Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-02
WOMAN POLYGAMIST
DENOUNCES CRIME
Mrs. Williams, Reared In Poly
gamy, Tells Of It's Horrors
And Pleads To Blot 1t Out
CRIME ON CONSTITUTION

The Firs Presbyterian Church was
filled to its capacity last night at the
Anti-Mormon meeting led by Mrs. Ma
rion Williams of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Every seat in the church was occu-
pied, and many additional chairs were
brought in TO accommodate the out
pouring of women. II was strictly a
woman's meeting, and not man was
present, even the organ 'pumper"
was young girl
The meeting was presided over by
Mrs. Maurice S. White. wife of the
pastor of the church, and several
hymns were sung at its opening,
which was somewhat delayed by the
late arrival of Mrs. Williams
The invocation was offered by Mrs.
John s. Sewers, wife OF the minister
of College Avenue Baptist Church.
who made a fervent prayer.
Mrs. White introduced the speaker
who Immediately plunged into her
subject. and got down to brass tacks
without any preliminaries, furbelows
or embellishings.
Mrs. Williams is a we'll built wo-
man. of striking physique. stylishly
gowned. and possessed of voice that
carries to the farthest corner OF the
edifice yet is not harsh or grating.
She is a typical Western woman, and
her voice, manner and mode of ex-
preston bespeak Western provin-
cialism.
She told of having been reared I'm
polygamy. How, when but six years
old her father became one of Brig
ham Young's followers. and left their
home in Pennsylvania going to a GER
tain place in Kansas, thence across
the Plains with hand carts. walking
twelve miles a day, her mother car
rying an eighteen-months' old infant.
and continuing this walk for ninety
days, until they reached "Zion City"
She told of her girlhood in the Nor
mon country, of the secrets of the Nor
mon Church, Sunday School, the tenn
pie and its queer customs. and how
she became polygamist when a
young woman. She spoke thrillingly
of being the wife of a man who had
another wife and children, of the
heartaches, the grief and sorrow. and
of the hideous crimes yelled under the.
guise of religion.
Mrs. Williams graphically depicted
the various phases of the church"
sanctioning, such as union, and told
OF the disciples of Joe Smith, as the
followers of Brigham Young
Her story was as thrilling as ii was
horrible to the ears of Christian wo-
men who are taught chastity from in
fancy and all 1t implies to girlhood,
womanhood and motherhood
Mrs. Williams brought her story up
up to her divorce and renunciation
of the Mormon religion" so-called,
and in closing made plea for the
Anti Mormon Society which is enc
deavoring to wipe out this shame from
the United States that sanction II, and
blot from the Constitution the right
of fourteen states to its following.
She urged the Importance of stamp
ing out polygamy now, for there is
if drastic action is not taken. and 1t
is necessary for the people to get
behind this movement There is
Mormon Senator and two Congress
men who are Mormans. and the in
fiuence they WELD is not little. The
Anti-Mormons look to a Constitutional
Amendment in which interest Mrs.
Williams is engaged toward eradicat-
ing the menace of Mormonism.