Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-06
A ScandalOus Cyclone Strikes the Big
Tabernacle and Stlrs Up the
Saints.
Bishop John Q. Cannon Confesses His
Crime and Is Fired by His
Uncle Angus.
lie Becomes the Prey Of Ills Passions
and Is Nlpped in the Bud Of
Prosperous Career.

Gle, and as the news spread about the
city the shock went with it, until the
scandal was the topic on every hand.
"For ways that are dark and tricks that
are VAIN the brethren have long been
noted, but those who felt that they were
prepared for anything from this source,
could not but have been surprised by the
words uttered from the pulpit by Bishop
John q. Cannon.
The meeting had been opened az usual,
and the congregation had settled down to
listen 10 long harangue from Elder
Nicholson, when some who were present
noticed the entrance of the man whose
| speech was so soon to rouse the people
as they had never been reused before.
Bishop Cannon took his seat behind the
pulpit, and was noticed to whisper some
thing to the presiding brother. In an
instant Elder Nicholson was interrupted
and asked to sit down, and amid breath
less silence
BISHOP CANNON AROSE.
He started out in very low tone, but as
he proceeded his voice grew stronger
and was soon audible over the entire
building. He begged the pardon of the
brethren and sisters for appearing before
them at such time and asked their kind
indulgence while he spoke few words
to them. He said he had been guilty of
crime of which he had since heartily
repented; he had been guilty OF crime
which in his church was considered next
to the crime OF murder; he had been
guilty of adultery. He said that he had
betrayed the trust which the people had
placed in him, and he was therefore I'M
worthy to hold his bishopric. He prayed
that God might forgive him and that God
might give the people the charity to for
give him too.
AT the conclusion Of his speech he sat
down, and as general hum passed over
the congregation they hardly noticed the
entrance of Angus NJ. Cannon, who
bobbed up serenely from the under
ground, said his little piece and disap-
peared as suddenly back into oblivion.
BROTHER ANGUS
Reminded the congregation, first OF all,
that he (Angus) had not been seen by the
people for over year, having been in
exile for conscience sake on account OF
the bitter prosecutions of the people. He
upon the people to vote for the excom-
municaton OF John O. Cannon, who had
Just confessed to the crime of adultery.
Angus, Or Anguish, as he is more apty
called by some OF his people, spoke OF
how much worse it was to do this duty
than to serve six months in the Pen. He
spoke OF his personal feelings in having
to ask the people to cut off his nephew
whom he had loved so dearly, and spoke
ut some length OF the depth to which
young Cannon had descended in betray-
ing the great and glorious trust that had
been placed in him.
lie then made motion that "Bishop
John q. Cannon be cut off from the
Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints for immoral and unchristian-like
conduct" The vote was unanimous,
and according to the Mormon belief, the
soul OF their once beloved brother was
thus condemned to the bottomless depths
OF an eternal hell.
ELDER JOHN NICHOLSON,
Who had been interrupted in the middle
OF his discourse, again arose, and devoted
the remainder OF his time to the con-
domination OF tie erring Bishop. AT the
conclusion OF his speech, Bishop Cannon
passed for the last time from the pulpit
OF the great Tab" and was far away
before the congregation had been dis
missed.
John q. Cannon, who was thus severed
from the glories OF an eternal life, is a
young man hardly 30 years OF age. He
is son OF George Q. Cannon, the apos-
tolic head OF the Mormon Church. He
has, through the influence of his father,
been pushed ahead in church affairs
until he held, at the time of his fall, one
OF the most important positions in the
kingdom" He was acting as councillor
to Bishop Breston, the presiding bishop
OF the church. He is young man who
has made great professions to his people,
and in whom the Saints had the utmost
confidence and felt the greatest respect
lie has never taken any active part in
politics, but within the past few months
the rumor has been widely circulated
that his proud and ambitious father had
set his mind upon placing this promising
son in the Mormon seat in the House of
Representatives OF the United States.
Socially the man has been held in high
esteem by his Mormon friends, and in the
commission OF his crime he drags down
with him pure, loving wife and two or
tiiiSO ~ NuS az OIlt
time rumored that he had gone into
polygamy, and it was for the publication
of this rumor that he administered a
severe chastisement to the reporter of
certain morning sheet.
The first question which arises when
ever man gets into trouble is, "who's
the woman" and this is the question
which is now troubling the public. Some
say that the crime was committed during
his visit to California, others that it was
before that time, and still others that it
was since his return. There has as yet
been nothing but the vaguest suspicion,
founded upon mere circumstantial evil
dence which would lead in any way to
the solution OF the leading question, and
not caring to venture even guess upon
the important question OF woman's pur-
ity, nothing more will be said upon the
subject until the facts are further devel-
oped.
As stated above, according to the
Mormon creed, Cannon loses, by his
crime, not only his standing upon earth,
but all chances OF ever attaining heaven.
His business prospects are ruined, his
social standing is gone, his religious
hopes are wrecked, and with this all be-
fore him he might well pray rs he did
yesterday, ooh Lord, lay not this charge
to my soul"