The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-15

You were expelled thirty years ago,
you say?" asked the chairman.
Z Yes, sir
And you feel that after these years
separated from the church your Obh-
cations are still binding on you2"
Yes, sir; 1 have considerable scru-
pies against divulging anything that
swore not to reveal"
On direct examination the witness
told Mr.. Worthington that he had
taken obligations in a secret society.
and he had the same scrupleS against
divulging such obligations.
A. A NoonAon the Stand.
4. a. Noon of Provo, a Republican
: justice of the peace and former Nor
mon, who voluntarily withdrew from
the church in 1870, testified that young
Mormons are opposed to polygamy and
also that the MOrmOns are not taking
any interest in politics a church.
he has been candidate for office BIZ
ennially since 1890, and with the eX-
I ception of 1895 has defeated Mormon
candidates. He endorsed Senator Smoot
highly and was not surprised, he said,
/ at his election as senator.
| After his marriage Mr.. Noon said he
took the endowments. Mr.. Worthing
| ton asked him if he took an oath to
avenge the blood Of prophets ION this
| nation"
I Witness said he was perfectly clear
| that nothing in the obligation taken
I
! this government. He said it was taken
/ from the scriptures. Revelations. chap
! ter vi. verses 3 and 10. There was moth
ing in il, he said, of disloyalty to the
] United States.
Took the Oath Forty Lears Ago.
He said it had been forty years since
he took the endowment. and he could
/ not remember the exact language, s
| II did not particularly impress him.
! On cross-eNaminatiOn. Mr.. Noon said
/ he did not concern himself with polyg-
! amy, and was unable to state who were
polygariists in Provo Many names
were read to him and he identified them
| by common repute as living in pOlyg-
| amy.
Chairman Burrows asked Mr.. Noon
/ also in regard to the endowment GER
| emory. and he declined to state its ma
ture. He would not say whether there
/ was change in wearing apparel
! whether there was a severe penalty at
tached TO revealing what had taken
place or anything connected with the
obligations
What would you say as to whether
the penalty was TO have the tongue
torn out or the vitals cut out of the
body?' asked Chairman Burrows.
Witness Pinned Down.
4 do not feel that L could answer
Mr.. Noon replied.
Mr.. DougaH was recalled and asked
endowment oath Incompatible with his
allegiance to his state and the ma
ton He replied that there was nothing
Mr. Noon was recalled and answered
the same question in the negative
/ Chairman Burrows again recalled Mr.
DOugaH and several senators wanted tC
know why he would state a part OF
the ceremony and would not state il
all.
He said he could not remember the
H-NE
| vengeance, but was sure it was no
/ hostile to the government and that il
was exclusively religious and not re
/ lated in any manner TO civil or gov
ernmentaI affairs.
William Hatfeld's Evidence.
William Hatfield Of Salt Lake Cit,
was sworn He was Mormon unit
ed away from the church. He testi
fed that polygamy was decreasing anC
that he had known of no plural mar
riages since 1890.
Mr. Hatfield took the endowment.
at the time he was married He wal
p years old then and left the church
about a year later Soon after he wal
! sworn the committee took a recess.
Brady Backed Up.
At the afternoon session J. H Brady
| chairman OF the Republican state com
mittee of Idaho, was recalled by Mr.
I TdNleT and eXa mined further concern
J ing the anti-MOmOn campaign con
s Quoted by the Democrats last autumn
! Mr.. Brady said he visited Boise DURING
! the present month and consulted Re
/ publican members Of the legislator
/ concerning the passage of laws aSains
unlawful cohabitation. He said bill
had since been Introduced in the legis
/ lstUie. based on the prohibition in I'll
Edmunds law against polygamy. Nh
Brady said he believed the laws wer
introduced in good faith.
Then. said Mr.. TayleT. you Wer
I'm error when YOU said the other dal
the people were opposed TO prosecuting
old pOlygaulists. such as William
Bulge and others of his class?"
The Idaho Law.
NO, L believe was correct, but W
are going 10 l.ass the laws and pu
| it up TO Senator Dubois to prosecute
these poly gamists. We knew during
the campaign that he would not d.
il. lido not believe he will do it now
While 1 will not personally prosecut
any OF these old polygamfsts, / woul'
ilnOt lay a straw in the way OF Sena
tor Dubois prosecuting then Ny 20
sition Is that II Senator Dt;bois AM
his friends will not prosecute thes
cases they cannot expect other gOo'
citizens TO do So
1t was brought out that tho Idah
legislature had just passed an anti
polygamy law, and the witness sfii
that he had advocated its passsee 70
the one reason that he wanted on
f. up 10 Senator Dubois 10 pros
the old polygamlsts II ne near
tcontinUed on Rage p