[Journal entry, dated by Tanner as Thursday 13, May 1886; cited in many secondary sources, following Lyndon W. Cook, as "13 April 1886." Vogel notes the Thursday date matches 13 May 1886, not the Tuesday of 13 April. Pagination [p. 50]-[p. 61] follows Tanner's notebook journal.]
Thursday 13, Took stage for Lexing=ton Junction paying 75 cents for four miles, then took train to Richmond and [p. 50] after leaving my baggage at the Hotel near the depot went to the home of David Whitmer. I was met at the door by his son David John[,] a man I should say of 45 years of age. I enquired if Father Whitmer was within and be=ing answered in the affirmative asked when I could see him, and was ans=wered that it would be as convenient then as at any time. I was invited in and seated and he [p. 51] Calling the old gentleman in was informed that I could not be gratified with a lengthy talk upon the question of his testimony and the history of the translation, Church history &c as the calls upon him were too numerous and taxing upon his enfeebled condition physically to admit of this.
The old gentleman was then called in and arising I introduced myself stating that I had come from Kansas City to see the man [p. 52] who had been so favored of God as to have been visited by an Angel and to have handled the golden plates (My recollection was at the time that history said he did handle them).
After an exchange of friendly greetings and a few words about his physical health in which his son said (and he I think assented) that the reporter of the Chicago Tribune was not admitted to his room nor did he have the interview reported in the Tribune, (He said the reporter was in town and had talk[ed] with members of the family, [p. 53] but that he was not admitted to the sick mans room as a=ledged and that the report was in other respects inaccurate, but his father did not wish to be always contradicting such reports and so let it pass) I asked him if the table, which the angel brought, and upon which the plates lay when he viewed them was a tangible one, and he said that he did not touch it, it had the semblance of a table. He then ex=plained that he saw the plates and with his natural eyes, but he [p. 54] had to be prepared for it -- that he and the other witnesses were overshadowed by the power of God and a halo of brightness indescribable.
I then asked him if he ever handled the plates and he said that he did not at any time. I refer=red to his going down after Joseph and Em=ma to bring the plates
The manuscript by re=quest, said to be the original manuscript in the handwriting of Oliver [Cowdery][,] Emma and Christian Whitmer was brought out and untied being wrapped in a sheet of brown wrapping pa=per (or between a brown and buff the paper was) and being laid upon the table I examined the sheets as many as I chose also the scrap of paper containing the characters which were submitted by Martin Harris to Prof Anthon and the certificate of the clerk of the <U.S.> District [p. 56] Court of the
He affirmed his testimony as given to the Book of Mormon both that he viewed the plates and that the record was true according to the tes=timony of the Angel and I was under the impression as he talked that he had at some time claimed to have handled the plates but I thought that possibly I might have been mistaken [p. 57] and as he exhibited evidences of much de=bility I did not call his attention to it.
I had a pleasant chat of perhaps half an hour. ... [p. 58] ...
Young David said that the preachers and many of the noble men of the earth [p. 60] had viewed the M.S.S. [manuscripts] and that they expressed themselves as feeling a reverential awe upon the occasion.
I subsequently had a lengthy chat with David John upon his fathers relation to the Church &c and upon the M.S.S. [manuscripts] and His statement is that they were in O[liver] Cowderys possession and at his death were turned over to his Father for safe keeping and have ever since been in his possession. In the evening I took the cars for Kansas City and put up at the Lindell Hotel. [p. 61]