Show DEFINED IV S geddes before judge hunter anter ll the court proceedings in in ogden along with much other important matter has haa been crowded from our columns of late by matter that could not go over the most noteworthy case that has hag loon been up is ia that of 0 W S geddes ol of plain city ind bcd for unla unlawful ful cohabit ion the 0 entente ten tence was vai pronounced on mond monday ay the oth dinst the which the ilia defendant matle made on the occasion oLca aion toge together the r with the judges remarks form one ona of the most interesting bits of court literature that lias ha appeared since these peculiar po culiar cases began in reply to the tha question bether be behia hid anything any thine to say bay before sentence was pronounced mr geddes gedden responded may it it p c a s your ur honor if you IN would ou b bear a r i t i I 1 emic ma a I 1 would like to occupy a few in omenta your honor at the time this which I 1 have ben been convicted by a verdict of gainty brought in in bythe by the jury was committed 30 years lears ago there was no law then that 1 was aware of on the statute books of this nation nii tion making mailing una this a crime I 1 have hae labored hard hard to make this county what it la Is at tho the passage of the edmunds edmunda lw law as aa it is is called your honor I 1 certainly made an attempt to obey that law but I 1 will tell you that I 1 lai iwo e erred in tho ilia understanding that I 1 had concerning the law I 1 mado made an effort to set get my house in order and to observe that law tho the law of my iny adopted country and I 1 love my cantry I 1 love its it flair flag ana and when I 1 nave have seen that flag tl in the breeze of any foreign nation I 1 have felt aroud proud ot of it certainly it lie has been shown by y the verdict which has been rendered that I 1 havo have not complied with the law your honor I 1 did the best that I 1 could w with I 1 th the ilia understanding tint that I 1 had I 1 strove in n my iny meek way to keep track of the rulings of the courts according to ti 3 my understanding however I 1 most ha ve misunderstood I 1 confess but being kas entered into this system of marriana marr iaea previous to the laws be being enacted me led I 1 had a understood that those tb who were wera endeavoring to keep the law lav would be allowed to visit their families and support themi might ave gone ther otoo en from the circumstance of ray my families ili e livings living so near together I 1 went often ten i gand and directed my children I 1 went in the morning to tell my children what to do I 1 confess I 1 have done this and it teems seems that I 1 have made a failure fallar ain in try ing to keep the law in this a respect buti but I 1 h have e been sincere in my attempt I 1 was honest in it any of the officers 0 of I 1 this court mr exum mr mi steele and mr mclellan Mc LelIan can t tiby that th tl I 1 non ot 01 them any trouble I 1 never dodged a 1 moment I 1 came into 0 ogden den very every day for a week I 1 never hid up and when I 1 had bad business busin exa that called me ott I 1 went want and told those parties who wanted to have me indicted that if the officers should come whilo I 1 was away wayt to otell tell thorn them that I 1 was pot trying to hide up I 1 al always ways made my calculations to meet this tl is yet I 1 have failed in the attempt to keep the law 1 have raised whit what I 1 call a respect respectable abe family I 1 tin am not ash amed of my chil children dreA I 1 have ben been a poor or man I 1 came to this country po poor or go but t I 1 have educated my family igat Ily they are nr temperate temper stel they have contracted no bd bad lisbets lit lis bit bits thi yet a t it setma seeing that I 1 have nt k kept e pt the tha law in the ilia xi right t form I 1 embr embraced re c athis chii faith and t thin L I 1 is religion called mormonism and ami became a latter aty abe baina int when hen 1 I was quite a young boy I 1 left father and mother and all 11 who were near and dear to me in the land that jive gave me m birth and gathered up into these mountain I 1 have h 1 e in times past taken arms in dae defence of f my country I 1 would be willing to do so BO today to day I 1 love lova the con tit ution of tire united states state and it if your honor would pardon me this expression p aaion this law has ha been adopted tor for t this re 3 people and I 1 think it if your honor aou would id take measures measure to investigate the th matter a tier you would find that this people love the constitution I 1 have been in in foreign lands and have there represented rep repented america and have been proud to do it I 1 sin am sorry that the ilia public opinion of this great nation has gone against this eop geat 0 they are honest in their convictions potions vict ions they have no desire desir to injure su suffering frering humanity and the feeling of 0 those men who stand at the head bead of our church are ara to do the people cople good that is the feeling of their clearts heard and that ip the ilia feeling ot of my he artand that is the religion I 1 of the people of these mountains mountain now von ow a your Honor their is one thing thine that I 1 feet feel sorrow tor for I 1 love the religion ion that I 1 adopted