Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-12-16
Il DON'T KNOW"
A Typical Mormon Boys Answers as
Given Recently in the First
District Court.
Alfred StOwell Exhibits His Know
Nothing PrOcliyities Before
Judge Henderson.
The Trials of an Ogden Grand Jury In
Trying TO Draw Blood From
II Turnip.

A few days ago, during the trial OF
cohabitation case in the First District
Court at Ogden, young boy named
Alfred Stowell gave glazing exhibition
Of the prevalent habit among witnesses
in this class of cases for answering 81
don't know" The DEMOCRAT has Sc
cured Il stenographic copy OF the report,
and it is published in full as an example
of the perjury 80 common in these latter
days.
The boy had been before the Grand
Jury and had anwered 81 don't know"
to every question that had been put to him.
He was then brought before the Court
with the request that he be admonished,
and the following proceedings took place
The Court-Young man, what is your
name? Witness-Alfred Stowell.
Q.-Where do you live? A.-Kanes-
vile.
Q.-How far is that from here? Al
don't know.
Q.-You live at Kanesvile. Have you
alwaws lived there? Al don't know.
Q.-Have you lived there ever since
you can remember? No answer.
Question repeated Al don't know
whether | have or not.
Q.-You know whether you have lived
at Kanesvile ever since you can remem-
Der, don't YOU? That is not asking you
for anything except just what you re.
member about it. Do you recolect OF
ever living in any other place? A;-No.
Q.-Then you have lived at Kanes-
oil OF
haven't you? Ayes.
Q.-What is your fathers name? A.
| don't know what his name is.
Q.-What do You call him? Ave
call him Pa.
Q.-What do other people call him
Al don't know what they call him.
Odd you never hear anybody call
him by name? A.-No.
Q.-Don't you know his name is Stow
ell? Ayes.
Q.-Why didn't you say that before in
stead OF saying you did not know what
his name was? No answer.
Q.-You say now that his name is
Stowell. What was the reason you told
me Just now that you didn't know what
his name was? A.-IIis given name is
what thought you wanted.
o. didn't ask you for his given
name. You know his name is Stowell ;
you have heard him called Stowell a
great many times, haven't you? Ayes
Q.-What is your age? Ala years
Q.-You are IA years of age, are you !
Did you ever 90 to school? "A little
bit
Q.-Can you read? A.-No
Q.-What did you study when yor
went to school? A.-Studied A, B, G.
Q.-But you never succeeded in learn
ing them? A.-No.
Q.-You refused, believe, to answer
what your name was until after you hac
consultation with your mother? A.
No.
Q.--You said you didn't know, didn'
you? And you refused 10 answer abou
your age? A.-Yes.
Q.-What did you do that for? A.
| didn't know my age.
Odd you ask your mother what youl
age was when you consulted with her
A.-No.
Q.-Then how did you come to know
it few minutes afterward? A.-Sht
told me.
Odd she tell you II years? A.
No.
Odd she tell you you were IA year
old? A. Yes.
Q.-You don't know what reason yo,
had for not telling that before, eX
cept that you didn't know before tina
time? A.-No.
Q.-Don't you know that your mothe
had just testified before the Grand Jur,
that your age was II? A.-No.
Q.-What is you mothers name? A
| don't know, only Stowell.
Q,-Do you pretend to say that yo
don't know what your mothers givel
name is? Ayes.
Q.-Haven't you heard your fathe
call her by her given name? A.-No.
Q.-What do the neighbors call he
when they address her? A.-Mrs
Stowell.
Q.-What do you call her? Ana.
Q.-What does your father call her
A.-Calls her the same, l guess.
Odd you ever hear your father cal
her Mrs. Stowell? Ale just talks t
her like do.
Q.-You say you call her ma? A.
Yes.
Ole don't call her mama, does he
Ale does.
Q.-And that is all the name you knoN
for her, is it? Ayes, it is.
Q.-Who lives in the house with you
, A.-Nobody, only our own family.
t Q.--Tell us who your family are? A
| can't tell you.
Q.-Your father and mother live there
don't they? Yes.
Q.-Have you got a sister? A.-Yes
; Q.-What is her name? Ale
name is Nancy
Q,-Have you got any brothers. A.
Yes.
Q.-What are their names? A.-Da
, and Jeff and Archie.
: Q.-Then there is your father, you
, mother, these three brothers and your
self-that constitutes the family, does it
That is the family, is it? A.-Yes.
Dwell, you told these gentlemen
that you didn't know your fathers nam
or your mothers name? A.-Well,
don't know.
Q.-You knew it was Stowell? NJ
answer.
The Court to Foreman Farrell-Di,
= you ask him about his brothers and sis
) ters? Foreman Farrell-Yes, sir. AM
, he spelled his name all right. lie cal
= spell and read, too, ii he wants to.
The Court-Did you ask him about hi
: brothers and sisters? Foreman Farrell
lie said he didn't know any Of his family
his brothers or sisters, his own name, no
nothing
The Court to witness-What is you
name? ALFRED Stowell.
Q.-Now, it won't do for you to say t.
all these questions that you don't know
because it is plainly apparent that yol
do know. You can't escape in that way
by saying that you don't know, becaus
you evidently do know. You are youn
- q, hot 4 Ia,