Perth Amboy evening news., 1904-03-09
WITNESS
Lyman, Chief of Utah Twelve,
Before Senate Committee.
SMOOT DID NOT KNOW HIS WIVES
Senator HOnr COrnered the Witness
at everaI Points and Made Him
Take Back Previous Asser-
tiOns as Presentations.

~
tiOns as PRESENTATIONS.
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The sen
ate committee on privileges and cleo
tons in the Investigation of the pro-
tests against Senator Reed Smoot OF
Utah brought out a variety of testi-
mony, of which the most sensational
was that given by Francis NJ. Lyman.
president of the twelve apostles of the
Mormon church and the man chosen
to be the successor of President Smith.
His admissions were similar to those
previously made by Mr.. Smith pertain
ing to the church government. He is
more free of speech than the president
of the church, and his testimony,
though not materially differing, caus-
ed several of the apostles present to
shake their heads at the witness for
the purpose of compelling more discre-
ton in answering questions. Mr.. Ly-
man is angularly built, his face is COW
cred with a growth of bushy red whis-
kers, and his speech is blunt.
Mr.. Lyman in his evidence said the
principle of getting consent was that
q shepherd could not leave his flock of
sheep until his successor came to take
charge, and therefore it was required
that officials must get authority before
leaving their official duties in the
church.
Apostles Grant and Teasdale were
chosen by revelation to President
Snow" said Mr.. Lyman, land Il reve-
lation also was given me in regard to
these men,"
He explained that the latter revela-
ton came after President Snow had
told him the ame of the men he want
cd chosen to the vacancies. Mr.. Ly-
man was asked what distinction he
made between the revelations he obey
ed and those he did not obey.
Il suppose you mean the laws l have
i confessed that l have violated in CO.
habitation with plural wives?' he
asked.
When told that was what was meant
he said:
Il trust myself to the mercy of the
Lord
Have you ever repented of that dis
~obedience?" asked Mr.. Hoar.
Not yet"
did Senator Smoot know you were
living with plural wives?' was asked.
Mr.. Lyman answered that Senator
Smoot did not know, rs lie never had
met any one of, his wives. He said that
the people i'll general in Utah knew,
! but that he did not think MIR. Smoot
: had any knowledge of the TACT. He
: said he was so generally known and
his reputation was so wide that what
was admitted as Il fact in regard to
him would be accepted by the people
as true.
Chairman Burrows insisted ON know
ing if the people of Utah knew in re-
gard to his life why Senator Smoot
could not know just as well. The
witness responded several times that
the people must have known, but that
Senator Smoot did not, whereupon
Senator Hoar demanded to know what
the witness meant by such answers.
The witness then said that Senator
Smoot probably knew just as much
about the question as the people in
general.
do you take back what you said,
then. that the people knew and Sena-
tor Smoot did not know asked Sena-
tor Hoar.
II take that back"
Don't you think, Mr.. Apostle, that
it behooves you to be a little careful
about what you say, so that you will
not have anything TO take back?' ask
ed the senator severely.
Charles j. Merrill, Il son of Apostle
Merrill, was called to the stand. He
said he was the son of his fathers third
plural wife and is himself Il polyga-
mist. In answer to questions concern
ing his own marriages Mr.. Merrill said
he was married first in 1887 to Il wifa
that died in 1889 and that he married
his illegal wife," Chloe Hendricks, in
1891 and had five children by her. He
had married another wife in 1888, the
ceremony being performed in the Lo-
gan temple.
"The marriage to my legal wife in
1891" said Mr.. Merrill, was solemn
lied by my father"
"Were you living with Apna b. Stod
utIu With yOu lHdllCu tht NOhiu
you call your legal wifei' was asked.
Il was, although she had no house
She stayed at the home of her father
and her mother. and l lived with my
mother answered the witness.
In answer to questions from Chair
man Burrows Mr.. Merrill said he now
has two wives and is %cohabiting will
both.
He admitted in response to questions
that he knew that in living in polyga'
my he was d%isobeying both the law OF
the land and the rule of the church,
He also said that he was not only now
living in polygamous cohabitation, but
that he would continue to do so.
New Secretary of Military Records.
RICHMOND, Val, March 9.-MajoI
robert w. Hunter Of Winchester has