in ray my childhood i and I 1 fl feel sorrow that there is a tb A power invested in the courts as there was wag in oln olden times to put men to death I 1 would would rather I 1 ly a d down own my life to day thin than renounce ge tha faith I 1 adopted in childhood I 1 am sincere I 1 know you voa will pardon me tor for ny sincerity you know where I 1 was raised railed and the traditions that that people have I 1 should rather ia lay y m my y keople life i ife down it if required than to renounce ren ou nee my religions reli gionI know ow my little ones w would suffer buffer I 1 know it would have softened the heart of the czar cw of russia to have seen en my little itile one clinging abou arou around nd m mo this oming morning amy they are the ones who would have to buffer I 1 dont care cara lot for this old man it does doea not matter where ho he may go and it if it gleanes pleases your honor t to C imprison me for t these coo things I 1 will receive it thankfully and it if it was wa in th the power of the court to pronounce death upon these theao old bones II 11 I 1 would offer them up cheerfully ii eer fully this your honor is i all al I 1 to bay tile the court oa mr geddes the law under which you have been convicted Is i not a policy work between you find and roe me I 1 the th law lav has been caused to come coma into exir axis tence w we e cannot get behind bebin dit it we ought not if we are citizens citi ens of this country coun Y we must obey its laws or else suffer tha h consequences I 1 have no desire to have hav you change your opinion your religious belief nor with you in any way it la is your right to believe ahai you please it ili id the right of an american citizen to do that but in this count rya in any other tho the actions ot of citizens citizen must conform with tire alio rule chis Is ii what wb it this is ia nude made for y bwy maybelie belaev vs just what you PI please case but it is the tha li practice 1 at you yol speak about entering into this practice steak lw law was wa passed in this country it may bo be true that you yoa entered it before congress enacted any special law the th crime fur which you haya haa been convicted is il ol of having an appearance of 0 maintaining the relations lons prohibited by law toll you have held out that example xam plu that thatis is w what bat constitutes the offense I 1 understand tint first you are unwilling to state that la in the future atura you will obey tho the law lav Is 19 that your yourl idea dea 7 mr air geddes yes flir air if your honor please I 1 do not wish to dike any p promise 0 to interfere my conscience and a i religion I 1 ara am quite buccero on these points the court there may be some reason to you but I 1 cannot see se tho the reason you In insisted slated upon the witness stand bland that you obe obey y the law aal an why you cannot promise to do in the future what what you have done in the tha past I 1 can not see bee it if you will say ray to the ilia community that you yon are willing to obey the law in the future the of the law are am willing to suspend sentence een tence but tor for some reason or other it seems seeing to bo be the poll policy cy ot of your peo people that they will not promise to obey t tho a law in tire the future I 1 am sorry for that I 1 wish you would save me the pain of maying what the sentence is by telling me 00 what you told tho selmen sitting over there pointing pointing to the jury boxi would willingly 71 y I 1 shirk this ibis duty if I 1 could it ia is 1 I 1 a sentence of the law it is not my idea the th sentence in your case is that you bo be confined in the penitent penitentiary penitential ia r for a period of six months and pay a fine ina of 05 you tire are remanded into the hands handi of the tha united states marshal in ill the case cage of mr geo chandler who was vas sentenced on the tuy following for tho the same offense judge in response to a question from mr chandler as to the meaning of cohabitation said there lias bas been some difference in the way the courts have considered this law vas an and there have bavo been some different movements taken but I 1 think now it is pretty well sett settled mettlea lea the supreme court of the territory and of the united states have passed upon it and it seems now to mean that those who have entered into a polygamous relation in tho the past mus must t not only abstain from cohabiting with their wives wires but from the appearance of it that they will not set suc appearance such an example lexan that seems to be tho the construction the courts of this territory and of tho the united states have put a pon it mr 1 r chandler Chandl erDoes deep it mean that I 1 could not sea ae my children court I 1 do not think it means mean an any such a thing the tha law recognize thy the fact they are your children and I 1 understand that Is ia your right to support these ladies that have entered into these relations with you but what lo is required of you is that you undertake after this time tiina that you will not appear to maintain that polygamous household it isyou you will say ey to the court that you will in lathe the future under talie to respect the law and carry out these provisions the policy is i to suspend sentence sent onca |