Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-09
TELL ABOUT THE
MORMON OATHS
THREE WITNESSES HEARD IN
SMOoT CASE
Introduction Of Testimony by Protest.
ants Practically coneIuded-En.
~ dowmsnt House Ceremonies
- Are Subject Of inquiry
- 1870


BY Associated Press. -
.sAvAsHINGTON, Feb. s-The SEN
ator Smoot case, as. far as Introduce
tlensof, Testimony by The protestants is
CONCERNED, probably will be closed to-
morrow. An announcement to that eff
feet was made by John G. Carlisle,
who has been prosecuting the case at
the present session OF congress, at the
close of proceedings today.
The defense has not announced the
number OF witnesses it expects to call,
nor when 1t will be ready to proceed
The hearing today dealt with alleged
Mormon Interference in business affairs
and with the endowment house cer-
emony. Three witnesses testified that
they had taken the obligation admin
istered, and as they recalled it there
was a variance in the form as 1t re-
lated to an agreement to avenge the
blood of the prophet. Henry w.
Lawrence of Salt Lkae said he had
been called upon to promise to avenge
Joseph Smith, Hiram Smith, David
Patten and Farley II. Pratt. all church
leaders, who met death at the hands of
mobs. This witness declared that no
Mormon could go through the endow-
ment house without taking the oath.
Chairman Burrows said today that he
would insist upon concluding the in
vestigation and making a report to
the senate this session.
Prof Walter NJ. Wolfe, who was q
teacher In Mormon and a member of
the church until very recently was
subjected to a severe cross examination
by A. S. Worthington, counsel for the
senator.
A large number of letters which had
been written by Wolfe to members of
he oh, inf
to show that he had not made COM
plants of the conduct of Benjamin
Cuff on the Mexican expedition as he
had testified in direct examination. He
denied charges by counsel that he had
been intoxicated in several public
places and that he had expressed con-
triton because of his refusal to pay
tithes. Mr.. Worthington will call
large number of witnesses to discredit
Wolfe.
Polygamy in Provo
On redirect examination, the names
of a number of residents of Provo were
read to the witness and. ten of them,
he said, were living in polygamous CO.
habitation. He said he knew George
Taylor, brother-in-law of Senator
Smoot, and that Taylor had asked him
Ghe witness) to give up his Democratic
iority." This was just previous to the
election of the Legislature that elected
Smoot to the senate. he said, and fur
ther that Taylor asked him 10 do all
he could for the election of Snoot
II told him. said the witness that
! would if I thought it to be the will
Of the Lord. Mr.. Taylor said he be-
lieved it was the will of God, and it
seemed to have been. He told me then
Il Al,
cUssed and indorsed by the high coun-
sci of Utah, convened as a prayer
circle"
In response to questions by several
members of the committee Wolfe said
that in Brigham Young college, Ovena
Jorgensen and Florence Reynolds We're
the only students whom he knew to
have become plural wives.
He thought that the children of
rolygamou5 relations looked upon
polygamy as divine institution. OF
the ten Provo citizens whose names
were read only one, Thomas Chamber
lain, had entered polygamy since the
manifesto. A number of the songs al
legged to have been hostile to the gov
eminent of the United States We're put
into the record and Wolfe said these
songs We're sung frequently.
William j. Thomas of Spanish Fork.
Utah, the next witness, said he had
gone through the endowment house
III 1869 and had taken an oath to
"avenge the blood of the prophet
Joseph Smith, upon this nation. and to
teach his children to do so down to the
third and fourth generations" He said
he was dropped from the church in the
eighties because ne had spoken too
openly against plural marriage
Senator Knox asked if he had ever
done anything to carry out his obliga-
ton to "avenge the blood of the
prophet upon this nation"
Twice Enlisted in Army
mo. sir: | enlisted twice to defend
this nation said Thomas.
The witness told of M. Nicholson,
formerly an employe of Thomas, going