Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-03-07
ARE AFTER sMoor.
Detectives Claim 10 Have Evidence
That He Has Plural Wife.

That He Has Plural Wife.
Salt Lake City, Utah, March 3.-Two
cases Of alleged polygamy against
Apostle and Senator-E Elect Reed Smoot
are being worked up. 1t is not known
here to which of these Rev. j. l.. Lelilch
has reference In his affidavit presented
to the senate committee on privileges
and elections, but 1t may be both. One
or the women whose name is connected
with the case is Miss Mary Jones,
daughter of S. s. Jones, former mayor
of Provo, and the other is Miss Amelia
Greenwood of American Fork, Utah.
Fol months detectives have been at
work trying to collect evidence to show
that Smoot was married to these two
women The results of these investi-
cations have been kept secret by per-
sons working or the case, because 1t
has been understood that the testimony
so far obtained has not been sufficient
to cur a conviction in court on a
polygamy charge. One reason for this
is the fact that all marriage records in
the Mormon church are kept from the
eyes of the public and positive written
evidence is therefore extremely diff
cult to obtain.
The investigators now, however, are
convinced that Smoot has taken at
least n plural wife, whether they can
prove it or not. Both the women in
question are 80 years Of age. Both mar
riages i'm question are nc TO have been
celebrated within the last seven years.
Wedding With Miss Greenwood.
1t is alleged that the wedding with
Miss Greenwood look place in the tenn
pie at Manti, Utah, in 1896. h main
tanned her residence in American Fork
n ii is alleged hat Smoot supported
her there and visited her frequently.
This Mrs. Smoot is now in Chihuahua,
Mexico. She was sent there a little
over W years ago, about the time that
Smoot first began to seek a seat in the
United States senate.
Rev. j.. L.. Lelilch, a Methodist mis-
sionary who is Shoots accuser, charges
| specifically that Smoot is a polygamist
and now has a plural wife, although he
deems it ineXpedient to give the maiden
name. His charge follows:
THAT the said Reed Smoot is a
polygamist and that since the admis-
sion Of Utah into the union he, al
though then and there having a legal
wife, married a plural wife in violation
of the laws and compacts ~hereinbefore
described, n since such polygamous
marriage has lived and cohabited with
both his legal wife and his plural wife
in Utah and elsewhere, as occasion of
fered; and that the MY record Of such
plural marriage is the secret record
made and kept by the church of Jesus
| Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is
in exclusive custody of the first presi-
dency and twelve apostles Of the said
church, of which the said Reed Smoot
is one, and is beyond the control OF
power of the protestants.
Your protestant asks that the SEN
ate compel the first presidency and
twelve apostles and Smoot to produce
such secret record. Your protestant is
advised by counsel that it is mex
! pedient at this time to give further par
| ticulars concerning such plural mar
| riage and its results, the place in which
it was solemnized or the maiden name
OF the plural wife"
Committee Deprecates Charges.
The committee representing the Mil.
isterial association n citizens who
protested against seating Reed Smoot
in the United States senate, have SEN
a telegram to Senator Burrows, chair.
man Of the senate committee or
privileges and elections, d~eprecating the
charges of polygamy filed with the
committee by Rev. ]. L. Leilitch, as
tending to obscure the main issue
raised against Smoot, that of his beins
an apostle of the Mormon church. The
telegram is signed by Farley S. VIII.
Jams and E.. b. Critchlow, representins
the citizens committees, and Rev. w
NJ. Paden Of the First Presbyterian
church, representing the Ministerial as.
ISOLATION.
This action was taken after a meet
ing at which sentiment seemed unani.
nous hat the polygamy charge should
play no part in the fight against Smoot
I'VE feel that polygamy is in not way
an ISSUE" said a member of the asso.
citation. The principle for which W.
are fighting is that as an apostle in the
Mormon church Smoot has no right tC
a seat in the United States senate. THAI
he is or is not a polygamist does not
play any part