The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-11-24
President OF mormon
Church FOUND GUILTY
JOSEPH r. SMITH FINED $500
IN COURT At SALT
LAKE CIIK.

Makes No Defense Against Charge OF
Unlawful CohabitatiOn - Allegation
Based Upon the Recent Birth TO the
Prophets Fifth Wife of His Forty
third Child--Asks Leniency of the
Court.
Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 28.-Jo-
seph F. Smith, president OF the Nor
mon church, this afternoon appeared in
the district court before Judge Ritchey,
pleaded guilty to a charge OF unlawful
cohabitation, and fine Of $500 was I'M
posed.
The charge under which the Mormon
prophet was arrested and fined was
based on the recent birth to President
Smiths fifth wife of his forty third
child
Early to-day counsel for President
Smith procured a transfer of the case
from Judge Armstrong; division Of the
criminal court to Judge Ritchey's divi-
sion. After the noon recess, when the
court room was deserted, President
Smith went before Judge Ritchey, Of
fered his plea, and the fine was i'm
posed.
President Smith addressed the court,
saying that his latest marriage occur
red in 1884 All his marriages, he said,
were entered into with the sanction Of
the church, and as they believed, with
the approval of the Lord.
According to his faith and the law Of
the church, the unions were eternal.
He continued:
In the tacit general understanding
that was had in 1890 and the years sub
sequent thereto regarding what were
classed as the old cases Of cohabitation
1 have appreciated the magnanimity Of
the American people in not enforcing a
policy that in their minds was unnec-
essarily harsh, but which assigned the
settlement of this difficult problem to
the onward progress Of time.
Since the year 1890 a large percent
age of the polygamous families have
ceased to exist, until now the number
within the jurisdiction Of this court is
small and marriages in violation of the
law have been and now are prohibited.
In view of this situation, which has
fixed with certainty result that can
be easily 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
I, like others who had entered into sol
enn religious obligatious sought to the
best of my ability to comply with all
requirements pertaining to the trying
position in which we were placed.
have felt secure in the protection OF
that magnanimous sentiment which
was extended as an olive branch in 1885,
and subsequent years to those old cases
of plural family relationships which
came within it's purview, as did mine.
when / accepted the manifesto Is.
sued by President Wilford Woodruff
did not understand that l would be ex
pected to abandon and discard my
wives. Knowing the sacred covenants
and obligations which I had assumed
by reason of those marriages, l have
conscientiously tried to discharge thr
responsibilities attending them withou
being offensive to any one. have nev
er Haunted my family relations befor,
the public, nor have l felt spirit o
defiance against the law; but, on th'
contrary l have always desired to be {
| law-abiding citizen.
I'm considering the trying position II
! which l have been placed I trust tina
your honor will exercise such lenienc,
in your sentence as law and justice viii
permit
Judge Ritchey imposed the maximum
! fine, but omitted the Jail sentence o
from one day to six months, which h
might have imposed under the Utal
statute.