The Irish standard., 1906-02-10
AP0STATE GIVES
temple SECRETS
FORMER PROFESSOR DECLARES
SMooT KNEW OF PRACTICE
OF PoLYGAMY.
SENATE COMMITTEE
RESUMES HEARINGS
Witness Tells of Girl Student Who
Was Plural Wife-Says Seed of
Treason" Is Sown in Oath of Ven
geance.

o.
The case of Senator Reed Smoo, were
resumed Wednesday before the COM
mittee on privileges and elections.
The investigation of the protests
against the Utah senator retaining his
seat has already continued through
TWO sessions of congress.
The first witness Of the day was
Prof, Walter H. Wolfe. former teacher
Of geology in The Brigham Young col
lege at Logan, Utah, and an apostate
Of the church. John G. Carlisle, of
New York, conducted the prosecution
and a. S. Worthington, of this city.
defended the senator.
TO the best of my knowledge" ,es,i-
fed Prof. Wolfe, ''polygamous cohah-
i,a,ion has increased very materially
since Utah was admitted as a state"
Swears Smoot Knew of Polygamy.
| Prof. Wolfe testified that he had
rbeen Il Mormon until January !. this
year. when his connection with the
church was severed through failure
TO comply with the demands for ti,hes.
He was asked to tell what he knew of
the alleged plural marriage of Prof.
Benjamin Cluff and Florence Reyn-
Odds, both teachers a, Provo. In de-
failing what he knew of their relations
he told of Mormon expedition to
Mexico. Prof. Wolfe said lie had been
informed at that time by Cuff that he
was married to Florence reynolds and
that they lived together ON that "trip
President Smith. he said. referred to
! Florence as Sister Clun."
The witness WAS asked concerning a
trial by the board of the Brigham
Young academy as 10 the reasons for
a long absence of Clutf from the Mex
lean expedition. The witness said
Apostle Reed Smoot was among those
in attendance and that he had heard
testimony given by the witness him
self that the reason for Cuffs absence
was because he WAS living apart with
u plural wife,
Another plural marriage was spoken
OF by the witness. This WAS between
Ovena JorgensOn, student at Brigham
Young academy. and Brother" Okey.
OF whom the girl became enamoretl.
according TO Il confession she 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 .JuareS. Mexico. and had been
married in polygamy. This had been
with the consent Of State President
George =. Cannon. The girl came
back to school and graduated III the
class of 1900, said the witness.
When asked how many times he had
been through the endowment house or
temple. Prof Wolfe answered Twelve
times"
Did you take any obligations or
ca1hs when yom went through" asked
Mr.. Carlisle.
Every tine." he replied. Asked to
detail them, he said there had been
obligations Of chastity, sacrifice and
vengeance.
What do yon mean by vengeance?
asked MIR. Carlisle.
do you mean there was promise
CT pledge given to avenge something's"
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
Manifesto Only Trick.
Under examination conducted by
Chairman Burrows, Prof. Wolfe SAID
that in southern Utah and New Mex.
leo polygamy was talked with free.
dom. lie quoted Apostle John Henry
Smith as having said concerning the
manifesto OF 1890: ut is a trick to
beat the devil at his own game" lie
quoted John Wilson, of Logan. I
prominent Mormon. as saying: "TM
manifesto enables the church to eX
GLIDE men who ought not to have more
than one wife and gives to worthy
men Oh opportunity to take plura.
wives"
Prof. Wolfe said he believed tina,
the seed Of treason" was sOwn in thu
oath Of vengeance. In answer to ql,cs.
lions by Chairman Burrows he de.
scriDcd The interior of the temple
Among the pictures was one of Sen.
atsr Smoot, Senator Dillingham; asked
a number Of questions to bring out the
relations OF the witness to the prose.
cutors of the case. The witness SAID
he did not know he was to be called
upon to testify about the oath in the
temple when he came here. The com
plittee then adjourned until Thursday.
First Conviction Obtained.