David Whitmer, one of the original Mormons and a sketch of whose life was printed in Tuesday's Times, died at his home in Richmond, Missouri, at five o'clock yesterday afternoon, the news reaching here last evening in a dispatch to Mr. Vancleave, of the city clerk's office. A Chicago man, on hearing of Mr. Whitmer's death, related the following incident:
Some sixteen years ago I chanced to ride across the state of Missouri, from Hanibal to Kansas City. There were but few in the car in which I rode, and the seat directly in front of mine was occupied by a very tall, quiet, elderly gentleman, with whom I had some conversation. Some things in his dress, manners, and talk caused me to think that he was a prosperous Pennsylvania Quaker, journeying west to look after his investments. I soon found, however, that he was possessed of much information about the land over which we were passing, the various resources of the same, and of its early history. About noon a gentleman in the car asked me into the smoker to enjoy a cigar. He asked me if I knew the man with whom I had been talking. I informed him that I did not. He then stated that it was David Whitmer, one of the 'testifiers' of the Book of Mormon, and one of the early associates of Joseph Smith. I asked him if he was well acquainted with Mr. Whitmer, and he stated that he was, having always lived in the same county with him. As I now remember he said he was brought up on a farm, but had for several years been practicing law or performing the duties of sheriff of the county. At my request he gave an account of what he knew of our travelling companion and his estimate of his character.
He said he was a small boy when some patriotic citizens proposed to drive the Mormons out of Missouri, the leading charges against them being that they were 'Yankee abolitionists and prohibitionists, who spent more time in going to meeting than most persons thought there was any need of.' He was on horseback behind his father when they were driven out. The leader of the party, he said, dismounted, took a stand on the stile in front of David Whitmer's house, and, producing various firearms and dirks, declared that he should stand guard over those premises. He declared that he would kill like a dog any man who ventured to molest David Whitmer or his brother or to take any of their goods. The Whitmers continued to reside on their places after their old companions had left, and were always highly respected. At the breaking out of the civil war, the narrator continued, most of the people in our county were secessionists, and it was proposed to notify the union men that their room was much better than their company. A meeting was accordingly called, at which the sentiment of the community was to be expressed. Some speeches were made and a committee was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the feeling of the members present. At this point in the proceedings David Whitmer arose, walked to the platform, and delivered a short but very telling speech. He stated that no resglutions or threats would cause him to run away. He declared that he was a citizen of the United States, and should remain such. He proposed to live or die under the old flag. If anyone desired to shoot him then was a good time. The resolutions were not passed, the meeting adjourned to a given day, but did not convene. In the opinion of this gentleman, no man in Missouri possessed greater courage or honesty than this heroic old man. 'His oath,' he said, 'would send a man to the gallows quicker than that of any man I ever knew.' He then went on to say that no person had ever questioned his word to his knowledge about any other matter than finding the Book of Mormon. He was always a loser and never a gainer by adhering to the faith of Joseph Smith. Why persons should question his word about the golden plates, when they took it in relation to all other matters, was to him a mystery.