Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-02
False Report Regarding Nor
mon Church President.
Mr.. CANNON EXPLAINS
APPEARS Of BEFORE COMMITTEE
HEARING THE sMoOT CASE.
Retreats Statements Made in Utah as
to Acts of President Joseph
F. Smith.

Angus M. Cannon. jr, son Of Angus NJ.
Cannon. former president of the Salt Lake
stake OF Mormons in Utah. travelled from
Salt Lake to Washington to inform the
senate committee on privileges and cleo
TONS that he had perjured himself in in
forming prominent Gentfles in Utah that
President Joseph F. Smith of the Mormon
Church had performed plural marriage
ceremonies. Mr. Cannon was a witness m
the smoot investigation today. He said
that he had told false stories in regard to
PRESIDENT Smith marrying his cousin,
Abram II. Cannon. to Lillian Hamlin, a
fourth wife. His only excuse was that he
had been drinking and conceived the idea
that to tell such a story would be a good
joke on the Gentiles referred to, "as any
thing against the, Mormons tickled them
all over"
Members Of the Senate committee on
privileges and elections received commu-
n me; several days ago from E. B.
CrltchloW or Salt Lake to the effect that
Cannon would go on the stand and testify
mat Aoram H. Cannon and Lillian Hamlin
were married on the high seas between Los
angeles and the Catalina Islands. and that
Church performed the ceremony. Crtchlow
stated that Angus NJ. Cannon jr, had
said ne was present and witnessed the
ceremony. Consequently arrangements
were made for the meeting today
The Witness Questioned.
After the witness had been sworn he was
questioned by Mr.. Tayler, counsel for the
prosecution. in regard to the incident.
The witness said that he knew Abram H.
Cannon intimately they had been asso-
ciated together in business. He said that
Abram had three wives at the time of his
death in the fall of 1896, but that there
was another wife he knew about. He gave
the names of the three wives as Sarah NJ
jenkins, Wilhelmina NJ. Cannon, sister of
the witness, and Mary e Croxall. Abram
H. Cannon had children by all of them.
Did you know Abram to associate with
a woman called Lillian Hamlin?" asked Mr.
Tayler
IT know he took her riding He used my
buggy" q as.e
Did you know he was engaged to herr"
He did not say anything about that. He
said she had been engaged to his brother
| David, who died on mission to Germany
l never heard him say he was engaged to
her." ST5. - Dr.
Did you teaf E. w Wilson Of Salt Lake
that you saw abrams H. Cannon and Lillian
Hamlfn marrfed?' y
II think DID tell him.
The witness stated that Wilson is well
known In Sa1t Lake lis cashier of the Com
mercial National Bank and gentleman Of
high standing! Eq- -,s. '-
What He Told Wilson.
In response TO questions, answered with
the briefest Of admissions it was drawn
from the witness that he had told Wilson
within the last two weeks that in 1895, In
Los Angeles, ten orp'twelve persons char
tered vessel for the Catalina Islands, and
that in the party. in addition to himself,
we're Joseph F. Smith and one of his wives;
Abraiii f. cannon and his wife, wilhelmI-
na,' sister TO the witness; a man named
Langford and Lillian Hamlin After the
boat had gone some distance from Los
Angeles members of the party, with two
or three exceptions, retired to the cabin,
H. Cannon and Lillian Hanlin. The wit
ness said that after his sister, Cannon's
second wife. heard what was going on she
got angry and left the cabin
The witness, under direct examination
said that later in the day on which he had
told the story to Wilson he met Mr. Critch-
low and Mr.. Wilson. and he repeated SUBJ
stantially the same story. When asked
how he happened to tell the story in regard
to the marriage the witness said:
We'll, I had read the testimony which
Mr.. Smith gave in Washington, and I told
MT. Wilson that I knew that Smith did
know of polygamous marriages since the
manifesto, because he had performed one
himself
Mr.. Tayler drew from the witness the
fact that he also had telephoned to Perry
Heath and made an appointment at the Of
Ace of the Salt Lake Tribune, at which no
told Mr.. Heath the same story he had re-
lated to Messrs Critehlow and Wilson. He
declared that he had seen no one except
Critchlow. and that was on the day he had
received the subpoena.
Are you still satisfied that Smith married
them?" asked Senator Dubois.
"Of course don't know that he married
them, but think that he did," was the an
swer.
The witness declared that the only per-
sons in Utah who wnew that he was start
Ing for Washington were the members of
his family, his brother -in-law and the
United States marshal.
who told you of the ceremony on the
high seas?''
My wife said she was satisfied that the
marriage took place just as related"
ANY one else?'
II cannot think of any Others"
Senator Dubois-"Were you with Abram
H Cannon before his deathT'
Through his entire Illness"
Where did he d1e?e
AT my sisters house,
WAS Lillian Hamlin there2"
Part of the time.
HAS she a childT' -
Yes, a daughter"
What is her name?'
'Marva.'
Her last manner?
Cannon" e4 "a
The witness said that the child was rec
ognized as the daughter of Abram H. Cam
non, and treated as sister by others of
Cannon's children,
He Had Been Drinking.
The witness, IN reply to questions by
Senator McComas said ne had been drink
ing when he told the story about the mar
rage on the bp4t, and that he did 1t as q