The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-03-09
LYMAN
ADMITS
TWO WIVES
DECLARES HE is PRAcTlclNG Po.
LYGAMY AND EXPECTS TO
CONTINUE TO DO SO.

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 Mr.. Smith as
president of the church. Mrr-Ayman
not only declared that he was prac.
ticing polyg gamy but declared 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 cross 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, 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-
lygamist. In answer to questions con
cerning his own marriages MI 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 lSSS. the
ceremony being performed in the 10,
gan temple by M. G. Edwardson. He
has had four children by that Wife,
the oldest Of which issnine 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.. Morrill,, 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. -
81 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 cohablting with
both
Prospective President Called.
Francis NJ Lyman, an apostle OF the
Mormon church and the prospective
successor of Mr.. Smith as president OF
the church, was the next witness. He
was born siXty-four years ago and
had been an apostle since 1880.
,ic.fp
asked, and the witness replied frankly
Eyes"
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
cession and Mr.. Lyman admitted in
response to them that he knew that
inaliving in polygamy he was disobey5
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 polygamons co
habitation but that he expected to
continue SO 10 i've.
"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 y
"I fully intend" said Mr.. Lyman,
ITO be true to the law of my country,
to my God and to my obligations and
covenants with my wives, and have
never done thing that my conscience
did not approve"
Believes His Action Right.
81 want" he proceeded, dropping
into pleading tone OF voice. TO make
brief explanation IL you will permit.
My case is different from that OF most
other men. | was born in lS4O and |
can hardly remember when my father
was not polygamist. He was a
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
1916 and 1876, 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 family thus constituted until
| grew up and became the head OF a
family of my own. Consequently |
have known nothing else and have
felt that It was correct|i have al
ways felt in my soul and heart that 1T
was correct married first In 1857,
again in 1869 and once more in 1884.
The situation has been very painful to
me and have been ggEeatl5t-pa4hcd- Ito
nnd myself in opposition to the law OF
the country and the church. But |
had made covenant with my-WIves
to love respect and entear them and
/ could not find it in my heart to sep
arate from them as long as they were
true to me-.
Senator Hoar asked: "Do you, an
apostle of your church, expecting to
succeed Mr.. Smith in the presidency
and in that capacity to receive divine
revelations yourself, confess that you
are now living and expect TO continue
TO live in disobedience to the law or
the country, the law Of your church
and the law of God?"
The witness replied with a simple
.1yes." "-= =-
:: FIX Up ROSEBUD 3 BrEE. e.