Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-03-10
MORMON POLYGAMY.
Many Latter Day Saints Testify in


 WASHINGTON, March 10-Several officials of the Mormon church testified in the Senator Reed Shoot case before the senate committee on privileges and elections that they had plural wives and had continued to practice polyga- nous cohabitation since the manifes- to of 1890. Just before adjournment for the day the committee held an ex- ecutive session for the purpose of hay ing read the unprintable testimony in the Teasdale divorce case. The prose cution stated that it had no more wit nesses ready to put on the stand on account of the failure of several sum- moned officials of the Mormon church to appear. President Joseph F. Smith was asked to use his influence with the witnesses and promised to get into communication with them if it was possible to do so.
 Lorin Harmer testified that he was a bishop for five or six years, but had been sent to the penitentiary in 1899 upon conviction of unchastity and lost his good standing. He said he had two wives, Ellen and Ida, and had lived also with Ellen Anderson, but never as her husband. He said she had two children by him, one since he had re- turned from the penitentiary. He now lives in Springville.
 He said Ellen Anderson supports her. self and that he had contributed noth- ing for the care of herself or her chil- dren. He said she had property of her own.
 MT. farmer was asked if MT. Shoot had anything to do with his arrest.
 "I think he caused it." he said. "He was counselor at that time to the presi- dent of the state, who was then away. He called me to Provo and told me the church proposed to take away my bishopric and other offices. I asked him to give me time to prepare my fam fly, and then I started home.'
 "Why was he going to take away your offices?"
 Because had committed crime"
 What crime?'
 Adultery, to be frank"
 ''Why do you think MT. Smoot caused your arrest?'
 Because before I reached home the sheriff overlook me and put me under arrest. I blamed MT. Shoot for send ing the sheriff after me. I thought he might have given me more time, al- though the crime was q bad one. don't know that Shoot was responsible for my arrest, but it looked like it."
 Hiram M. Smith, thirty-two years old, son of President Smith and one of the twelve apostles, read a speech he had made in 1894 in Brigham City at one of the quarterly conferences, in which he said each one in the matter of obeying laws does as he pleases, but that each must bear the conse- quences of his acts. He said that was his view. He explained at length the manner of sending out missionaries and said polygamy was not talked and that polygamous cohabitation had nev- CT been talked at conference at which MT. Smoot was present.
 At other meetings he had heard dis cussed the question of continuance of plural marriages, and the apostles had taken steps to prevent it. Polyg- amous cohabitation, he said, had not been considered.
 When he (Smith) went on foreign mission to Great Britain he had been instructed not to discuss polygamy. He never had discussed it as an apos- tie, but when he was missionary he had told certain persons who assailed the doctrine that it was a teaching of the Bible and had ended the contro- versies by referring the persons to the Bible so "they could judge for them selves"
 Senator Hoar-Did you commend up- on prospective converts the rule of your church against polygaIny?
 q always refrained from arguing on polygamy." ..
 At the request of Attorney Tayler for the prosecution the committee went into executive session, and the testi- mony in the Teasdale divorce case was read. 1t was agreed that counsel for and against Senator Shoot should en- deavor to come to an agreement on a statement of facts in the case. Con- sideration was given to the proceed ings in executive session because of the unprintable character of the testi- ~mony and dislike on the part of the committee to spread the facts before the country.
 Andrew Jensen, assistant historian of the church, giving testimony said he had two wives, who were sisters, and that they both lived in the same house, though he lives with the first. MT. Jen- sen said he was not sealed in eternity to the mother of the two wives.
 Escaped Murderer Has Pneumonia.
 ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, March 1O.-Mark Dunn, the murderer who was sentenc- cd to he hanged here tomorrow and