Remarkable Rockwell part 1

Orrin Porter Rockwell died in 1878, while awaiting a trial and popularly accused of numerous murders at the bidding of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. He was often called Brigham’s Avenging Angel, Danite Chief, and Mormon Sampson. Mormon persecutors feared him and hated him.
His reputation as a Danite chief, who would rather murder you than look at you, traveled far and wide. As a result, Rockwell’s acquaintance was sought out by curious contemporary explorers traveling through Utah. Nineteenth century novels began to include him and his legendary reputation in their stories. Even into the twentieth century, popular western novelist Louis L’Amour makes use of this reputation in one of his novels:
Shall we string them up? I hear that’s the thing to do out here. Or shall we take them down to Brigham’s boys? I have a feeling that Porter Rockwell would know just what to do with them.
Even some modern LDS authors include Rockwell’s reputation in their stories. Lee Nelson, who finished Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer among the Indians, includes Porter Rockwell’s reputation and activities during the Mormon War in Utah. In his obituary published in the Salt Lake Tribune he is described as avenger-in-chief, a bloody instrument, a fitting agent to lead in scenes of blood, a brutal, lawless, fanatical, vociferating maniac and accused of murder for profit, murder for revenge, murder of apostates, murder of mere sojourners for simple relevance, and finally guilt driven public drunkenness. Reminiscent of the biblical character Sampson, who received excessive strength until his hair was cut; Joseph Smith prophesied and promised Rockwell in 1843 “cut not thy hair and no bullet or blade can harm thee”. None ever did.
Yet his reputation was in complete opposition to the truth of his life. Rockwell was born in 1813. His family lived near Joseph Smith’s family in Palmyra, New York, and he was profoundly fond of Joseph Smith. He knew firsthand of Joseph Smith’s stories of visions of God, angels, and gold plates and was eager to aid in the publication of the translation of those plates; the Book of Mormon. Unbidden, Rockwell, though young, spent his limited free time picking and selling berries and firewood, giving all the proceeds to Joseph Smith for the project. This small youthful act would set the true pattern for Rockwell’s life of loyalty to this newfound Prophet and faith...