The San Francisco call., 1899-12-20
PROVING THAT ROBERTS
HAS A TRIO OF WIVES
MdnV Utah Witnesses Give TeSti-
InOny Before the House Special
Committee.

W III i i
WASHINGTON. Dec. ia number OF
witnesses from Utah appeared to-day be-
fore the committee OF the House of Rep
resentauves which is investigating the
case of Polygamist Roberts. They includ-
ed Mrs. Dr. Luella Miles, a practicing
physician of Salt Lake City; Mrs Nc
Dougan. e. l.. Mcdaniel and S. l. Wish
ard. all OF Salt Lake City. Mr.. Roberts
was present and conducted the cross-ex-
animation.
Mrs. DR.. Miles was the first witness
| She gave her profession as that OF a
physician at Salt Lake City and a member
OF the Medical Society there. She gave
the details OF call she made at the house
Of Mrs. Dr. Maggie Shipp Roberts on
April u, 1897. relative 10 some medical
society affairs. She addressed Mrs. Shipp
Roberts as DIR Shipp." whereupon. the
witness said. she was interrupted with the
remark:
Doctor. you can call me DR.. Roberts"
| Mrs Roberts went on to explain, the
witness said, that she had been married
! to Roberts for several years. She asked
that the medical society mail sent her In
/ future be addressed TO DIR. Roberts" not
/ DIR. Shpp."
| Subsequently the witness called at the
| house. and after a time Roberts came in
\ and was introduced. She could not recall
! whether there was specific introduction
as husband or whether his entry was with
/ such familiarity as 10 indicate a marital
status.
When Roberts cross-examined the wit
/ ness she repeated the same story.
After the witness had stepped aside
! Roberts submitted an objection TO the ef
I feet that this testimony related TO 1891,
whereas the committee had no jurisdic-
ton over him prior TO his becoming d
member of Congress.
Then you contend" said Chairman
/ Tayler, that the testimony should be
Quent 10 March /. 1882
! Il do" answered Roberts.
The objection Will be noted" responded
Rev. 5. h. Wishard was the next wit
ness. lie gave his business as that OF
! superfntendent of the home missionary
! work OF the Presbyterian Synod, embrac-
! ing Utah He knew Roberts and Mrs. DR..
! Roberts and related his nTSt meeting with
the latter in September 1897 rms oc-
! CURED, he said, on the train at Manu.
! Utah. he was in the car with Roberts
/ and spoke with him. lady sat beside
him and he beckoned to her and then in
/ troduced her, saying:
! Mrs. Roberts, Mr.. WiShard.
/ On cross-eXamination Roberts brought
out Wishard's opposition to Mormonism
| and then asked:
WAS Roberts drunk when he made this
/ introduction referred top
Not that know Of"
WAS he insane
Il do not know"
What possible reason, then" asked
| Roberts, could Roberts have had for put
/ ting himself in such position with one
/ who opposed him.
The witness said he could not explain
| reasons; he repeated that the facts were
Mrs Maria McDougall testified that on
| July p, 1898, she was on a train and Rob
erts and Mrs. DR.. Roberts Travelled on the
same.
once heard Mr.. Roberts introduce his
companion as my wife. " testified Mrs.
/ McDOugall, and repeatedly as Mrs. Rob
erts'
Edward McDaniels. former manager of
. the Salt Lake Herald was examined at
/ considerable length, mainly on the politics
| and convention affairs pertaining TO Rob
erts' nomination to Congress. In 1896,
while managing the Herald, he had con-
| Versation with Roberts, in the course of
/ which Roberts told him he had three fam
/ lilies. Subsequently, in lSSS. the witness
said there was another conversation prior
I TO the nominating convention relative TO
I rumors against Roberts. The latter said
he thought this line of opposition would
| not prove effective, as he would court an
/ attack as TO the plurality of wives.
On cross-eXaminatiOn McDaniels said he
] had opposed the nomination of Roberts.
| Roberts asked the witness:
Did not Roberts state at these conver-
sations that Celia Dibble Roberts lived
! out of the Slater
ness.
What Roberts did say" the witness
| continued was that he was not guilty
! Of the crime Of polygamy. as that crime
| had been defined by the Supreme Court in
! the taking of plural wives, thus making a
/ distinction from unlawful cohabitation."
I McDaniels said his retirement from the
/ Herald was because he did not wish to
defend Roberts while living in polygamous
relations.
Schroeder. the Gentle representative,
| who conducted the direct examination,
submitted a copy Of an editorial by Rob
I erts in the New Era relating TO polygamy
~ -
Roberts presented a formal objection TO
the testimony On general lines already
AT the afternoon session I. j. Brandon,
! a resident of Centerville, Utah, where he
/ had been Postmaster and Probate Judge,
testified that he had known B. III. Roberts
for years also Louisa Smith Roberts and
! Celia Dibble Roberts. lie knew the chill
dren of Louisa Smith Roberts-hve or six
in number. Celia Dibble Roberts also had
six children. II he remembered correctly.
! He knew that on the morning of August
IL. 1897 IL was currently reported about
twins born to him by Celia Dibble
Roberts. He had seen them frequently
/ since then. He also gave circumstantial
Roberts, who, he said were recognized in
the town as the children of Il. II. Roberts
and called for the mail OF Della Roberts
! and occasionally for b. II. Roberts while
the witness was Postmaster.
on crOSS-eNaminatio the witness said
he knew nothing beyond general repute:
had not been introduced to Celia Roberts
and had never called at the house He
| said he had attended "A town meeting and
made a speech saying he would vote for
Roberts as he was the ''whitest" man OF
the two sides. He had voluntarily sepa-
| rated himself from the Mormon faith
On redirect examination Brandon told
of a funeral in the family OF Celia Dib-
BILE Roberts. Il. II. Roberts was present
| at the funeral. Afterward he saw the
| tombstone at the grave OF this child
| which read:
Lena, daughter of Celia and Brigham
II. Roberts,
In reply TO Chairman Tayler Brandon
said Celia Dibble Roberts now occupied
the house formerly occupied by Louisa
Smith Roberts. who had moved into a
new house built by b. II. Roberts b II
| Roberts owned both buildings according
| to general repute. While Postmaster.
when one of the Roberts children called
for mail for father" he delivered the
mail of b. II. Roberts.
Ray Brandon, son of the former witness
knew Roberts. Louisa Smith Roberts. Co
liza Dibhle Roberts and most II NOT all of
the children. He said ii was generally re-
ported that the twins were born to Celia
| and B. II. Roberts, and he had seen them
| and talked with them. He had aeon