzzles up Luce continued to thrust the
knife into Rhodes and he soon fell and as he began to Fall He
snaped both pistols but the hammer struck Bates Hand and
did not go off Luce continued to stab him untill he had


Eleven gashes through his body. I went down to see the corpes
it had been washed and laid on a Board Naked I never
saw a Body so cut up. the poliece took the body From Hickman
to the City Hall, whare I saw the Body. Luce gave himsel up to
the Poliece. I spent the day in the office Luce had his trial
in the evening and was acquited upon the plea of self Defense

People

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President Young said that all the world would have been warned long ago in our day if all the world had bee[n] as faith- ful in warning his Neighbor as He & many of the Elders of this Church. When going to Zion in 1834 Joseph reproved the camp while standing upon a waggon wheel I said I had done the best I could & could not Better it if I was to try it again H. C. Kimball said the same. They said they had been in the Church nearly half of his life. (I WW have been in the Church more than half of my life) I remarked that it was an interesting time to live to to see the fulfillment of the President Young said it was an interesting time. H C Kimball said we should see it Just as well if Dead as if alive. President Young said, while we are in the flesh, we have to contend against evil spirits and Devils in a way which will be hid from us in the Spirit World. Brother Kimball said in speaking of our Prayer circle I never saw T. D. Brown in that circle but what I felt sorry to see him there. President Young said He would never have been there If you had not Recommended him for I had not confidence enough in him He leacked [lacked] & so did Wm. W. Phelps & others, what is spoken in a prayer circle should never be Named out of the circle not [to] a wife or any body Els if there is any thing to be said I will say it I could preach
~ Wilford Woodruff

Events

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Church membership 61,000; population of Utah Territory 40,273, population of 33 United States 31,443,000.

Jan 20, 1860