Elder Richards was a friend of the Prophet and a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve. He was in Carthage Jail when the Prophet was martyred.
His account begins as the mob arrived at the jail just after 5:00 P.M. on the
afternoon of 27 June 1844:
"A shower of musket balls were thrown up the stairway against the door of the
prison in the second story, followed by many rapid footsteps....
". . . A ball was sent through the door, which passed between us, and showed The
Prophet Joseph Smith that our enemies were desperadoes....
"... Joseph Smith, Mr. Taylor and myself sprang back to the front part of the room,
and ... Hyrum Smith retreated two-thirds across the chamber directly in front of
and facing the door.
"A ball was sent through the door which hit Hyrum on the side of his nose, when
he fell backwards, extended at length, without moving his feet.
"From the holes in his [clothing], it appears evident that a ball must have been
thrown from without, through the window, which entered his back on the right side,
and passing through, lodged against his watch.... At the same instant the ball from
the door entered his nose.
"As he struck the floor he exclaimed emphatically, 'I am a dead man.' Joseph
looked towards him and responded, 'Oh, dear brother Hyrum!' and opening the
door two or three inches with his left hand, discharged one barrel of a six shooter
(pistol) at random in the entry.... A ball [from the musket of one of the mob] grazed
Hyrum's breast, and entering his throat passed into his head, while other muskets
were aimed at him and some balls hit him.
"Joseph continued snapping his revolver round the casing of the door into the
space as before .... while Mr. Taylor with a walking stick stood by his side and
knocked down the bayonets and muskets which were constantly discharging
through the doorway... .
"When the revolver failed, we had no more firearms, and expected an immediate
rush of the mob, and the doorway full of muskets, half way in the room, and no
hope but instant death from within.