Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-22
Welded TWO BRIDES
Mormon President Before
Smoot Inquiry In Senate.
ONE CEREMONY GAVE HIN TWO WIVES
Cannon Testified That He Married
the Two MousIey Sisters at the
Same Time-He Declined to Re-
veal Endowment Secrets


same TiBne-He Declined to Re-
veal Endowment Secrets.
WASHINGTON, April %. The fea-
tIre of the hearing in the Smoot case
before the senate committee on priv
Heges and elections was the testimony
Of Angus M. Cannon, for twenty five
years president of the largest Mormon
state In the world.
The testimony was OF a personal
character, dealing with the conviction
OF the witness on charges of polyga-
nous rehabilitation, and was dragged
from him under protest that he be pro-
tected from any peril or liability to
prosecution for what he revealed.
When assured that his plural mar
ria9eg under the statute Of limitations
could not be used as evidence against
him he answered most of the questions
asked
The sensation OF the bearing occur
rsd when MIR. Tayler examined Mr..
Cannon In regard to his various mar
r1Ages. Mr.. Tayler asked the witness
when he was frst married. ana he an
swaFed, ION July Is, 1882
LIZ WnOul
Sarah Maria Mousley.n
'sWho nextg'
Mr. Cannon stood up, and his voice
shook with great emotion as he said:
81 beg an opportunity to explain ana
to ask question Of the chairman be
fore proceed. Nineteen years ago
was brought into great trouble. was
prosecuted and sent to prison because
acknowledged the mothers Of my
children as my families. / was given
the opportunity of deserving my fami-
lies or going to prison, and went to
prison.
months and served six months, when
the supreme court took up my case,
and / was released. While I was in
prison | said to my associates who
called to see me: You could not come
here In honor / could not stay out in
honor
For long time have lived with
in the law as far as it was possible to
do so in the face of obligations to my
families have not paraded my FAM
flies, but IN honest pride have nour-
isRled them
THE press of the country has carl
catured President Smith for the testi-
mony he gave in regard to plural fam
lilies, and il l am asked to make SINH
Lar exhibitions Of my family | appeal
for protection from any consequences
that may be the, result Of the testi-
mony / will answer all questions in
regard to myself or the church IL
am assured that will not be placed
in peril by reason of the testimony"
Mr. Cannon sat down, Quivering
with ill suppressed emotion, and Mr..
WOTthington asked, MIR. Cannon, have
you any counsel?"
"lfo, SIR - fsss
Chairman Burrows said the witness
was at liberty to decline to answer any
questions he chose, but Mr.. Worthing-
tom insisted that the refusal must be
based on the ground that the witness
feared TO incriminate himself.
Mr.. TayIer observed that he did not
desire answers to any questions which
related to marriages that were not
fully exempted from prosecution under
the statute of limitations and on that
statement the chairman directed that
the question concerning the second mar
eiage OF Mr.. Cannon should be answer
4 I'd The Official reporter then read the
question:
ITO whom were you next married r..
anna Amanda Mousley."
When were you married to herY'
asked Mr.. Tayler.
"At the same hour that I was mar
ried to Sarah Maria Mousley.'
by the same ceremony ?"
YES
ITO whom were you next married 2"
Mr.. Cannon again inquired of the
chairman if he must answer, and Mr..
Burrows replied: THAT is for you TO
answer or to decline to answer Other
witnesses have answered similar CUES
tons think the question is a proper
enc
Mr.. Cannon then answered, Mrs.
Clara @. Mason, in 1875 also saying
he was married to Martha Hughes In
1884, Maria Bannion In 1886, Johanna
c. Donelson In 1886 and that he had
not been married since that time All
his wiyea were living.
The witness was asked if he remeIn-
bered prosecution against him in
1886 for cohabitation with Matte
Hughes Cannon, and he answered that
he remembered the prosecution. but did
not remember which wife he was
charged with cohabiting with. He
said he was arrested, but had not testi-
fed in any hearing. When asked to
describe the residences OF his various
wives he said they all lived in Salt
Lake county, but I'm separate houses:
that he had families by five of his
wives.
do you live with all Of your wives
new?" Mr.. Tayler asked.
Il am sorry to say that don't"
"Why? Because you are now in
Washington and cannot be living with
them ??
mo Because of an agreement made
by the church which eompels me to be
as modest as I can.
Chairman Burrows asked in regard
to this agreement and the witness said