The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-03-09
PROSPECTIVE HEAD OF THE NOR.
MON CHURCH TEsTIFiES IN
THE SMOOT HEARING.
WITNESS ADMITS HAWNG TWO WIVES
DECLARES He is PRACTICiNG PO-
LYeAMY AND EXPECTS TO
CONTINUE TO DO so.

Washington, March 9.-The feature
OF the days session Of the Smoot hear
ing was the appearance on the stand
OF Francis NJ Lyman, an apostle OF
the Mormon church and the pros
pective successor of MIR. Smith as
president of the church Mr.. Lyman
not only declared that he was prac'
ticing polygamy but declared that he
expected to continue to so live in po-
lygamous cohabitation.
Mrs Clara Mabel Kennedy resumed
the stand at the beginning of the day s
session.
Mr. Worthington, for the defense,
continued ross-examination OF the
witness and brought out many facts
regarding her plural marriage to a
Mormon since the manifesto of 1890
tending to weaken her testimony. She
admitted that Apostle Teasdale re-
fused TO conduct or authorize the mar
riage, which was finally performed in
Mexico.
Apostles Son Testifies.
Charles f. Merrill, a son of Apostle
Merrill, was then called to the stand.
He said he was the son Of his fathers
third plural wife and is himself po-
lyganist. In answer to questions con-
cerning his own marriages Mr.. Merrill
said he was married first In 1887 TO a
wife that died in 1889 and that he mar
ried his legal wife," Chloe Hendricks,
in 1891 and had five children by her.
He married another wife in 1883, the
ceremony being performed in the Lo-
gan temple by NJ. c. Edwardson. He
has had four children by that wife,
the oldest of which is nine years and
the youngest two and a half years.
Their mothers name was Anna b.
Stoddard.
THE marriage to my legal wife in
1891 said Mr.. Merrill, was solem
nized by my father"
Were you living with Anna b. Stod-
dard when you married what you call
your legal wife," was asked.
II was, although she had no house
She stayed at the home Of her father
and her mother and | 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 with
both
Prospective President Called.
Francis NJ. Lyman, an apostle Of the
Mormon church and the prospective
successor of Mr.. Smith as president or
the church, was the next witness. lie
was born sixtyfour years ago and
had been an apostle since 1880.
"Are you a polygamist ?" Mr.. Tayler
asked. and the witness replied frankly
yes"
He said that he had had three
wives and that of them two are still
living.
BY his second wife. to whom he was
married in 1884, he had had five chill
dren, the last being born in 1900.
Several questions by members OF
the committee followed in rapid sue
response to them that he knew that
in living In polygamy he was disobey-
ing both the law of the land and the
rule of his church. He said in reply
to one of these questions that he was
not only now living in polygamous CO
habitation but that he expected TO
continue SO to live.
referring to the rule of which you
have spoken Mr. Hoar said, you un-
derstood the rule or law of the church
to be the law of God, do you not?"
Mr.. Lyman replied that such was
his understanding
Then you are living and intend to
live in violation of the laws of God
and man.
81 fully intend" said Mr.. Lyman,
"to be true to the law OF my country,
to my God and to my obligations and
with my wives, and | have
never done thing that my conscience
did not approve"
Believes His Action Right.
Il want" he proceeded, dropping
into a pleading tone OF voice, ito make
a brief explanation If you will permit.
Ny case is different from that of most
other men. ! was born in 1910 and |
can hardly remember when my father
was not a polygamist. He was
friend and an adviser OF Prophet
Joseph Smith and was taught by him
the Importance and the truth OF the
principle of polygamy He accepted
the teaching and entered into the prac-
tice. marrying six wives in the years
1845 and 1916, SO that my earliest rec
objection embraces the life of polyg-
amy remember all my fathers
wives as do my own mother and
lived in a family thus constituted until
| grew up and became the head OF q
family OF my own. Consequently l
have known nothing else and | have
felt that II was correct. | have al
ways felt In my soul and heart that 1t
was correct | married first In 1857,
again i'm 1869 and once more In 1854
The situation has been very painful to
me and | have been greatly pained TO
find myself in opposition to the law OF
the country and the church. But l
had made a covenant with my wives
To love. respect and endear them and