The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-06-05

miles with Miles without loYing him de.
votedly, and she now hoped to persuade
him to desert the Spencers. So she al.
lowed Miles TO talk her over, and took
her place for the time being as No.2.
Miles did not give her enough Of his
society the next day, and there was con
tinual trouble from that time on. Before
| the wedding Miss Owen had declared,
according to the various reports, that she
would marry Miles, but would have her
revenge afterward, and would poison
him. This was to pay him for having
promised her in London that she should
be always first, whereas, since her arrl'
val in Utah, he had said il was never his
intention to give up Miss Spencer or to
have her any thing but No L. After the
wedding taking more reasonable view
of the matter, the deceived woman de-
cided to have Miles arrested for bigamy
The circumstances of her case were
given to reporter of the Salt Lake
Tribune, and an article with startling
head lines and many damaging facts ap
peared in that paper. The case acquired
wide publicity and aroused great lndig
nation, both among the MOrmons and
against them. After all this had occurred
Mrs. Owen Miles relented, yielding to an
irresistible impulse to live with her hus.
band. She followed him to American
Fork, whittier he had fed, and he agreed
to take her back if she would reCant the
charges made in the Tribune. At his
diCtation she wrote long statement, de-
nying her previous statements aud fully
generating Miles. To this she was per.
suaded to swear, and the statement was
printed in the Salt Lake Herald, the
Mormon organ. In this she denied any
knowledge of marriage between Miles
and Miss Spencer, and upon this, in con-
sequence, Miles largely depended for his
defense if ever suit were brought against
him. The suit was brought soon after
this reconciliation, for wife Owen could
not reconcile herself to the place Of No,
2, and aserious quarrel resulted in Miles
arrest upon her complaint. The Nor
mons assert that the Gentiles were only
too eager to support and assist the wo.
man in her charge upon one OF the di-
vine institutions of their Church. 1t was
not at that time believed that any jury
could be found in Utah that would con
viCt citizen of polygamy as crime un.
der the law, and Miles felt easy enough |
in that respect. But after a week of trial,
with great crowds in attendance, and in
the midst of much excitement resulting
from the two days imprisonment of
General Wells, the jury found Miles
guilty of bigamy in taking to himself as
wives on that October day Emily Spen-
Ger first and Carrie Owen second. The
result is one calculated 10 carry conster-
nation into many domestic camp in
u ah. The man who marries more than
one woman is indeed at the mercy of his
wives in the light of such a verdict as
this.
Among other interesting features bro't
out by the trial was the fact that very
loose records are kept Of the numerous
performed by the apostles
President Taylor believed that record
book was kept in the endowment house,
but could not speak with certainty on the
point. The others who we're questioned
were not more specific in their informa.
tion. 1t could not be proved by any of
the apostles that Miles had been msrri.
ed twice on the same day-hardly that
he had been married at ALL The three
days that were occupied in the securing
of jury not composed of polygamists,
disclosed the fact that many members of
The Church believed in its revelationsin
4 general way, but were in doubt as to
ust what those doctrines were. Others
believed in polygamy, but had never
considered whether it was right or
wrong. Others still were firm in their
conviction that the revelations made by
God to the apostles were to be accepted
n their entirety, and that if Gods com.
nands, as given to the Mornons, con.