John A. Clark claimed that Lucy Harris intended to keep the manuscript until the book was published and then put the 116 pages into the hands of someone who would publish them and show that they varied from the Book of Mormon. “But she had to deal with persons standing behind the scene and moving the machinery that were too wily thus to be caught.”
Lucy Mack Smith wrote of Lucy Harris, “She intended to keep the manuscript until the book was published. And then put these one hundred and sixteen pages into the hands of someone who would publish them, and show how they varied from those published in the Book of Mormon.” These men had the right to say “yea” or “nay” as to publishing the 116 pages with its changes.
Using the John A. Clark and Lucy Mack Smith quotation, we now turn to those who owned printing presses in the greater Palmyra area.
Bortles, Jacob H. – purchased a portion of the Wayne Sentinel
Cole, Abner – published the Liberal Advocate and later Palmyra Reflector in the Grandin Building
Grandin, E. B. – editor of Wayne Sentinel and publisher of the Book of Mormon
Hadley, Jonathan A. – proprietor and editor of the Palmyra Freeman in July 1828, earlier an apprentice to Thurlow Weed. Publsihed the Lyons Countryman then various newspapers.
Howard, Luther – editor and publisher of the Western Spectator and Public Advertiser
Marshall, Elihu – editor of the Rochester Album
Stephenson, D. D. – editor of the Palmyra Freeman. Hadley worked for him then acquired paper
Strong, Theron – former partner of E. B. Grandin in the Wayne Sentinel
Weed, Thurlow – editor of the Rochester Daily Telegraph and Rochester Anti-Masonic Inquirer