The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-11
THE THATCHER EPISODE
DETAILS ARE GIVEN BY E. B.
 CRITCHLow.
Witness Before Senate Committee Gives Evidence of Necessity of Church's Consent to Run
 For sOfice.

most interesting and important features of the investigation of the Reed Shoot case before the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, was brought out today in the testimony of F.. B. Critchlow, formerly an assistant United States attorney in Utah. who told the story of the Moses Thatcher episode. According to his version which was borne out by official records. Apostle Thatcher persisted in continuing as a candidate for the United States Senate against the wishes of quorum of the | apostles and on that account was held to l be mot in harmony with his quorum" The history of the campaign he made l against the wishes of his fellow Nor mons, of his defeat and his subsequent 1 trial before a committee of the church officials. was given in detail and then
 Thatcher's submission to the will of the Church was read and put in the record | Of the investigation.
 This recantation showed Thatcher to-
 tally broken in spirit and lowing abso-
 lutely to the church in that the consent of an official quorum must be obtained in order that he may continue in good standing.
 The purpose of the testimony was to show that it was necessary, according to | the rules of the church, for Reed Shoot to have obtained the consent of the church before he could have become a candidate for the Senate.
 In addition to the Thatcher episode, Mir. | Critchlow gave the history of the prose- cution in Utah on charges of polygamous rehabilitation since the passage of the Ed munds law and legislation in State and Territory which affects Mormonism or polygamy.
 l Andrew Jensen. assistant historian of | the Mormon Church, was recalled as the | first witness today in the Senator Reld l Shoot case before the Senate Commit l tee on Privileges and Elections. He said | on cross-examination that there were
 number of typographical errors in his
 statements in the biographies of the Lat ter Day Saints. and that he got great
 deal of the information for the volume
 from other publications. Chairman Bur- | rows asked witness to furnish a list of
 the presidents of the fifty-three stakes | and he agreed to do so as soon as he
 could prepare 1t, The chairman indicated I that he also would seek a list of the
 bishops of the 700 wards. This is for the
 purpose of bringing additional witnesses l to Washington.
 l Mr. Worthington, for the defense, ada | ed that the opposing counsel had agreed | upon a statement of fact in regard to
 the testimony in the Teasdale divorce
 
 utlve session of the Committee. 1 Mir. Jensen gave an elaborate explan-
 ation of the machinery of the church | and the distribution of authority among apostles, presidents of stakes and bisE-
 ops. He said that aside from Salt Lake, Weaver and Summit counties the Nor mons were in the majority in all the counties of Utah.
 Senator Dubois asked witness In regard to the apostle, Heber J. Grant. MT. Jen- sen said Mr. Grant had the reputation
 of being a polygamist. He was form erly in charge of missions in Japan and
 was now in England in charge of the EG- 1 ropean mission. in reply to questions from Chairman Burrows, witness sad | Grant was reputed to be Q polygamst at the time he was named by President l SmithTls the head of the mission in Ja- pan It was understood, Mir. Jensen said, l that Grant took a wife to England. but he could not say whether the wife Gra'it l took to the Orient was the same one
 who was now in England MT Worthlngton asked Mir. Jensen if he meant by the term "reputed to be
 polygamist," that man has more than one wife or lives with more than one wife? He said he wanted the former | definition to be understood in every case us that was a statement which "the
 church allows to go unchallenged." In regard to punishments for breaking | rules of the church, Mir. Jensen said that any member, the president not except | ed, Is amenable to the bishop of his ward | and that other officials do not interfere. | He said such things are considered local | affairs" and tho bishops of wards have charge of tho conduct of all local affairs. Smith Not Prosecuted. cafd Droei6aNt Smith had testified that he had violated the laws since 1S90 and he asked of MT. | Jensen:
 DO you know whether MT. Smith has
 ever been interfered with for breaking
 tho laws?"
 q think he was not"
 Do you know of any non4Mormons who
 havn been prosecuted since 1S9O?'
 q don't know that any non-Mormons
 arc living in Utah with more than one
 wifo openly"
 He said further that he knew of the
 prosecution of ono Mormon-the case of
 Lorln farmer. who testified yesterday in
 regard to his arrest and conviction for | adultery.
 MT. Jensen said in answer to questions | from Senator Iioar that he had never
 known of any other prosecution of a l poygamist who continued to cohabit with : plural wives he had married prior to the 1 manifesto of 1890.
 Inforrer Would Be Hatel. | TIo said that If Mormons should turn | informers against q poygamist under 1 such conditionS-aGlinst President Smith for instance-such Mormon informers | would be oGious in tho sight of most
 members of the church.
 Senator DuBose referred to the prose i cution of Hcber J. Grant, and the wit ness said he had heard of no such case. Mir. Jensen said it is only the high of l flccrs of the church who are supposed to
 devote all of their time to the church
 who arc under obligations to get the con- | sent of their brother officers when they 1 desire to engage in somo other business | or enterprise. The committee went into | executive session, and at It's close took l recess until afternoon.
 At tho executive session of the com
 mittec certain proceedings from the di-
 verce cases Of Apostle Teasdale were put into the record as evidence. The admis
 sions made in that case were offered by the prosecution to combat the testimony
 of President Joseph F. Smith that Teas
 dale was married to Lillian s. Hook for
 eternity only and that she was not con
 sidered as Teasdale's wife when he con
 tracted tho marriage with Marian
 Scnoles. The divorce decree sets aside
 the marriage. The records and testi-
 mony in the case and the decree are un-
 printable.
 At the afternoon session of the com mittee Attorney Iayior for the pfosecu- ton called to the stand E. B. Lritchlow, formerly United States district attorppy