Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-06-12
THEIR MISERY AND SHAME.

Apostle Lorenzo Snow, now in Utah
penitentiary, there were moments Of
thrilling interest and scenes pregnant
with food for thought. We give be-
low an extract showing one of the
latter, taken from "His Ten Wives, or
the Life of Apostle Snow"-a book
now ready for the printer, written and
compiled from the records by d. G.
Russell, present editor of the WooD
RIVER TIMES. The incident is true
to life, as it occurred in open court.
SIN the midst of Wednesdays pro-
ceedings, the writer made this picture
for the cold types Unjust have i'm
pressed, deeply and sadly, every man
and woman who beheld it and thinks
freely and fearlessly, unfettered by
fanaticism ana unurged by guilt.
"a man--seventy-two years of age,
born in the boosted State of Ohio,
where Liberty and Virtue are claimed
as being indigenous to the very soil,
and, with the limitations of her free
air, nurtured and grown strong-was
upon trial for willfully violating law
of his native land, made to protect
society, purity, morality and the sanct-
ity of the home.
ale is a sensible man, a reading
and an educated man. He claims to
be loyal man and gentleman. He
sat there unmoved amid the great,
smothered feeling that filed the
boscms of many spectators. Without
movement or visible emotion, he heard
and intently listened to the facts
sworn to by cloud of witnesses. Yea,
he went further; he told his attorneys
to save time by admitting that he had
had ten and now has seven wives!
"This would seem bad enough, but,
worse than this, these seven women
were there. AS a general thing they
testified freely. They did not disclose,
as they coolly gave in their evidence,
aught but glortication in the pub
licity of their proven shame. Some
of them are old and tottering now;
some of middle age. one of them
young, with an infant in her arms.
And yet these women heard it stated;
heard it admitted; yea, themselves de-
clared that that man for years had been
carnally and constantly using and CO.
habiting with them in a common way!
And that as fast as one of them would
get old, worn, wrinkled and aninvit.
ing, she would be set aside and left to
grow older and to die, and the man
betake himself to the younger and, to
him, more inviting ones to crafty his
passions as male member Of human.
ity! And this, too, by virtue of
pretended command of Almighty God
whose curse has been pronounced up
on adulterers and fornicators.
"Old sows are sometimes put in
pens, fed and fattened for slaughter.
Sometimes, too, old COWS are treated
in similar way. Stories are told of
old mares turned loose upon the COM
mon to find such pickings as they
might until death relieved them. But
the masters who did these things were
generally, heartless, brutal men, and
the poor old sows and animals unable
to hel p themselves. But here are wo-
men, the presumption is educated
women. Women who have borne
children (for Mormon hates a barren
woman) and ought to know mothers,
if not husbands love, who coollv
sit in Court of public justice and tell
the world, without blush or regret,
that as fast as they grow old the COM
panion of their youth would pen them
off separately, feed them and shelter
them, just like so many old sows or
cattle, and provide for their needs un-
til they shall die! While the younger
ones of the harem were kept, associ-
ated with and used for breeding pur.
poses!
"Merciful God! Does it seem DOS
sible that fanaticism can so blind a
woman whom Nature made to be a
mother, wife? Does it seem posi-,
BILE that self-respect can so wither?
That decency and love can be so
utterly wanting? And yet what is
here related was stated by these wo,
men, under oath, in Court of Justice
upon the trial of their husband
Enough. Let the subject dron