The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-03-11

roTty-t"o NnliuICn' oi ~NCW1 ne 10
Proud.
Washington, y. C. March IA sen.
satlon was created this afternoon at
the Reed Smoot investigation before
the senate committee on privileges
and elections by the declaration of a
Mormon woman thar polygamous mar.
riages had been counsciled by the
church six years after the famous
Woodruff manifesto prohibiting polyg.
amy was promulgated. Not only diu
the church view with favor the mar.
riage but she declared that Brigham
Young himself performed the cerc.
mony according to the rites OF the
church.
Attorney WorthugtOr for the DO.
tense, known as one OF the shrewdesJ
examiners OF the district bar. exer.
Cised his greatest skill TO break down
her testimony upon cross-examination
shortly before adjournment but his ct.
forts met with no apparent success.
The inquiries viii continue tomor-
row.
The witness in question was Mrs.
Clara Kennedy. Though handsome
young woman and prettily gowned.
she gave every indication of being OF
a retiring, modest nature. She show.
ed great embarrassment at some OF
the questions that were propounded,
but faltered not in answering clearly
and freely. The look upon the faces
OF President Smith and the other Nor.
mons about the table around which
were seated the investigating sena.
tors was that of CONSERVATION and
hate.
The witness said she was born IN
Albany 26 years ago and moved to
Utah when two years old. Both her
parents were Mormons and her moth
er was a plural wife They moved
to Dlaz. Mexico, when she was about
10 years old and lived there until she
was seventeen years old, when she
was married to James Francis John
son, whose home was at Mesa, Arlzo.
ma,
Johnson was then already married
and she knew the first wife while at
Diaz. Johnson and his wife had talk.
cd over the marriage of herself with
Johnson. and they all went together 10
Juarez. where, after a couple OF weeks.
she was married by Apostle Brigham
Young on the 10Th of May, 1896 She
had lived with Johnson for five years
and had two children, one of whom is
nd ,fI Ill :
years old next September.
Johnson's first wife had fully con.
sented TO her marriage Johnson was
one Of the counsellors to the presi.
dent of the church in Salt Lake.
when she married him. After living
with Johnson five years she left him
and afterwards married Mr.. Kennedy.
She had married Kennedy in October.
1901, she said, having become ac-
qnainted with him few months after
leaving Johnson. Kennedy is not
Mormon, and is about AZ or f3 years
old. She said she had left Johnson
because she was not treated right.
Would you have stayed with him
il you had been treated right"
yes, | would"
Then it was not because Of any Oh.
lection TO the polygamous relation
that you left him?"
mo, sir"
How did Mrs. Johnson treat your"
Not very good"
WAS 1t she or her husband that
treated you badly?"
Both of them"
1--WE all lived together In the same
house" she continued 81 never re-
ceived a formal marriage certificate.
There was no religious ceremony at
the marriage. ! am still a Mormon"
AS the witness was finally brought
up to reference to the marriage or
sealed" ceremony, interest in the
room became intense. There has been
q general belief that although the Nor
mon church had no religious cere.
mony, secret oath OF such binding
effect was administered as to render
Improbable any publicity as to certain
OF its phases by those who had taken
the obligation. The head OF the Nor.
mon church and his associates kept
their eyes on the witness She saw
them. Spectators could feel the III
tensity Of the situation. In a moment
the strain was passed The interroga-
tion did not call for any explanation
OF the ceremony
Attorney Worthington then proceed
ed to cross examine Mrs. Kennedy.
She fixed the date of her birth June
l6, 1877, but could not definitely Ak
the date OF her marriage or of her
separation, Worthington asked many
questions tending 10 throw doubt up.
on her assertion that Brigham Young
had "sealed her for life and eternity"
but he could not secure any vital con-