Show THAT NOCTURNAL MARRIAGE I 1 TRIBUNE INTERVIEW WITH dr DK J M af BENEDICT beun BrUN EDICT HOW NOW THE disreputable AFFAIR WAS BROUGHT ABOUT aror from the salt lake tribune of nov the deseret newson news on saturday nov ath having asserted that dr daj J 31 benedict as an ordained E ider elder had no right to marry any parties lu in an organized stake without the permission of the authorities and having intimated that there was some collusion on tile the part of dr benedict in regard to the marriage of john W irons to miss lizzle lizzie ivans evans a tribune reporter on meeting the doctor yesterday asked him whether he would object to being interviewed concerning the mat matter ker zer not at all replied the doctor I 1 have no objections to telling you all I 1 know about the case and if you will step up into my office where we can be more comfortable I 1 will give you all the facts As ascending tending a flight of stairs and being comfortably seated the doctor with a cigarette as a comforter began to talk and the reporter with a three for five as a flo fio soother other prepared to listen said sald the doctor As an ordained elder of the church I 1 had bad a richt right under the church law and I 1 certainly as an individual had a right under the civil law to perform the ceremony of marriage the impression as conveyed by made the marriage t i e and solemnized lt it with the deliberate delibera t c intent and purpose of covering u up a crime and aud for the purposed purpose of shielding ing supposed criminal parties I 1 say at the outset that I 1 know nothing of the case by inference or otherwise except as learned f from rom the ne newspaper reports I 1 say now that I 1 absolutely know nothing else about it now as to my connection with the affair november Nd vember ath about 9 I 1 was summoned by telephone to see one moses abrahams supposed to be chocking to death at his home somewhere in the kimball block being a briw brig bright gh t moonlight night and having a cousin the only 1 one I 1 have a agirs mrs urs john neff of 1 mill lili iiii creek visiting in me I 1 proposed to take her and my wife with me for a ride up town and back we drove to the kimball block where abraham lives and after seeing him I 1 came out and said to my folks som you arle arie up to godbeh drug store and ill walk up they th drove droye d ove on and I 1 walked when opposite ale the Z C al I 1 shoe factory I 1 me met spencer clawson who was much excited and out of breath J jie jle jie ae said 11 1 I am glad I 1 met you I 1 am almost crazy and dont know what to do I 1 said the matter mattera ile he said imbat that girl i ra lizzle lizzie evans bounced into my parlor fa r door almost crazy and I 1 dont know what in the devil to dewith do with her wont you go up and see her I 1 sala said I 1 would as qi quickly as I 1 could after leaving a prescription at the drug s tore store what can I 1 do I 1 I 1 asked mr air clawson I 1 responded spon ded send her to the sisters hospital it is the best place for her mr nir clawson then said all right if you can arrange it ill go at once and get a carriage gil III ident I went to the drug store wrote the prescription and drove to spencer Claw sons residence immediately 1 I 1 went in the beck way and found miss evans tik in bed johll joint W irons sitting on the side of the bed talking to her and her mother and other ladles being in the room miss hilss evans was in a profound hyst hysterical ermal ermai condition and neither spoke saoko t to 0 nor recognized anybody and was ln in a great deal of pain I 1 was informed that she had JU JUMPED IrED FROM A WINDOW and had gained the ground by means of abree a tree I 1 made imade an examination to ascertain the extent of her injuries received from this source and found a few scratches that was all ali As to her condition I 1 made no examination and know nothing about it I 1 then advised them again to send her to the hospital at once the question was asked cant sh she be taken to the deseret hospital I 1 replied yes she can ill go with her there but ut I 1 cant attend her there mr nir ir irons on said 1 I want you to take care of this young lady I 1 repeated that in that case sh she e would have to be sent to the sisters hospital I 1 had by this time administered a full hypodermic injection of morphine after she quieted down and found that she was with friends she consented to go with me to the hospital I 1 wrapped her in a blanket carried earned her out in my arms and put her in the carriage I 1 then gave my word of honor to officer salmon that I 1 would be responsible for her appearance at anytime any time she was needed and that she should be visited by no one without my nay written consent I 1 did this because the lady was frightened and did not want to see any one but