Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-23
FALSEHOOD FROM
START TO FINISH.
Mrs. Kompe So Characterlzes AL
legged Affidavit Published
In Tribune
ANOTHER FAKE INTERVIEW.
SAYS Statements Attributed to Her Con.
corning Conduct Of Mormon"
Elders, We're Never Made.

Under the heading, Light on the
Work OF Mormon Elders" the Tribune
on Sunday published the following:
Mrs. Elizabeth Kompe, a German
emlgrant, at present residing at 52l
Fifth East, has set forth in an affidavit
an account Of her experiences with
Mormon" missionaries, which would
seem TO throw light on the question
Of whether polygamous marriages are
being sealed In the Temple at the
present day or not. This statement
comes apropos at the time when the
smoot investigation Is OF so much In
terest. The affidavit Is submitted for
PEOPLE to Judge for themselves,
II was sworn to and subscribed te-
fore Edward MIchaels. notary public,
at 70 east Second South, In the presence
Of Rev. G., A. thinner, pastor OF the
German Evangelical church, at noon
on Thursday, March II.
The primary cause OF the misfor-
tunes which "Mormonism" and Its
preachers have brought upon Mrs.
Kompe seems TO be her personal at
tractiveness. Her tale Is as follows:
II was baptized into the Mormon re-
ligion on Sept, 80, 1897, by one Ferrin,
who was then on a mission In Ham,
burg, where lived all my life before
coming TO America, and where ! was
happily married, although we were very
poor. Before I was married Mormon
named Hottendorf paid addresses 10
me. He had been married In Utah be-
fore he came on a mission, but his wife
divorced him just before he went away.
ct Is TO be presumed that she did this
80 as TO avoid having to send him the
$40 or SIS monthly which the wives OF
missionaries are supposed TO do, as he
remarked her on his return.) The mis-
slonaries We're all the time trying to
persuade me TO come to Utah, repre-
sentlng that / could make heaps Of
money here. From the way they talked
] was led TO imagine that the streets
Of Salt Lake City were almost paved
with gold. They did not hold out the
same promises to my husband. My
husband Is a shoemaker by trade; ! am
n dressmaker. When | had listened
to much argument and had talked the
matter over between ourselves, Franz
(my husband) at last said 10 me: Well,
them Lischen go, and II you can make
so much money and II Is so good, a
country, do you write to me and will
come after you. The missionaries had
not only made me such strong guaran-
tees. but went so far as to give me
solemn promises to help In case /
should need IT,
ION the 9th Of May. 1908, landed In
Boston, The immigration officials held
me back at first. but two men of Salt
Lake City went on my bond for 81, 900
Their names are William owen, q clerk
In the Y. c. NJ. l., and a man named
Richard Kerner These men, In so do
ing, undertook TO take care of me In
case Of any mlshaps, but IN my subsa-
quent illness and misfortunes neither
stirred finger In my behalf. / did not
have any success at my dressmaklng
and could not make sufficient money 10
Keep me, | went out TO service In the
house of one A, Young, over on the ives,
side OF the city.
INVITED INTO PoLYGAMY.
while ! was there Elder Hottendorf
who had asked me 10 marry him III
Germany. and who had since been mar.
ried again to his former wife, made
fresh proposals to me. While never
taking any thought Of giving any heed
to them, asked him: But how car
you marry me, Brother Hottendorf
when you already have a wifeT He
said oh, We can get that fixed uI
In the temples that will be easy enough.
u was also four months in service
with family named Merrill In the
northeast part OF town. They were very
Kind to me. especially when ! was sick
i have been lame for many years, and
except my dressmaking there Is hardly
any other way for me to earn my living
over here. Mrs, Merrill wrote n letter
20 the presidency OF the Church about
the circumstances OF my case. and IN
reply 10 the inquiry that was made, the
Bishop OF the ward wrote that | was
not known in the ward at all and that
there was a mistake.
ANOTHER PoLYGAMY CHANCE.
"Whlle | was at Merrill's Elder
Huefner came TO see me several times
and wanted me TO marry him. Abou
that time had word from my husband
IN Germany that he was very ill.,
Mrs, Schultz who used TO visit me KEEP
asking me all the time: What do you
want with a sick husband?' she was
urging me to marry Brother Huefner
one day, in his presence, she told ms
that ] was perfectly free to marry, be
cause when | was baptized / was sepa
rated from my husband. Is not tina
so, Brother Huefner. that the hap
tismal water divorces7' Yes. certain
ly he replied, baptismal water acts al
a divorce. You are free TO marry m,
any time"
WOMAN HAS MUCH TROUBLE,
This is the glst OF the womans story
though Il Is by no means the end OF he
misfortunes. When she was In IN,
Holy Cross hospital the Rev. G. A
thinner heard Of the plight Of a ooun
trywoman OF his and has intereste,
himself In her case, having been Obliged
10 go 10 no small expense TO proven
her from, starving 70 death or belnl
miserable In the pOorhouse. The em
grafton officials are now considering
her case with view TO having her sen
back 10 Hamburg. Mr.. thinner hal
forwarded her statement tn Germany
and II Is expected that II will appear II
full In the Necker Zeltung. Copies hav'
also been sent 10 the governments o