The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-15
A GRISLY JEST IF
JEST It WAS
Horrible MutiIati0n For
Betrayal of Secrets.
Force of Marriage.
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington, Dec. 13.-Five Witness
es were examined to-day by the Sen.
ate Committee on Privileges ana
Elections in the Investigations of pro-
tests against Senator Smoot retaining
hi seat in the Senate. The first de-
SCribed the obligations taken by per-
sons who pass through the endoW-
ment house and declared that every
one agrees to submit to mutilatiOn Of
the person if he or she reveals what
takes place during the ceremony. Two
members of the faculty of the Brig
ham, Young University testified that
they have sustained pOlygamOuS rela-
tons since the manifesto of 1890 and
a teacher in the public schools assert
ed that the church had religion
taught in such schools. Mrs. Margaret
Geides Il Mormon woman, was exam
ned concerning her plural marriage
ana broke down on the ac.nd.
}. Ii. Wallis, ST., of salt Lake, said
he had stood proxy four times for
marriages of living women to dead
men. He had been through the en-
doWment house twenty times He was
asked to give the oaths taken by those
who participated in the ceremonies,
and this he did, together with a de-
ScriptiOn of the secret signs executed
by each person Nearly all of the
obligations were that those who took
part would not reveal anything they
saw or heard on penalties of mutia-
ton Of the person and everyone who
passed the temple, said the witness
was compelled to agree to the con-
ditions laid down by the priests.
The Ghostly Penalties.
The penalties agreed to were given
by Mr.. Wallis as follows:
That the throat be cut from ear
to ear and the tongue torn out.
That the breast be cut asunder ana
the heart and vitals be torn from the
body.
That the body be cut asunder at the
middle and the bowels cut out
That if demanded we will give all
we possess to the spirit of the church.
The next obligation was one of
chastity in which the obligator agreed
not TO cohabit with any person not
given him or her by the priests.
Another obligatio was one that eve
would never cease to importune high
heaven to avenge the blood of the
prophets upon the nations of the
earth, or the Inhabitants OF the earth
don't just remember which, said
the witness. This was followed by
quotation from the scriptures think
Revelations 90: THE souls of those
slain cried aloud on, the affairs for
vengeance -" @3
Mr.. Wallis when cross examined
told the committee that he had always
considered the obligations in the light
of q joke, and that he thought many
others had considered them in the
| same way. He said there never had
been any solemnity in the taking of
obligations so far as he could see.
He'd Been Negligent"
Josiah Hickman. = teacher in
Brigham Young University, testified
that he was married first in 1884 and
again in 1890. The first wife died in
1900. For ten years he said, he lived
with two wives and had children by
both of them. The witness said he
went through the temple with his
second wife two or three years ago,
and they were sealed, but no legal
marriage had taken place. He said
he had taken no steps to conform to
law in relation to marriages.
Then as you understand it you are
not legally married to your present
wife," asked Mr.. Toylar
so, az. not so far
~e% ~ eSr-'" asked Mr..
Vancott, one of the attorneys for Mr..
Smoot, what did You mean by
that?'
Mr.. Hickman explained that he had
been a little negligent, but that he
and his wife had decided that they
should be married He said of the
he was morally certain that only two,
Mr. Brimhall and himself, had been
poygamists.