| Show BISHOP SHEETS SENTENCED the court will not punish for membership in a church clabo p elijah F sheets of the E eighth I 1 g ward was arraigned before judge sandford Sand tord today on a charge of unlawful cohabitation of 0 the four counts la in the indictment the second third and fourth were dismissed th the first one covers me genoa irom 1 1883 to june 30 1884 and alleges that the the defendant dived with his bis wives elizabeth and emma contrary to the provisions of the statute to this charge the defendant entered a plea of guilty mr richards called the attention of the court ourt to the fact that dishop bishop sheets was 63 68 years of age this was his bis first conviction and he had bad surrendered to the abe officers he also stated that he had married his second wife in before there was any law against poly polygamy garn mr air peters said sai that the indictment was found two years ago sept 20 1886 the defendant it was true had bad surrendered himself but for the two years subsequent to the finding of the indictment the officers had been put t to great trouble and expense and nu had d been unsuccessful in finding him his youngest child was now eight years old mr peters said he be did not know whether the bishop had bad taken any other wife since 1861 or hotl not but said he hism bb a man of prominence in the claunch Cla to the presiding bishop mr Bich aids no sir you are mistaken he be is not a counselor 0 the presiding bishop mr peters well he is a bish bishop 0 pi anyway court the court will not take into consideration the fact than he is a member of any church do ion think I 1 ought to IV v mr peters yes I 1 do think so he is a member of atthe the mormon church court Is it an offense against th law to be a member of the tee mormon church mr peters yes res sir to be a member berof of a church that teaches and en of the law mr richards he is not here accused of being a member of iny any church but of unlawful cohabitation court can the court go behind the record and punish a man for that of which he has not been convicted if so I 1 desire some Ins instruction ruction on that point mr richards Sic hards 1 I assume ithac the court is bound by the record 4 court I 1 supposed so too till the counsel for government suggested that he might be punished puni sned for something hin 9 else mr peters it if a man is convicted of larceny the court may consider the circum circumstances sta nce a court larceny to IB a crime but membership in a church is not mr peters the court may consider a mans character court yes th at is true but I 1 dont propose to punish a man because he is a member of any church I 1 have nothing to dp with his bis leanings to any religion I 1 may become better advised later but now I 1 am convinced that I 1 should punish only for the offense committed and not for the religious inclinations of any man to bishop sheets the court said 1 I would not send you to the penitentiary if I 1 was satisfied that you would not repeat the offense that is a matter for you to decide As the prisca made no response the court imposed a sentence of 80 days imprisonment and a fine of and the costs of the prosecution bishop sheets was conveyed to the bastile later in the day |
