Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-22
Tbs BELLE HARRIS CASE.

Belle Harris lived in Sewer county, in the
Egypt of Utah. She was brought before
the Grand Jury of the Second Utah Dis
trics and asked, care you a married
woman and if so, when and by
whom were you married ?" She
replied that this was privileged
question, and declined to answer.
With her babe at her breast, and leaving
another child behind her, she was brought
several hundred miles to Salt Lake and
confined for her contumacy in the Peniten-
tiary. OF course the purpose of the ques-
ton which led her into contemps Of Court
was 20 ascertain who claimed to be her
husband, in order TO aid the indictment of
a man for having married a"plural wife. F"
The Mormon organ at Salt Lake lsuds the
courage ard fesrlessness of Belle Harris,
and declares that she is a "lsdy" with
strength of character, who is defending a
principle that her right as a witness Id as
sacred as any rights recognized in Courts !;
Shat size is martyr to personal right
aad in defense of q vital principle of free
dom. The question was not directed to her
knowledge of any crime, but to her social
relation to another. she not being charged
with any offense. Had she claimed that her
answer would criminate her, the way would
have been clear to her personal freedom !;
but she does not appear to have taken this
ground. AS devotee Of her Church, she
could not admit that living in p0lyganly is
crime, and SO she goes to prison as re-
hgious martyr. The natural sympathies
will be shocked at the imprisonment in
such dismal and unwholesome place as
ths Utah Penitentiary of woman with
fsw weeks old infant in her arms. The
Law cannot, it is true, make distinctions
,sShen coRtumacious conduct in contempt
of its processes is to be punished. But it
does not appear that the Grand Jury was
under the necessity of relying wholly upon
this woman's testimony, or in proceeding
to the extent of reporting her for con-
tempt. Surely polygamy is rank enough
in Us&h Mormondom is sufficiently full
CT the corruption TO enable jury to search
It out without Fishing for man they
declsre ia unknown to them. With thirty
thousand open and confessed polygamists
in Utah, defying The Law and shaming
common deceney, why was it necessary to
plunge Belle Harris into prison and refuse her
bail, in order to ascertain who is the father
of her several children? The woman has ex-
hibited Coinage in bad cause, that never
theless excites respect coupled with pity.
We fear our Gentle friends in Utah lack
discretion IN their zeal. TIE defense Of the
proceeding which the anti Mormon paper
1.-THE Tribuae) makes, and which has been a
firm and able friend of the laws and
fearless enemy of polygsmy. is pointless,
and may be summed up il the sentence,
'tThe law knows no distinction the
woman ia in contempt, and must disclose
her 'polyg. or remain in jail" In the
same week in which Belle Harris
was sent to prison, Gentle doc
tor of Salt Lake openly married
young girl, though he had wife living
few miles in the country. After much
trouble, the wife managed to procure from
the authorities warrant for his arrest for
bigamY, but there was such bungling work
that he was allowed to escape after the
service of the warrant. Very naturally,
the Mormons charge, This was because
he is Gentle; had he been Mormon he
would have been chained down before the
officers Wozld have taken any chances of
his escaping" And the impartial mind
must admit that there is force n the snesr
Of the Mornons. The two cases do not
speak well for the Federal officers in Utah.