| Show ANOTHER OF THE J D I 1 JONES SAVES HIMSELF FROM imprisonment BY repudiating ills liis PLURAL WIFE AND MAKING PROMISES FOR TILE THE FUTURE the idaho herald of the loth contains the following article oa wednesday afternoon J D jones having previously entered a plea of guilty to the charge change of unlawful cohabitation was brought before the court for sentence judge morgan g an asked the defendant if he had anything to say or any legal excuse to offer er why sentence should not be pronounced renounced upon him the defendant replied that 11 W smith esq one of his attorneys would address the court in tits his behalf mr air smith arose and after assuring the court members of the bar and anti all present that that he was not in sympathy with the mormon doctrine of polygamy yet he be believed that many mem mcm gers bers berb of that church were entitled to the leniency of the courts that the united states government and its officials were accused of maintaining a spirit of persecution and vindictiveness towards that people e but such was far from being an fn the truth that the only object of the government or its officials was to mete out such punishment unish ment to this class of offenders of thelah as it would to any other class of criminals that mr air jonesie Jo jones it appears was married in 1836 1856 six years before there was any law or statute against polygamy or making in t the h e practice of it a crime that after t eft eit the h e passage asage of the edmunds act in 1882 tle tte the de had as he SUP posed been living within the law as he tie had not actually been living with but one of his bis two so called wives at leat so 0 far as tie the the true relationship of nan inan nau and wite existed or in other words wo ads having sexual intercourse with buto but one neof of them teens though he did visit them both and held them out to the world as his wives but only until the late ruling of judge zane of utah had he consi considered derez dereT that an n offense against the law under the spirit and meaning of the act itself but under that ruling recognizing that even these relations made him amenable he determined ter mined to and did surrender himself to the proper authorities and assert his intention to live within the law in every particular and would henceforth notwithstanding any counsels of the church authorities to the contrary abide by the law these were the kind of men said mr air smith that he considered entitled to the sympathy of the people peopled and so far as consistent the mercy and clemency of the courts that excessive lines fines and long ions terms ot of imprisonment would not in his mind in such cases be subservient of the best good but on the contrary a manifestation of a spirit of kindness to all those who made such promises 9 US S district attorney white in a short but very able speech said that he had bad malice towards none was not actuated by an any spirit of vindictiveness that all ke he wished was to do his duty as an officer and see the laws of our country obeyed but thought in some instances the de penalty for such offenses cs was inadequate to the crime his remarks were delivered in a spirit of kindness but in that firm and decided manner that would leave no doubt in the minds of all who heard it that he would not daily dally with that class of offenders his ills honor judge morgan then addressed the defendant substantially as follows that he would not be governed by any spirit of fear or favor in pronouncing sentence upon upion any one of the class of offenders of the character of ane one now before him forthal for that purpose that he considered that class of crimes as he would all others of like magnitude it had been stated by mr white united states slates district attorney that the punishment for such offenses was inadequate to the crime as to that he had nothing to say except thattie that the united states states congress had fixed the maximum penalty for such offenses cs and had bad left it discretionary with the courts to impose that or a less punishment upon those convicted of the offense that he did not look upon to any others of like magnitude but that is was clear to his bis mind that some were deserving of more severe punishment for the offense than others that the object of the court was and would regardless of public opinion which he cares nothing for mete out such punishment to each individual convicted as seemed to i him in his best judgment 1 rig right I ht and proper in the several cases as they were presented all must be made to recognize nize the laws of our aur government as paramount to all others before pronouncing sentence judge morgan said to iro the F defendant efen dant daut 69 Is it your intention in the future to obey the law in good faith defendant it is judge morgan moman what will you d do 0 if anyone ask asu you your four advice as to obedience to the law in the future defendant 1 I shall advise them to obey the law abd I 1 intend to do the same myself 91 the court ourt then sentenced the defendant to pay a fine flue of W and costs |
