Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-08
REVENGE ON NATION IS ONE
MORMON OATH
Witness Declares In smoot Case
PoIygamy Is increasing In Utah
Since State Was
Admitted
BY Associated Press.

privileges ana elections
Th Investigation of the protests made
against the Utah senator retaining his
seat continued through two sessions of
congress, and today marked the be-
ginning of meetings which the commit
tee Is likely to hold Internationally
throughout the present session.
The first witness was Professor Wal
ter N Wolfe, former teacher of geology
In Brigham Young college at Logan
Utah, and an apostle of the church.
John G. Carlisle of New York con-
Quoted the prosecution and A. s.
Worthington of this city defended the
senator.
Professor Wolfe testified that he had
been Mormon until January 1 of
this year, when his connection was
severed through failure to comply with
demands for tithes. He was asked to
tell what he knew of the alleged plural
marriage of Professor Benjamin C1uff
and Florence Reynolds, both teachers
at Provo The case occupied promi-
nent place in the former hearings. In
detailing what he knew of their rela-
tions he told of a Mormon expedition
to Mexico. He had been informed at
that time by Cluff that he was married
to Florence Reynolds and that they
lived together on that trip. President
Smith, he said, referred TO Florence as
"Sister Cluff.''
Vows of Vengeance
"Twelve times" answered Professor
Wolfe when asked how many times he
had been through the endowment
house, or temple he explained, as the
endowment house was torn down many
years ago.
Did you take any obligations or
caths when you went through?" asked
Mr.. Carlisle.
Every time" he replied.
Asked to detail them he said there
had, been obligations Of chastity, sac
rlice and vengeance.
What do you mean by vengeance 2"
asked Mr.. Carlisle. DO you mean that
there was a promise or pledge given
to avenge something"
The witness then said that this oath
had been taken: You and each of
you do covenant and pray and never
cease to pray God to avenge the blood
of the prophet on this nation.''
The oath, he said, was taken stand
ing and at the conclusion each one who
took it was required to bow the head
and say 81 do"
After giving many other details of
the ceremony, such as the manner OF
amounting, he was asked concerning
lTldl Helu ny the UOdTu OI bTISndIn
Young academy as the reasons for a
long absence of Cluff from the Mexican
expedition.
Smoot Was There
The witness said Apostle Reed Smoot
was among those in attendance and
that he had heard testimony given by
the witness himself that the reason for
Cuffs absence was because he was
living apart with plural wife.
n oYria
on by the witness. This was between
Ovens Gorgenson, a student at Brig
ham Young academy, and Brother"
Okey. with whom the girl became
enamored, according to a confession
she is alleged to have made to Prof.
Wolfe. He said the girl came to his
house and gave as an excuse for an
absence from school that she had gone
to Juarez, Mex, and had been married
in polygamy. This had been with the
consent of State President George @.
Cannon. The girl went back to the
school and graduated in the class of
1900, said the witness.
On further examination conducted
by Chairman Burrows, Prof. Wolfe
said that in Southern Utah and New
Mexico polygamy is talked with some
freedom.
He quoted Apostle John Henry Smith
as having said concerning the mani
feSto: 1t IS trlck TO peat the devil
at his own game"
He quoted John Wilson of Logan, a
prominent Mormon, as saying:
"The manifesto enables the church
to exclude men who ought not to have
more than one wife and gives to worthy
men an opportunity to take plural
wives"
PoIygamy Increases
Both of these statements, the witness
n A.. u Il.
ITO the best of my knowledge" said
Prof Wolfe. "polygamous cohabitatior
has increased very materially since
Utah was admitted as a state
On cross examination Mr.. Worthing-
ton produced the official charges
brought against Cluff by Prof. Wolfe
and other members of the Mexican
expedition.
The witness was asked why he had
refrained from making the charge that
Cluff was living in Mexico with Flor
ence Reynolds
For several reasons" replied Wolfe;
"the chief one was that polygamy was
not crime in the eyes of the church"
When asked concerning some of the
proceedings of that trial, particularly
concerning intimate details, he said
there was a gentleman in the room
who was better qualified to answer.
"Who?" asked Mr.. Worthington.
After stating that Mr.. Smoot had not
been a member of the subcommittee
making the investigation Mr. Worth
ington asked the witness concerning
his habits and whether he had been
discharged from his post as a teacher
because of drunkenness. He said his
resignation had been 'involuntarily
voluntary" and explained that he had
drank for twenty years and there had
been no change in his habits all those
years, but after refusing to pay tithes
he had been asked to resign on account
OF having been intoxicated on a Sun
day early in January of this year. He
said he knew the consequence of re-
fusing to pay tithes. Senator Hopkins
asked If the charge had been true
that he was drunk upon the day re-
ferred to.
"No, sir. If the charge had been
made the next day 1t might have been
true" the witness replied I,