Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-02-20
NOT A CONVINCING ARGUMENT.
:. n. h. ithN Reads the GOurt IA
Tedious Address, But 1t Avail-
FfsS eth Nothing. AsHE.

To-day was the time appointed TO
, passing sentence on S. III. B. Smith, con
victed short time since OF unlawful co
habitation. Smith was araigned in cour
this morning, and when asked ii he hat
anything TO say before sentence was pro
nouiced, he requested to be permitted t.
read few words he had prepared, t.
which the Court gave its consent. Smith
braced himself and read Ions
essay ON his Q case, dwelling with
a desperate attempt at earnest
ness upon the lack of evidence
which he asserted had been used to con-
Wet him npon He said there had been
only one thing brought out that could be
called evidence, and this was 1.-The -testii
lnony OF one witness that claimed to have
heard him admit that the young child
born Of the alleged polygamous wife was
| his progeny. This testimony Smith in
sisted he himself had denied land therefore
there was in reality no evidence whatever
Further along in his recitation he
switched around and tacitly acknowl-
edged that the polygamous relations that
We're charged really existed, but still de-
MED that he had lived with the plural
wife under circumstances that could be
construed into violation of the Edmunds
law, which, he commended, he had strictly
observed He drifted off. to the same. old
line of argument about the everlasting
truth of his religion, and occasionally
glanced at the, Judge to see whether he
was being affected like Agrippa of old,
who became SO nearly converted by
Paul's appeal that he said. "Thou al
most persuadest me to be Il Christian"
The Judge in this case didn't seem to
persuade worth a cent, however, and
from the occasional knittingo of his brow
and twitching Of his mouth a close OBJ |
server could see thateven his stoical ma
ture was giving way under the terrible
monotony of Smiths harangue. ~ u Z
When the select reading was finished,
the Judge turned uneasily in his chair,
and fixing his eyes upon the flushed |
countenance Of Smith, began quiet but |
emphatic rejoinder, which before it was
concluded made spectators think that
Smith was being literally burned up.''
His Honor disposed of the references to
a lack of evidence by citing the fact
that the jury had found him guilty.
and that the defendants own
admissions in his own intolerable address
Just read confirmed the evidence given
by witnesses, which was ample and con-
elusive. With reference to the pretended
revelations and visitations on which
smith and others had ignorantly based
heir defiant attitudes, the Judge said
hey were gross superstitions which the
world, and certainly the American people. /
lad outgrown.S Mahomet, too, had
eceived revelations, and millions of
gnorant adherents had bowed to their
but what had been demon
trated in connection with those preten-
ions? They had decayed and wasted ,
way before the light of this age, and
we're placed where the revelations and ..
aspirations OF the Mormons are thrown . .
y the intelligent citizens of this great
the catacombs of super 4
tition. J
The Judge grew exceedingly earnest
8 he proceeded, and before he got
trough everybody present was forced to c
imlt that the remarks which were C
tered in all kindness constituted the {
lost eloquent lecture on the subject ,
hich His Honor has ever delivered.
The usual sentence of of six months Il
nprisonment and $500 fine and costs was
by the Court and Smith C
epped up and asked if he might be per- Il
lifted to ride out to the penitentlary with s.
is wife. There was no objection offered Il
this, and at half-past o'clock, the il
lponent OF defiance to the law drove to n
s new home by the side of his wife and
N, while one OF the deputies rode in il
lother conveyance close at hand. o.