New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-03
SUIT
BARESPOLYGAMY
AMONG MORMONS
Late Financier Told OFF,
cial He Had Several
Plural Wives.
tBy Telegraph to The Tritune.l

Ogden, Utah, July 2.-GeOrge =:
Gibbs, secretary to the president OF
the Mormon Church, testified under
cath to-day that David Eccles, multi
millionaire sugar and lumber KING had
acknowledged to him that he was the
father OF Albert Geddes' Eccles ana
that the boys mother, Margaret Cullen
Geddes Eccies, was his plural VIE
taken after the manifesto. The testl-
mony was brought out during the
course Of the suit Of Albert Geddes
through his mother to secure one-third
Of the Eccles estate on the ground
that he is son of the late iinancier.
The administrators Of the Eccles es-
tate are the defendants in the case and
have refused to acknowledge the right
of Albert Eccles TO portion Of the
estate.
The testimony Of Gibbs has caused
a great stir throughout the state. OH
Gals of the church have done much
TO suppress the facts in the case.
Mrs. Geddes was subpnnaed during the
Smoot investigation in Washington and
there testified that Mr.. Eccles was not
the father of her child. During the
present trial IL was brought out that
Mr.. Eccles had instructed her TO pro-
tect him. She testified yesterday that
when she was asked at Washington If
Mr.. Eccles was her husband she had
replied no with perfect frankness. She
admitted that there had been a mis-
take made in the name. She also tes-
tilted that David Eccles had requested
her to take the stand and swear she
was not his wife, in libel suit which
he proposed to bring against the salt
Lake Tribune"
When Gibbs was summoned 10 the
stand yesterday there was great stir
in the courtroom. In preliminary ex-
animation Gibbs said he had lived in
Salt Lake since 1868 He -elated
the history of his employment by the
Mormon Church. saving he had been
secretary TO Brigham Young, and later
had been employed ir a like capacity
by Presidents Taylor, Woodruff. Snow
ard Smoot He said that he knew the
late David Eccles intimately and that
the latter had visited him in the pres
idents Office at Salt Lake in 1900.
What did he say?" asked the at
torney for the plaintiff.
Attorneys for the defendants then
objected on the ground that Gibbs was
a priest in the church and his testi-
mony would be incompetent i was
then shown that his dealing, with
David Eccles were Of secular nature.
Then Gibbs testified under eXaml-
nation that Eccles had admitted 70
him that the Geddes lad was his son
and recounted the plural marriage Of
himself 10 Margaret Geddes Ecc!es,
performed in 1898 in the Office Of the
Eccles Lumber Company here.
ale said" testified Gibbs, that Mar
earet Geddes had given birth to a child
ana had concealed the name of the
father. For this reason the bishop OF
her ward had threatened her with eX-
communication, and David Eccles was
seeking to stop and such procedure.
The facts are Eccles told me, she
is not an adulteress as they seek to
make her. She is a good woman. She
belongs to me. am the father of her
child by a marriage performed BY
Apostle Merrill"
~ explained the matter 10 President
Snow" said Gibbs, land eXcommunlca-
ton proceedings were stopped"
II was then brought out that many
other plural marriages had been per
formed since the manifesto, many of
the principals going 70 the Mormon
colony in Mexico. where the marriage
was performed. and later returning to
Utah. Il has been shown in the pres
ent trial that. aside from Mrs Mar
garet Geddes, Eccles had two other
wives. Attorneys for the defendant
attempted to bring out that plural mar
riages have been performed Of recent
date. but this line Of questioning was
dropped as immaterial to the present /
case