The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-10
JOSEPH SMITH ALLOWED ID CO Many Confessions Made in
 Shoot Hearing HOLD EXECUTIVE SESSION Prosecution Has No More Witnesses to Put on Stand Because of
 Failure of Several to
 Appear.
HOLD EXECUTIVE SESSION

Washington, March 9-Several officials of the Mormon church today testified in Senator Reed Shoots case before the senate committee on privileges and cleo tions that they had plural wives, and had continued to practice polygamous CO., habltation since the manifesto of 1890. Before the adjournment the committee held an executive session for the purpose of having read the unprintabIe testimony in the Teasdale divorce case.
 The prosecution stated that 1t had no more witnesses ready to put on the stand, on account of the failure of several sum- moned officials of the Mormon church to appear. Smith was asked to use his n- fuence in bringing the witnesses to prompt summons of the investigation. and said that he would exert every means possible.
 President Joseph Smith and a number of officials of the church who have been witnesses in the case were excused from further attendance and they will return to Utah.
 President Smith Recalled.
  againgst George Teasdale, an apostle, and President Smith, who had been re- called was asked If he did not feel called upon in that particular case to make in- quily in justice to the revelation of the church.
 Tt is not my business" replied the witness with emphasis, explaining that it Is the duty of the bishops court to pass upon the morality of those who live in their wards or district
 Docs this include officials of the church?'
 Tt includes all members"
 When asked if the rule applied to off, cials who are above the bishops in au- thority, MT. Smith said it did not.
 Then In tae interest of the church. you feel inclined to investigate such cases. would you not?"
 Not such vile charges as have been made against us'
 Well, now suppose 1t was charged that Francis M. Lyman, president of inc apostles had performed plural marriage ceremony since 1890, would you not inves- tigate that?
 Tt is not a supposable case and if 1t was, l could not answer it," he said
 Asks About Marriage Ceremony.
 Chairman Burrows asked in regard to the marriage ceremonies performed fin tha church. He spoke of the marriage for time, the marriages for life and eternity, and the marriages for eternity only, an1 asked if the latter is not called "sealing'' '' They are called sealing" was the re- sponse.
 "1s this sealing for eternity ever per- formed for living persons?"
 T believe have heard of one or two such cases" said the witness.
 Are any poygamists ever sealed for NO, sir"
 Does this service of sealing for eter- nity carry the sight of earthly cohabita- tion?"
 No"
 'Is the practice ever exercised as A rightT'
 Not that know of"
 Chairman Burrows asked the witness to Identify the book of Mormon. and then turning to the revelation of the prophet Joseph Smith, he asked specifically in re- gard to the mode in which 1t was revealed, and MT. Smith said that 1t was revealed to him by God
 PoIygamy Is Forbidden.
 Chairman Burrows asked if polyeamv was taught in that book and Mir Smith answered 1t was emphatically forbidden.
 Reading from the book which is called the Mormon Bible. Chairman Burrows called attention to the words of God in reference to David and Solomon and his displeasure because of the fact that they kept more than one wife and many con cublnes. The chairman asked if that did not prohibit poygamy, and if that was the case, when was the law of the Lord changed in order to permit the practice
 MT. Smith said the book or the law had not been modified and that the chairman had read only part of the chapter
 Read further" he said
 Chairman Burrows read verse where the Lord commands the chastity of wo- men. but still the witness said read on' Two more verses were read and these provoked like requests till the chairman objected. saying:
 "I don't want to read the entire Bible" Mir Smith then took the book and read a verse which declared that when the Lord wanted his seed propagated He would command It. This the witness de- clared justihes polygamy when a person Is commanded by the Lord to enter that state. He said the command comes to in- dividuals as revelations from the Lord
 Objects to the Inquiry.
 Senator Dubois asked regarding the revelations received by MT. Smith, and Mir vancott. for the defense. objected 10 the character of the inquiry He pro- ceded to discuss the point at some length. when Senator Hoar interposed by saying he would continue to object to arguments by the attorneys calculated to overthrow the rules established by the senate many years ago-that of conducting investiga- tions. He said the counsel was present to aid the inquiry and that it could be pre- stunned by them that the senators would do justice to all parties He said 1t was not his wish that any question be put to convey the impression that because Of his strong conviction of the inconsistency and delusion of religious faith of the witness. that he questioned the right of Utah to elect a member of that faith to seat in the United States senate. provided the man elected had not violated any law Mir Smith said that he was absent from Utah during the prosecutions under tho rrduunda act. that he was not there for