The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-21
Knew It Was Illegal.

z -AAALW IL w % AAAE al
Well. we knew the marriage was il
legal and might be cmba rrassiuE to them
u thcy should for any reason be called
Mr.. Roberts said his third wife was the
divorced wife OF Or. Ship and in re-
gard to his courtship. he said he always
had met her AZ the house Of mutual
friends and had never called on her at
her home. He also said that she coutin-
ned to live I'm her home. but that ne never
mad called on her there until she removed
To- rooms on Main street. salt Lake.
Mr.. Tayler asked Mr.. Roberts If he
knew that Maggie Ship Roberts lived i'm
2 house whore lived her divorced hus-
band and TWO of his divorced wives
Mr.. Roberts said ne was aware of thai
senator Dubois asked I'm regard IN tho
secrecy of his marriage and declared that
he Dubois believed Mr. Wells who mar
Ilod him. represented the Mormon aut hori-
Hf'r Dubois because Of Mr. Wells posi-
tlon as counsel 10 the apostles. Accord
ing Go Ar Roberts, he said there is no
record Of his last marriage though the
ceremony is the same as that which was
used i'm his other marriages.
Wells Knew the Truth.
chairman Burrows desired 10 know
whether Mr.. Wells knew the witness had
3 wife living when he married the third
lie did" said Mr. Roberts. "He mar
Tigd me 10 my second wife"
Mr. Pettus asked if thc church ever had
lN't illli VI AI.' IIl-l is WHO
performed The ceremony Mr.. Roberts
said nothing had been said To- him.
Mr.. Tayler asked Mr. Roberts why he
thought IL incumbent upon him TO take
plural wives.
From boyhood.' replied the witness.
'I had been taught the rightfulness of
plural marriages and I believed this prac-
ticc to u" the law of God. ] knew thar
This practice was contrary 20 tie man
dates Of congress. but believed that the
law of God was tho highest rule and /
felt impcllcd TO obey it,
Believes in Polygamy.
Chairman Burrows asked q number of
pointed questions which brought the con-
feesiou from Mr.. Roberts that he stiiI he
liCvnd In practiCinE pOlyEamy. He said
lo believed the Woodruff manifesto was
ulEih'N lhSpr'u anu lhat now IN pTdc'
tieIug polygdmy he knows that he is dis
oho"iuE the laws and the laws of God
1Ie was asked why ne continued 10 dis
obey tho laws Of God If ne believed them
10 be tho highest laws and with q re-
signed air he said:
''Wou the manifesto left me in the
midst OF obligations TO these wives. J am
,Fg inS TO do the best 1 can To- live within
tn laws, but these obligations ] cannot
snir5.
The committee adjourned until this
unfinished.
vt tho afternoon session Mr.. TayIer
a-k"d concerning AR Roberts couvic-
inn ln 1874 Of tho crime or polyEamv.
senator Bailey objected to the line Of
inpIiTF in regard to Mr. Roberts con
Nicuon and Mr.. Roberts service I'm the
peuitentiaTy. He said he thought the ad-
mission Of the wit ness that ne bad vio-
lated the laws was sufficient. Mr.. Tayler
said this was to determine whether the au-
thorities Of the Mormon church had taken
any action in respect TO the witness liv.
Ing with more than one wife Mr. Rob
rrts said no action had ever been taken
by the church.
Manifesto of 1890.
Questions were asked respecting plural
gives and living I'm polygamous cohabi-
tauon and The witness sad hc regarded