The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-02-13
MORE P0LYGANY IN UTAH
Former Mormon Apostle Tells SEN
ators The Practice Has Increased.
WOLFE TELLS OATH OF CHURCH

Declares woodruff Proclamation Against
Plural Marriages is Construed to Ap-
ply Merely to "Unworthy" Men =
Manifesto is Only scheme Church
Above The Nation.
Washington, D. Professor Walter
NJ. Wolfe Of Logan, Utah, former
Mormon apostle and a teacher in one
Of the Mormon universities, told the
Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections there is more polygamy in
Utah to-day than when the State was
admitted 20 the Union.
Professor Wolfe was the principal
witness at the renewed hearing before
the committee as to the question Of
permitting Reed Smoot to remain a
Senator from Utah. He declared the
Woodruff manifesto against polygamy.
which had great influence in inducing
Congress to admit Utah as O State
was only applied to unworthy men.
and in Southern Utah and New Mexico
polygam5 is talked about by the Nor
mons with freedom
The oath taken by Mormons. Profess
sor Wolfe asserted, placed loyalty to
the church above loyalty to the Consti-
tuition and called for vengeance on
the American Nation for the blood of
the saints.
Professor Wolfe said the woodruff
manifesto was construed by Latter
Day Saints not to prevent worthy
Mormons" from entering into plural
marriages, but as only scheme to en-.
able the church to exclude unworthy
men" from the privilege Of polygamy.
Professor Wolfe believed that since
the Woodruff manifesto was an
nounced more men and women were
living together in plural marriage than
before the issuance Of that document.
The witness described a colonization
party which went from Utah to Mex
leo and testified that while in Mexico
Benjamin Cluff, Jr., principal of the
Brigham Young Academy, who was
understood to have two wives. was
married to Florence Reynolds, MEM
Der of the Mormon Church and a resi-
dent of Reno, New.
Professor Wolfe said charges had
been preferred against Cluff for nom
payment Of dues, and when asked why
the charge that Cuff and Miss Rey-
nolds were living together was not
also preferred he said it was not
considered an offense in the eyes of
the church.
Members of the Mormon Church who
were on the expedition when this
plural marriage occurred were Presi-
dent Frank +. Smith and Apostles
Reed Smoot, James H. Smith William
Dusinberry, David Johns, Jesse Knight
and Lafayette Halbrook.
Professor Wolfe said he had talked
with Mr.. Smoot before he preferred
the charges against Cluff and was adj
vised by the Senator to be careful and
not be too hasty.
Professor Wolfe described another
plural marriage, between brother
Okey and Ovena Jorgenson. a student
in the Brigham Young Academy. The
girl confessed to Professor Wolfe, he
said that she became enamoured Of
Okey and went with him to Juarez.
Mexico, where they were married.
This, the witness said, had been done
with the consent of George G. Cannon.
Stake President.
Mr.. Worthington, who is defending
Senator Smoot, pressed the witness to
say why he had refrained from making
the charge Of polygamy against Cluff
in regard to his marriage with Flor
ence Reynolds.
''The chief reason" said Professor
Wolfe, lis that polygamy was not
crime in the eyes of the church,
When asked about the proceedings of
the trial the witness said there was
another man in the room better quail
fed to answer.
"Who?" asked Mr.. Worthington
1.-THE Senator from Utah. replied
the witness.
Professor Wolfe said it was not true
he had been expelled from the church
because he had been intoxicatd on Sun
day.