The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-07-27
Wrath OF Authorities Falls
On POlygamists In Arizona
By JAMES CARY


multiple families a. poiygamou,
Short Greek were silt asnnder to
day BY the wrath Of Arizona.
The state hurled q united tasl
force Of l02 officers at the littl,
settlement before dawn yesterda,
and took into CUSTODY 80 men. 81
women and 26S children.
It thus launched q supreme effor,
to wipe out forever 4 deep-rooteC
colony of polygamists that has op
Grated near the Utah border fol
20 years.
4 Gov. Howard Pyle called the Gull
"the foulest conspiracy you could
possibly imagine. " He said girls 81
under Is years of age were forced
into marriages with men Of all
ages.
Half . dozen Of these pigtailed
brides were arrested along with
the older mates Of the Short Greek
lpatriarchs.
The adults were charged with
NEARLY q dozen different offenses
including statutory rape, higamy,
open and notorious cohabitation,
contributing to the delinquency Of
minors, and marrying the spouse
of another.
Two men were accused Of having
six wives, two of having five. one
Of having four, ana numerous 9th,
ers with having two or three.
Four Of the wives repeatedly
were only Is years old, two were
IL and two Is.
The raid largest police action in
the states history--was launched
at 4:02 .. m. as The moon hid itself
in an eclipse.
As police cars moved in with
sirens screaming, . signal light
flashed from q hillside. Three ex.
|ploSions- likeWise warning signals
ripped through the darkness.
Despite all Of the secrecy of the
|26- month investigation. the colon
lists had learned the raid was COM
ing.
Officers, knocking on doors,
found only women and children in
the houses. In the grey light of
the dawn. they spotted a large con.
gregatiOn of men and some women
standing near the village school.
The American nag had been hoist
ed overhead.
Suddenly the people burst into
song. It was America, Then they
sang hymns.
Leroy Johnson, SIS, a purported
leader Of the cult. spoke for the
colony.
I'VE have done no wrong" he
asserted. I'VE just practice our re-
|ligion according TO our beliefs. We
believe ip the original tenetS Of the
Mormon Church.
1.-THE women don't have to marry
liz they don't want to. / defy any
|one to prove that any girl was
ever forced into 4 marriage. z
But 4 sobbing l7-year-old girl
told officers:
II was told had to marry d
7O-year-old man. Tstold them they
could kill me first They finally
gave me q second choice Of marry.
ing 4 45-year-old man. It was so
hopeless, ! gave up. was his
fourth wife.
Gov, Pyle, In a radio address
reporting on the raid, charged that
the community was dedicated to
the production Of white slaves who
are without hope of escaping de-
grading slavery from the moment
Of their birth. !,
In Salt Lake City, Utah, the
Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter.
day Saints fMormon1 said that all
infractiOns Of the moral code by
individuals which have been
brought to our attention have been
promptly dealt with by our eccIesi-
astical tribunals, and that upof
proof Of guilt those who have been
found guilty have been excommun.
icated. We regard the reported
proceedings as being entirely with
In the proving Of the civil author
ties"
The arrested men were hustled
off to jail at the County seat, King.
man, 400 miles distant. Some Of
the women were 10 be jailed too.
Other mothers and their children
were permitted 10 remain In their
homes, their needs provided b. the
state.