Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-02-08
Ia Ps|ygany Since Utah
Was Made a State
According 70 Prof. Wolfe il
the Smoot Hearing.


case OF Reed ~SmOOt were resumed
Wednesday before the committee on
privileges and elections. The investiga-
tion of the protests against the Utah
senator retaining his seat continued
through two sessions OF Congress and
Wednesday marked the beginning Of
meetings which the committee is like
ly TO hold Internationally throughout
the present session.
The first witness was Prof. Walter NJ.
Wolfe, former teacher of geology In
Brigham Young College at Logan
Utah. and an apostIe'Of the church.
John G. Carlisle Of New York conduct
ed the prosecution and 4. s.. Worthing-
ton Of this city defended the senator.
Prof. Wolfe testified that he had been
a Mormon until Jan. l. this year, when
failing to comply with the demand for
titheA
He was asked to tell what he knew
Of alleged plural marriages Of Prof.
Benz. Ciuff and Florence Reynolds.
both teachers at Provo. This case oc-
cupied a prominent place in the for
mer hearings. He told OF n Mormon ex-
peditiCn to Mexico. Prof. Wolfe said
he had been informed at that time by
Clun that he was married to Florence
Reynolds and that they lived togeth-
er on that trip. Prof. Smith. he said.
referred to Florence as "Sister Cluff. "
Twelve times" answered Prof.
Wolfe when asked hOv many times he
had been through the endowment house
or temple. He explained that the en-
dCwment was taken down many years
ago.
did you take any obligations or
oaths when you went throuyh?" asked
| Mir. Carlisle.
Every time" he replied.
Asked to detail there he said there
had beer obligations Of chastity. sac
| riiice ana vengence.
What do you mean by vengeance" "
| asked Mr.. Carlisle. ''Do you mean there
was promise or pledge given to
| avenge s0mething?"
| The witness then said that this oath
had been taken: 49,;
| You and each Of you do covenant
and pray. and never cease to pray God
| to -avengc the blood OF the Prophet OIL
this nation" =" - -..'
The oath. he said. was taken stand
ing. ard at the conclusion each one
taking it was required to bow their
heads and say Il do"
After giving many other details OF
the ceremony he WAS asked concern.
ing a trial held by the board of Brig.
ham Young Academy as to the rea'
sons for Il long absence of Cluff from
the Mexican expedition. The witness
id Apostle Reed SlnOot was among
those in attendance and that he had
heard testimony given by the witnes:
himself tnat the reason for Cuffs alb
sence was because he was living apar
with a plural wife.
Another plural marriage was spokeI
of by the witness. This WIS betweeI
Dvenl Jorgenson. a student at Brig
hahn Young Academy and Brother
obey. Prof. Wolfe said the girl came 4
his house and gave as an excuse for al
absence from school that she had gon'
To Jaurcz. Mexico. and she had beeI
mtrrIed I'm polygamy. This had beer
with The consent of State Pres. GeOrg
|, -. Cannon. The girl came back to tn
school and graduated In the class 0
1880. said the witness.
On further examination conducted b.
Chairman Burrows. Prof. Wolfe SAT-
that In Southern Utah and New Mexi
co poiygamy In talked with freedom
lie quoted Apostle John Henry Smitl
as saving said. concerning the mani
festo: ut is a trick to beat the devi
at his own game
lie quoted John Wilson of Logan.
prominent Mormon. as saying eth
manifesto enables the church to ex
clude men who ought not to have NOR
than one wife and gives worthy mel
an opportunity to take plural wives.
Both Of these statements. the wit
ness said. were made In his church.
ITO the best Of my knowledge" SAT-
Prof. Wolfe, 'polygamous Capitalization
las Increased very materially sine
Utah was admitted as q state
On cross-examination. Mr.. Worth
instop asked the Witness why he ha'
refrained from making the charge tina
Cluff was living in Mexico with Flor
ence Reynolds.
For several reasons" replied Wolfe
Tho chief one was that polygamy wa
not crime In the eyes Of the church.
When asked concerning some of tn,
proceedings Of that trial he said thcr
was gentleman in the room who wa
better qualified to answer.
"Who?" asked Mr.. Worthington.
1.-The senator from Ctah." he replied
After stating that Mr.. Smoot had no
been a member Of the sub-conmitte
making the investigation, Mr.. Worth
nston asked the witness whether II,
had 6een discharged from his position
as a teacher because of drunkenness
He said his resignation had been "in
voluntarily voluntary and exrlaine,
that he had drank for 20 years an,
there had been no change in his habit
all these years. hut after refusing I,
nay tithes he had been asked to re
Isign on having been intoxicated o,
Sunday early in January of this wear
Senator Hopkins asked If the charge
had been true that he was drunk oj
the Sunday referred to.
"No sir. if the charge had been mad
the next day it might have been true
the witness replied.
Prof. Wolfe said he believed that tin
"sced Of treason" was sown in the oat,
= Of vengeance. In answer to question
~. chairman burrows bo a....:., =,