Since these weapons were smuggled into Joseph's possession earlier...makes one wonder why the question of the role of Joseph's guards in this haven't been delved into more in-depth.
For example...say you were such a "guard" in 1844...
And say, in some way, you became aware that a prisoner was smuggled loaded weapons...
And then say, that your cowardice as a guard got the best of you -- and you didn't want to PERSONALLY confront four prisoners in the same room with two known loaded weapons among them...
...What then might such a guard do?
Well, if he knew that Smith had been causing severe angst among regional community members...he might simply let them do the "dirty work" (of confronting armed prisoners) for him...
How he may have communicated that to such vigilantes is wide open to conjecture...
That could have been everything from "Hey, I'm taking a supper break from the 'cell/home' from this time to that time"...
...to "Hey, these prisoners are armed & I need armed assistance confronting them"...
...to ______________ (fill in the blank)
So was the poor man a martyr?
You spelled LIE wrong.