ill. , july 20 1844 appeared before me , john c. bennett , attorney-at-law , in the aforesaid county , mr. charles c. weil , who being duly sworn according to law , deposeth and saith the following , to wit : on the 15th of july 1844 , having occasion to cross the river to montrose , on leaving the ferry-boat , i heard a voice which sounded like that of the prophet , and looking over a fence i saw joseph smith himself lying alone on the grass , with a whisky bottle by his side , and decidedly far gone in a state of intoxication .