Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-11-25
JOSEPH SMITH ADMITS
GUILT AND is FINED
Mormon Prophet Pleads For
Leniency.
MAKES ADDRESS TO THE COURT
Smith Said When He Accepted Mr..
Woodruff's Manifesto He Did Not
Understand that He Was to Discard
or Abandon His Wives.

Salt Lake City, Nov. 24.-Joseph
F Smith, president of the Mormon
church, Friday afternoon appeared in
the district court before Judge Rit-
chic, pleaded guilty to a charge of
| unlawful cOhabitation and a fine of
$500 was imposed.
The charge under which the Nor
mon prophet was arrested and fined
was based on the recent birth of Mr..
Smiths 43rd child, born 10 his fifth
wife.
Earlier in the day counsel for Pres
ldent Smith secured a transfer Of the
| case from the criminal division of that
court, where Judge Armstrong pre-
| sided, 10 Judge Ritchie's division.
After the noon recess, when the
| court room was practically deserted
President Smith went before Judge
Richie, offered his plea and the fine
was imposed.
President Smith addressed the court
and stated that his last marriage was
| in 1884. All his marriages he said
were entered into with the sanction
| OF the church, and, as they believ-
| ed, with the approval of the Lord
According TO his faith. and the law
OF the church, they were eternal in
| duration He continued:
I'm the tacit general understanding
that was had in 1890, and the years
subsequent thereto, regarding what
were clas3ed as the old cases Of CO.
habitation, | have appreciated the
| magnanimity of the American people
in not enforcing a policy that in the If
minds was unnecessarily harsh, but
| which assigned the settlement of tn 5
| ress OF time
Since 1890 a very large percent
| age OF he polygamOus families have
| ceased to exist, until now the num-
| Der within the jurisdiction Of this
| court Is very small, and marriage !
| in violation of the law have been
| and now are prohibited. In view of
| this situation, which has fixed with
! certainty a result that cannot be easi-
| ly measured up, the family rela-
tions in the old cases of that time
| have been generally left undisturbed
| So far as my own case is concerned ,
| |, like others who had entered into
| solemn religious obligations, sought
TO the best OF my ability, to comply
| with all requirements pertaining 0
| hA in, Nyhf
| placed. | have felt secure in the
protection OF that magnanimous SEN
! timenI which was extended as an
| olive branch in 1890 and subsequent
years to those old cases of plural fam
lily relationships which came within
| its purview, as did mine.
When l accepted the manifesto is
sued by President Wilford Woodruff
| / did not understand that | would be
| expected TO abandon and discard my
| wives. Knowing the sacred cove
nants and obligations which | had
assumed by reason of these marriages
l have conscientiously tried to dis
| charge the responsibilities attending
| them without being offensive to any
one. l have never Haunted my fami-
ly relations before the public, nor
| have | felt spirit of defiance against
the law, but, ON the contrary, I
have always desired to be a law -abid-
| ing citizen. In considering the try
ing position in which I have been
| placed. 1 trust that your honor will
exercise such leniency, in your SEN
tence, as law and justice will per-
init"
Judge Richie imposed the maximum
fine, but omitted the jail sentence of
from one day to six months, which
he might have imposed under the
| Utah statute.