Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-15
WITNESSES IN SM00T CASE
SAY MoRMoNS 0PP0SElT
REFUSE TO DIvULeE OATH
Men No Longer With Church Main
tain They Cannot Tell Of En-
dowment House Ger
emony
BY Associated Press.

nesses testified today before the senate
committee on privileges and elections
in the investigation of protests against
the seating of Senator Reed Smoot. All
except two told of political conditions
in Utah and of the Mormon endow-
ment house ceremony. Several wit
nesses said the ceremony included no
obligations that were in conflict with
the duties of citizen to his state or
nation. Chairman Burrows asked two
OF the witnesses to give the nature OF
the ceremonies, but both refused on the
ground that they had given oaths not
to divulge what'had taken place witnin
the temple. They both claimed not to
be Mormons now, one having been ex-
PEELED and the other having voluntarily
withdrawn from the church.
A former Judge of the supreme court
under territorial and state governments
told of the prosecutions for polygamous
cohabitation, expressing the opinion
that polygarny was now almost thing
of the past, and that the sentiment Of
the Mormons in the state was against
plural marriages.
The hearings will be resumed on
Monday
James e. Lynch of Salt Lake was the
first witness today in the Smoot inves-
tigation. He is a Democrat and a nom
Mormon. Attorney Vancott, for Sen
ator Smoot examined the witness con-
cerning the statement that Angus M.
Cannon, his brother-in-law, had said
he witnessed the marriage of Abram
Cannon and Lillian Hamlin in 1885, Mr..
Lynch said he investigated the state
ment of Angus Cannon at the request
of e. B. Critchlow and found that An
gus Cannon was not in California in
1896, but the witness admitted that his
brother-in-law had made the statement.
Young Mornens Oppose PoIysany
Chairman Burrows asked Mr.. Lynch
concerning the feeling Of young Nor
mons on the question OF polygamy.
Witness said they felt that the prac-
tice must be done away with,'' but
that he had heard nothing Of the
young Mormons making protest to
the heads of the church. h
H. M. Dougall of Springville, Utah.
who explained that he was fired"
from the Mormon church, was
called to the stand. He is postmaster
of his town of $500 inhabitants. He
could think of only five polygamists in
SpringviIle, and said there had been
no polygamous marriages since 1890.
His expulsion from the church in 1871,
he said, had not made particle of
difference in his business. even though
a majority of his business came from
Mormons.
AS a Mormon he took the endow-
ments in 1862. He was about rs years
old then and was married at that time,
which, he said, was the only time he
had been married. Mr.. Worthingtoh
read the oath of vengeance, given by
certain witnesses, and Mr.. Dougall
said the oath was to avenge the blood
of the prophets or martyrs on this
as had been testified.
Wouldn't Reveal Oaths
Chairman Burrows asked the witness
to state the nature of the ceremony
performed when he was married in the
endowment house and Mr.. Dougall re-
piled:
81 do not believe care to tell that,
Senator" ~ Aa
"Was there penalty attached if you
revealed what took placer"
"Yes, SIR"
what was that penalty?"
'I decline to state"
"Was 1t death?"
at do not believe care to answer any
more questions on that subject"
Continuing, he said that one could
not be married in the temple until he
had taken the endowments, but that
other legal marriage ceremonies were
performed outside Plural marriages,
he said, could not be performed out
side of the temple of the church.
"You were expelled thirty years ago.
you say?" asked the chairman.
CO. BIZ
z "And you feel that after these years
separated from the church your obli-
cations are still binding on you?'
Eyes, sir, 1 have conscientious 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 scrupIes against diyulg-
ing such obligations.
A. 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 Mormons are not taking
any interest in politics as a church.
He has been a candidate for office
biennially since 1890, and with the