The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-13
NJ. Z. COWLEY.
.COWLEY SHORN
Of PRIESTHOOD
Council of the Twelve Takes
Action Against the De-
posed Apostle.
HE is STILL MEMBER
OF CHURCH, HOWEVER
Performance of POlygamOus
Marriages Believed to Have
Been Cause.

former Apostle Matthias F. Cowlcy at the
time he was shorn OF his apostolic robes
by the governing quorum OF the Mormon
church In April, 1906. was stripped from
him Thursday by the council Of the
twelve apostles.
The announcement OF this fact appeared
In the Descret News, the official organ
OF the church. Friday evening. The no.
tice, which was printed in box at the
top Of the fourth column of the front
paper, was as follows.
OFFICIAL ACTION
AGAINST
MATTHIAS +. COWLEY
At a meeting Of the council Of the
twelve apostles, held in the, temple
Thursday afternoon, May IL, 1911,
the following action wns taken:
the council of the twelve apostles,
Cowley. for insubordination to the
government and discipline Of the
Church of Jesus Christ OF Latter
day Saints. be and he Is hereby de-
prlved OF the right and authority to
exercise any Of the functions Of the
priesthood.
FRANCIS NJ. LYMAN,
In Behalf of the Council
1t will be noticed that the reason for
the action Of the twelve is given as Elm
subordination to the government and dis
cipline OF the Church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter day Saints" This expression. like
under It former Apostle Cowley might
have been held accountable for any one of
q hundred traDsgressions.
Disciplined Once Before,
However. it is pretty generally under
stood that the former apostles penchant
for performing polysamous marriages was
the real cause of his being stripped OF
DrIeStly functions.
At the April conference In 1906. Apos-
ties Cowley and Taylor IL will be rcmem-
bered, were, dropped from the quorum, the
statement being made that they had re-
signed, 1t probably is q fact that they
did resign. but IL always has been under
stood that they were forced to do so be-
cause of their polygamous Practices
The fact that Cowley and Taylor were
dropped from the quorum did not affect
their general standing In the church
lnat is' they were still Ia. elders OF the
of the priesthood that any other elder
could exercise. the performance of mar
riage ceremonies being included In the
Recently Taylor was accommodated
from the church and now Cowley has
been deprived of the right and author.
the priesthood In other words, TAYLOR
Is entirely outside OF the pale. while
Cowley still is a member of the church,
but without any priestIS authority what
ever.
Plural Marriage Ceremonies.
. While no announcement has been made
by, the council of twelve apostles to
the exact nature Of -Cowley's offensc. II
is understood that the action was taken
upon proof OF the fact that Cowley had
performed poYgamous marriage Cere-
monies I'm violation of the Woodruff
manifesto. II is said In this connection
that tho church authorities have been
upon Cowley's trail for some time. but
oniN recently secured satisfactory proof
OF his transgressions.
When asked about the action OF the
twelve Friday evening. Anthon II. Lund
OF the first presidency said that the
matter had not reached his quorum and
that ne was not familiar with the
charges that had been made against
Cowley
An effort was made to see Cowley. but
Il was announced at his home, No. 123
North West Temple street, that he had
gone to Nevada on business.
AT the time lie was deposed from his
apostle ship Cowley lived In Idaho, but
nc has made Salt Lake City his home
for some time past Hc is Interested in
business and has not figured In the pub
lie eye TO any great extent. In fact.
about the only time that he has been
heard from. except In business WAY.
WAS when he stallscd into the limelight
recently by denying over his signature
certain statements made by former Sena-
tor Frank j. Cannon In one OF the arti-
clcs by the senator appearing In Every
body's Magazine under the title Under
the PrODhet In r. Utah."