The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-16
LUNDSTROM ON STAND
FURTHER DISCLOSURES INTO
 SECRETS OF CHURCH.
Endowment House obligations Taken as siGu of Faith and Are Be-
 Meved to Be sacred

ns Stgn or FaNn an~
 lieved to Be Sacreo
 Talisman.
 Washington. Dec 15.--August I.und- strom was recalled for cross examina- tion when the Senator Shoot investiga- tion was resumed today before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. Attorney Vancott. for Sena- tor Shoot. asked the witness if he had ever decided the obligations taken in the temple as a huge joke or In the light of vaudeville performance.
 T always regarded the oaths as sacred" he said. Then he deciared that the men cannot pass through the temples to take endowments for wo- men.
 "Mr. Lundstrom again read to the committee the oath of vengeance. or law of retribution. over which there has been controversy between wit nesses. The oath was as given by MT. Willis in his corrected testimony. The witness told the committee also of the practice of mutilation prescribed for revealing the tokens or violating the vovenants. The whole conErega- tion passing through the temple re- pented in the first person the obliga- ton and the penalties and executed the signs accompanying them. The last ceremony he attended the witness said was in 1898 at the temple when Apostle Merrill. officiated at the Seedlings. Lectures were delivered by the wit ness at the Swedish Lutheran Church in which he gave his reasons for leav- ing the church.
 Were you ever taken to task for your statements? asked Mir. DuBois.
 Well the officials of the church call Al rlar M~ Aat He was asked if he ever married in polygamy. .only in a way" he re- piled.
 Have you had a plural wifeT"
 "Yes. sir."
 Then he explained that the dead wo- man had been sealed to him for eter- nifty but that he had never lived with but one wife.
 John Nicholson. the Chief of the Rec ords of the Mormon Temple at Salt Lake, was sworn.
 A Reluctant Witness.
 He proved the most reluctant witt ness of all the church officials who have bees brought before the Commit tee.
 By a slow process the attorney for the protestants drew from him the fact that he keeps the records of marriages. baptisms and endowments which are solemnized within the temple. He explained that the endowments are the placing upon individuals blessing that will be upon them during this life and in all eternity.
 Attorney Taylor questioned Mir. Nicholson closely concerning the man. ner of keeping the records and ob- tained from him a statement that he has access to all the records, but he would not admit having authority over them nor that he knew who Is in au- thority. He said he knew where to find the records of all persons married within the temple or who had taken the endowment and could give such in- formation upon demand, adding. how ever, that unless the person making the request was entitled to informa- ton it would not be given to him. He said he was responsible for the safe keeping of the records and that so far as he knew no part of them had ever been taken from the temple.
 T believe you were served with a subpoena to bring all the records in the temple?" asked Mir. Taylor.
 At the request of Attorney Worth ington the subpoena was produced which called for the marriage records only.
 Did you bring all of the temple re- COruS. dSheu MT I Idy lOE'
 No, sir, I could not I have no au- thority to do so."
 He added that the brought one re- cord. that of the marriages performed within the temple. He was asked where he kept the record of the en- dowment house marriages. He said that they were in the temple but that he had no authority over those nor would he admit knowledge as to who has such authority.
 MT. Nicholson said the book he brought with him contained the record of every marriage performed within the temple since 1t opened May 21, 1893, and that records of marriages perform ed outside the temple are not kept in this book.
 On cross examination the witness de- clared that no marriage had been per- formed within the temple except when the legal license had been issued by the clerks of courts; that the marriages performed there had always been for time and eternity, none for time only.
 MT. Nicholson also said no record of marriage ceremonies Is kept by him. Wallis Recalled. J. s. Wallis, who was on the stand yesterday, was recalled. He said tha. in addition to others he had revealed the secrets of the endowment house to a number of Salt Lake City ministers and also to other residents of that city. Among them were Doctors Page and Christianson
 Referring to the statement of the witness yesterday that the penalty for telling these secrets is to have the throat cut Mir. Worthington asked the witness If his (the witness) throat had ever been cut. He replied In the nega- tive. He had been once assaulted on the street but did not know by whom. He also said that he Is not now connected with the Mormon Church.
 Mir. Lundstrum at the afternoon ses- sion explained his marriage to a dead woman, and said this ceremony is called Sealing" and was for time and eter- nifty. He was sealed to his legal wife,