When the news of the martyrdom reached Nauvoo, Samuel, who belonged to the Nauvoo Legion, was on guard. As was his custom, he was wearing a small, red precious stone inside his hat band.
When he heard that terrible news, he was so full of righteous indignation over the crime committed against his beloved leaders that he grabbed his hat off his head and threw it to the ground and stomped his foot. It came down on his hat.
When he picked it up, he found that he had crushed the little stone. He could have wept. The stone had been given to him by the prophet as a memento of their friendship.