The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-02-27
Speaker Hull Sure.
THE NEWS IN SALT LAKE.
springing of the Situation Was Not
Unexpected.


Rev. DR. Leilich, in presenting his
charges that Senator-elect Smoot is a
polygamist, in no way represented the
Ministerial alliance of this city. accord
ing to the statement of members Of the
alliance
This charge is a personal affair of
DR.. Leilich's.' said DR.. w NJ Paden
yesterday. The Ministerial alliance
knows nothing of the facts upon which
ne bases the accusation. DIR. Leilich
worked up the matter himself and
none of the evidence that he has was
ever laid before the association. DR..
Lelllch does not represent the alliance
in this matter, and the ministers are
not bound by any act of his at all.
What evidence he has we do not know,
but if he can prove his charge the al
lance is ready to stand behind him in
pushing it,
viii Back Leilich.
II knew that something of this kind
was going TO be placed before the SEN
ate short time ago, but / do not know
the full text of the protest. L expect
to hear from DR.. Leilich in a short time
and will no doubt learn then just what
the protest is. I have no idea who the
alleged plural wife may be, for the al
lance has made no Investigations along
that line. Whatever investigation was
MS protest is in no way connected with
that of the alliance or the citizens
committee. However, as 1 have said
If he proves his claim I have no doubt
but that the signers of both the other
petitions viii stand back OF him in his
work =
Ministers Not Surprised.
The filing of this charge was not a
surprise to the ministers and number
Of others, for it was known among
quite a number that DR.. Ieilich was
working upon something of the kind,
although the exact nature of his pro-
cedure was not known until infOrma-
ton came Of the filing of the protest.
Many Rumors Af1oat.
There has been considerable conjec-
ture about who the alleged plural wife
of Mr.. Smoot is. Rumor has connected
the names Of two women in a matri-
mOnial way with that of Mr.. Smoot re-
Gently, and 1t is supposed that one of
these is the one referred to in the pro-
test of DR.. Leilich. One woman was a
Miss Greenwood of American Fork, and
the other a Miss Jones of Provo. A
mere rumor, that never amounted to
more than a rumor, had it that about
Tour or five years ago Mr.. Smoot was
married to Miss Greenwood in the Man
ii temple. No proof of this rumor could
ever be secured. Another rumor had it
that Mr.. Smoot was married about
three years ago to Miss Jones, the
daughter of eX-MayOr Jones of Provo
- Whether either of these women is the
one referred to in DR.. Leilich's protest,
the persons here who have been inter
esting themselves in the fight against
Mr.. Smoot, claim that they do not
know.
President Smiths Denial.
President Joseph F. Smith and the
authorities of the Mormon church
would not be seen by Herald repre- |
sentative yesterday about the charges !
of DR.. Leilich that Mr.. Smoot was a
polygamist. but the Deseret Evening
News, the official organ of the church, |
makes the following statement coming
from President Smith:
You may state in the most emphatic !
terms possible that there is not one
word Of truth in the assertion that Reed /
Smoot is or has been a polygamist or |
that he has married plural wife either |
since or before Utah became a state of |
the Union. Mr.. Smoot has never had /
but one wife at any time. AS to the /
record which I understand from the |
we are desired to produce, |
there is no such record. No plural or /
polygamouS marriages have been So /
lemnized by sanction of the church for |
many years and, therefore, there is not /
and cannot be a record kept concerning I
them. The whole story about Reed |
SmOot is a sheer fabrication, evidently (
designed to hinder his taking the seat |
in the United States senate to which he
was elected by the Legislature of Utah. /
1t is untrue in every particular. Every
ceremony performed by the |
church is such as the law provides for,
and the license issued by the county /
clerk has to be produced in every in
stance before the ceremony can take
place"