The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-18
TIE CANNON CASE.

untary surrender of Apostle George Q.
Cannon to the Federal Court authori-
ties. For many months the officers
have been in constant search for the
gentleman, exerting themselves to the
utmost to fud him, but without sue
cess. Yesterday morning he went into
court, gave himself into the custody Of
the Marshal, and announced himself
ready to answer the indictments for IN
lawful rehabilitation, which it was known
had been found against him. The liz
diotments being read he entered plea
OF guilty, declared himself ready for
sentence, accepted the sentence of the
court, and was Immediately removed to
the Penitentiary, where he will suffer
the penalty pronounced against him.
The particulars of the proceedings will
be found detailed in this issue
of The HERALD, and will be read with in
terest by people of this Territory and
elsewhere. Naturally the affair was
the theme of popular conversation for
time, owing to the prominence of Mr..
Cannon in the Mormon Church, as
well as to his course in the past in this
very matter.
Something over eighteen months ago
the gentleman was arrested in Nevada,
brought to this city and placed under
bonds to appear on certain day and
abide by the action of the court. The
public is familiar with the story of the
prooeedin s in the case. Mr.. Cannon
did not answer to his name when it was
called by the officer on the day ap-
pointed for his appearance in court,
and the bonds were declared forfeited to
the government. Since then the de-
PENDANT has been in seclusion. At the
time and afterwards, his failure to re-
sp6nd was the subject of much COM
ment, and people have not yet ceased to
talk about it. 1t was such an unusual
and unlocked for circumstance for
an accused Mormon to fail
at such time that the eveTtt I nag ,n- ,
secession of great surprise, especially as
Mr.. Cannon was among the very fore.
most members of the Mormon Church.
THE HERALD explained then, and has
since had reason to know that it was
right, thai the gentleman's course was
not prompted by desire to avoid the
legitimate responsibility for his actions
He yielded to the solicitations of friends,
whose advice he could not well dis
regard, and against his own ideas Of
what was proper for him to do under
the circumstances, and seemingly
placed himself in the attitude of de-
clining to do what he, as a leader and
official, advised his fellow religionists to
do. Those who are acquainted with
Mr.. Cannon know that he is not lack
ing in personal courage, nor is he want
ing in devotion to principle. He has
ever proven himself willing to do and
suffer for what he conceived to be right.
Nor is 1t clear that those who per-
suaded him to his course were in
error The courts at that time
were Influenced quite as much
by hate and malice as they
were guided by law. Indeed, the ill
terpretations put upon the statutes
were so outregeously vicious and ir-
regular that the community was terror
lied, and almost distracted. The in
famous segregation doctrine had been
devised and was being made to supple
ment the law with terrors and cruel
ties which the statutes never contem-
plated and did not warrant. Cruel
and heartless officers were applying
and enforcing the laws in 8 most wicked
manner. Mr.. Cannon was the object
of III, special hate of those in power.
This latter fact was abundantly proven
by the circumstances attending his ar
rest. The offense with which he was
charged was petty one, involving an
aggregate penalty of six months i'm
prisonment and $500 fine; yet after he
was in custody and could have been
taken from one end of the Territory to
the other by a single officer, he was hui
inflated by being surrounded and
guarded by company of Federal
soldiers with loaded arms; he was
placed under almost unheard-ot bonds
amounting to $4,000, and it was the
common talk that his enemies who
were in authority having gotten posses
sion of his person, would not let up
during his natural Ii e. What with
iuries selected with special reference to
their anxiety to convict, with the seq
regation infamy in force, and with
prejudiced courts and officers from the
highest to lowest. it looked as if the
viii ID permanently incarcerate the &C
cused would and could be carried into
effect. Under the circumstances, who
will say that Mr.. Cannon's friends were
wrong in urging him to avoid goinG
~ &hot moc rronorad fo