John Whitmer informs Theodore Turley that the plates was shown to him "by a supernatural power" and that he handled the plates and "there was fine engravings on both sides."
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]: 913, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed August 19, 2022
Turley said, Gentlemen, “I presume there are men here who have heard Corrill say, Mormonism was true, Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and inspired of God &c I now call upon you, John Whitmer, you say Corrill is a moral and good man, do you believe him, when he says the Book of Mormon is true, or when it is not true, there are . . . many things published that they say is true, and again turn round and say it is false” Whitmer asked do you hint at me? Turley replied “if the cap fits you, wear it, all I know, you have published to the world that an angel did present those plates to Joseph Smith” Whitmer replied “I now say, I handled those plates, there was fine engravings on both sides— I handled them,” and he described how they were hung, and “they were shewn to me by a supernatural power” he acknowledged all— Turley asked him “why the translation is not now true,” he said “I cannot read it, and I do not know whether it is true or not”— Whitmer testified all this in the presence of Eight Men—