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Show The Tribune's Washington special this morning says: - Apostle Francis Lyman and C. E. Merrill, a son of Apostle Merrill of the Mormon church, were, the star witnesses in the moot Senatorial investigation investiga-tion today, some of the declarations and admissions made by Lyman equaling equal-ing If not exceeding those made by President Joseph F. Smith. The earlier hours of today's session were devoted to further examination of Clara Mabel Kennedy, whose mother. Mrs. Matthews, also shed some light upon the workings work-ings . of the Mormon hierarchy, .' . ,' . ' Mrs Kennedy was further questioned by members of the committee concerning con-cerning her first marriage, and her subsequent experience as a plural wife. The woman was loth to dwell at length upon her experience as such a wife. She described It as most unpleasant and said that she had tried to put remembrance re-membrance of those dark days from her that she had tried, to forget . From the testimony of Mrs. Matthews it would seem that Mrs. Kennedy Ken-nedy was forced into becoming a plural wife. She had asked to be allowed to wait untU she was 18 years old, but Johnson and her mother would not consent, and she was sent to Arizona and "sealed" to Johnson. . The story of Merrill was quite spicy. He confessed to being e polyga-mist polyga-mist and to living in polygamy at the present time. He related when and where he had married his first and plural wives, and in a way described the ceremony attendant upon the taking of a plural wife. There were Just vows, he said. There .was no certificate of the marriage, nor as far as he knew, any record of the plural marriage. . He caused some amusement by referring to' the time when & crusade was inaugurated against polyga mists, and his father and other church dignitaries found it necessary to take to the tall timber to dodge the United 8 tales Marshals. Apostle . Lyman, who is In direct line of accession as head of the church, was, as stated, a most Important wltners. Like President Smith, he admitted admit-ted that at present and ever since the manifesto was issued, the laws of morality mo-rality and of the State were being:, violated. -The National Association of the Women's Organizations, including all women's organisations of the country, will meet here Friday for the purpose of considering action looking to the ousting of Reed Smoot as United States Senator, and the reformation of the moral situation in Utah. v Mrs. Matthews and Mrs. Kennedy will leave for home tomorrow. Five more witnesses in the case are to be heard, and President Smith will be recalled. It Is expected that all the evidence of the witnesses now here will be In this week. It Is certain that a sub-committee will go to Utah after Congress adjourns to make further inquiry and take testimony, and the records rec-ords of the church will undoubtedly be called. This means a thorough investigation inves-tigation of the affairs of the Mormon church. |