| OCR Text |
Show ANOTHER AWFUL CASE. A man, whose name has been known in Utan newspapers for many years a Mormon forty years ago and still a Mormon upon returning to Salt Lake City a few days ago. made this inquiry in-quiry of The Tribune: "Who was the woman described in The Tribune editorial edi-torial of December 17, 1903, under tho title, 'The Message of Ilagar'?" Helng lold that the naine could not be communicated even lo him without the woman's consent, lie continued: "My reason for asking is not one of vulgar curiosity. A near relative of my own family had an almost similar experience and I desired lo find out if tills were her stoiT." Asking that his name and the names of the parties concerned be held within strict conlldence, he made the following follow-ing narration, with the exception that we omit the names In order to observe the confidence which he enjoined and which was pledged. "In the old days T would have died lo protect the polygamists of this church. Myself and wife believed that they were ihe best people In the world; and, while we were not In the relation ourselves, we had such supreme love and reverence for them that we counted count-ed ourselves as being merely worthy to serve and obey. Since the manifesto 1 have been strongly opposed to plural marriage ceremonies and to polygamous polyga-mous living. I believe that Wllford Woodruff was Inspired of God to deliver de-liver that revelation to the church. I have heard him say that the message and instruction came from God and was binding upon the Latter-day Salnls. But 1 know that the covenant with the Nation and the law of God contained In the manifesto have both been broken by. the authorities pf the Mormon church. A female relative of my family was married lo one of the high dignitaries of this church after the manifesto. Sim was taken from her abiding place In Salt Lake City, placed in a cloaed carriage, blindfolded, driven for some distance with the man whom she was to marry, led still blindfolded blindfold-ed into tome building where, holding the hand of her polygamous husband (a man who already had several wives), she heard the voice of an unknown person pronouncing the usual ceremony cere-mony of the Mormon celestial marriage mar-riage covenant. She knew that she had the right man by the hand because be-cause she knew the voice with which he made the responses. . J3elng blindfolded, blind-folded, she. could not see the face of the olllclant, and there was nothing familiar in his tones. After the ceremony cere-mony which pronounced her the wife of the polygamist and after they were sealed up to Inherit thrones and principalities, prin-cipalities, she was led out of the building, build-ing, placed in the carriage and driven for some distance lo her abiding place all the time blindfolded. IJefore reentering re-entering her home "the bandage was taken from her eyes. She subsequently subsequent-ly lived with her polygamous husband at a place some distance from Salt Lake City. Js this the same case?" It was not the same case, and he was so advised. The man is truthful; he is a person of good reputation for, probity, and he knows whereof he speaks. Jt Is evident that It has not been an uncommon custom to solemnise polygamous po-lygamous marriages In private residences resi-dences or otherMjuildlngs In Salt Lake. It is evident also that for the safety of the ofllclaht it Is not an uncommon custom for him to be concealed from the gaze of the woman victim. Tho reason why the ceremonies have been performed In Salt Lake is this: In some Instances the attentions paid by tha prospective polygamist to the prospective plural wife have been so marked that the absence of both at the same time to make the journey to Canada Can-ada or Mexico would have attracted too much notice; and, therefore, the arrangement has been made In Salt Lake. Apparently such scrupulous care has been exercised that if ihe woman wo-man victim should ever want to tell she could not know even remotely the scene of the violation of the law, nor give any clue to the individuality of the officiant ail she could do would be to reveal the name of her polygamous husband without any possibility of corroboration by another witness. |
