Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-04-21
MORMON ! PRACTICES
Brigham H. Roberts on Stand
 In Shoot Investigation.
PROBED FOR CHURCH SECRETS.
Witness Testified That Wives Were Kept I'm Ignorance For Years of Plural Marriages So as Not
 to Embnrraxs Them.

Reed Shoot contest has been opened before the senate committee on privi- leges and elections.
 Brigham H. Roberts, the first wit ness, was questioned regarding his of ficial connection with the Mormon church. MY. Roberts said he was elect ed one of the first seven presidents in 1888 and entered politics about 1880. He explained his candidacy for con- gross and the opposition that had de veloped from Mormon sources.
 He said the church had opposed the election of high officials of the church to membership of the constitutional convention and that he had consented not to urge his candidacy. MT. Rob- erts was defeated the first time he ran for congress, but was elected the sec ong time the church opposition having been withdrawn.
 MT. Roberts said he had three wives --one married in 1877, the second in 1880 and the third in 1890. He has had children by all of the wives and by the first plural wife since his election to congress. He thought the last child was born three or four years ago.
 Senator Overman inquired of MT. Roberts whether his first wife and his second wife had consented to his third wife
 No, sir" said MT. Roberts. adding that they did not learn of the marriage for three or four years
 How is that?'' asked Senator Bev- eridge s'Do you mean to say that the marriage was not known to any one?p
 "It was known to some of my friends, but not to my wives" was the answer.
 "Why was this marriage concealed from them?' asked Chairman Bur rows.
 Because I did not want to embar- rass them"
 How embarrass themg
 Well we knew the marriage was H. legal, and it might be embarrassing to them if they should for any reason be called on to testify
 Mr. Roberts said his third wife was the divorced wife of Dr. Shipp, and of his courtship he said he always had met her at the house of mutual friends and had never called on her at her home He also said that she con tinued to live in her home, but that he never had called on her until she re- moved to rooms on Main street, Salt Lake City.
 MT. Tayler asked MT. Roberts if he knew that Maggie Shipp Roberts lived in a house where lived her divorced husband and two of his wives. MT. Roberts said he was not aware of that fact.
 Chairman Burrows desired to know whether MT. Wells knew the witness had a wife living when he married the third wife.
 '.He did" said Roberts. "He married me to my second wife"
 Mir, Pettus asked if the church ever had reprimanded him or the high off, cfal who performed the ceremony. MT. Roberts said nothing had been said to him.
 Mir. Tayler asked MT. Roberts why he thought it incumbent upon him to take plural wives. From boyhoOd," replied the witness, tT had been taught the rightfulness of plural marriages, and I believed thfs practice to be the law of God. knew that this practice was contrary to the mandates of con gress, but believed that the law of God was the highest rule and I felt i'm pelled to obey it.''
 What if you should inform the church that you regarded your duty to tine state above that to the church Would the attitude of the. church be enc of hostility ?''
 T cannot believe there would be any action taken politically"
 Resuming cross examination and quoting from the record of the testi- mony of ID. B. Critchlow, MT Van Cott asked Mir Roberts if he ever had stat ed to Mir. Critchlow that he had a vii sion of his dead ancestors which in- duced him to change his attitude to- ward the rule pertaining to permis- sion to run for ofnce. Mr. Roberts said he never had made such a statement. He also said he never stated that he had seen his ancestors in perdition and that they could not go through the temple and be baptized unless he con- formed to the wishes of the church. The witness said he had been through the endowment house; that the endow- ment house oath or ceremony was now performed in the temple.
 Gan you tell us in regard to this cer- emony?" asked Chairman Burrows. T cannot do not feel at, liberty to do so. I consider myself in trust and not at liberty to disclose what takes place."
 MT. Roberts said that the obliga tions were secret and he thought them not unlike the oaths of the Masonic order or other secret societies.
 What would happen if you did re- veal what took place within the tenn pleY asked the chairman.
 T would lose caste and be regarded as betraying trust. If I keep faith, cannot disclose wet takes place"
 Then" pursued Chairman Burrows, ''any person who takes the endowment house obligation is under oath not to reveal it's nature?' l "I think so."
 And Senat tor Smoof could not reveal