mr nir irons and her mother she was driven to the hospital several parties being in the carnage carriage with her and I 1 followed in my carriage I 1 carried her into the hospital and administered another hypodermic I 1 did not ask her or Mr Irons a question I 1 acted for her physical benefit alone the following morning morning friday I 1 saw her again and her con condition was much improved she was feeling more cheerful and much better late that after noon I 1 received a telephone message asking me to be present at 8 that evening at the hospital 5 that mr irons two witnesses anda magistrate would woula be there to perform a marriage ceremony I 1 answered that I 1 would be there 1 I left my table full of company that evening svening and went to the hospital I 1 walta waita waited nearly an hour but no rio word came I 1 met dr A K smith of chains who had a patient at the hospital on whom I 1 haa had been operating I 1 asked him howalt to wait stating that mr sir irons and miss evans were to be married and aud that I 1 would then take him down in my buggy ile he decided to walt wait somewhere about 9 I 1 received a telephonic message from town stating in that no magistrate could be obtained and asking me whether 1 I 1 WOULD PERFORM MARRIAGE ceremony reaid F saidi sald I 1 would as senior in charge ot of the hospital I 1 immediately went down and asked her mother whether she would consent to a marria marriage e then and there she wanted to know if that would stop the law lawsuit suit bult I 1 told her I 1 did not pot see how it could but that both were willine wll wil line and anxious to bo be married and wanted me to perform the caremon ceremony ay iy I 1 asked her if I 1 should do so she said she would rat herwalt rather wait walt until after the preliminary examination and for f urther further counsel 1 I then asked miss lizzie lizzle evans if she wanted to be married to mr irons andia and if she wanted to be married that night she said yes dea what I 1 do want that was before she knew they were comin coming u up I 1 8 said aid to her mr bair irons will te be lie ite here re 1 in n a few moments ments with two witnesses are you willing truit thit r should perform the cere cerea A mony she replied yes if it is light sald said 1 I all right when they come ill notify you vou 1 I then and there assured her atiat I 1 was an elder of the church and had the right as I 1 supposed to marry them when they came from froin the city 1 I placed them I 1 in n another room a and 11 d while dr smith was talking with miss evans mother pl pleading eddin g WI with th her to give her consent to tc ane marriage I 1 spirited miss evan eran sf out of thel the room into the other room in the presence pres pre ecce of john W irons major G 8 serb berb erb urb and joseph G davis it was aken then about in their presence I 1 sald said Mr irons and miss aliss evans this is no nonsense on maypart my part you have b ve asked me to marry yoland ou and I 1 am hereto doit dolt do it 11 I 1 said to miss evans DO YOU WISH TO BE married to john W irons she ahe replied 1 I do I 1 said to mr sir sin yin irons dodou do you wish me to marry you to this woman lizzle lizzie evans ile he replied 1 I do I 1 then said now understanding these facts and in the presence of these witnesses and what may be said hereafter if you mean what say join hands and I 1 will marry you I 1 theland then and there married them miss evans E vans returned to her bed when dr smith came e a from f r her e r mothers room mr J arons r chaw was a s omitting sitting ather at her bedside I 1 Isaid said to her are you satisfied that you aj ai e married to this man and do you acknowledge ledee it to be a valid marriaga marriage hel hey she replied 1 L do turning to mr irons I 1 said do you acknowledge the same Is this woman in this bed your wife ile he replied she is and then KISSED IIER ner III gil 1 I told him then that th a t the rules of the hospital did not permit of his remaining t there here and lie be rode back to town wit with h us 1 the reporter here arose re lit his alleged havanna which bad gone out shortly after the doctor began his entertaining story and an d was about to depart when the doctor concluded 4 you ayou can see sec from these facts that there was no collusion between dr fowler myself or anyone connect edwinh edwith ane case what I 1 did I 1 believed I 1 had a right to do and would do again under the same circumstances I 1 am thoroughly satisfied that what I 1 did was for the best interests of all and I 1 did exactly what I 1 would have done for my own sister my y personal and private opinion Is that ane publication of a scandal can be of no possible benefit to anybody and the more it Is stirred up the worse it is for all parties concerned their families and their f friends |