Mr. TAYLER. Are you a member of the Mormon church?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. No, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. How long since you went out of it?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. About 1897.

Mr. TAYLER. In taking these endowments you were robed in some particular way, were you?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. And you passed through several different kinds of ceremonies?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. During the time it lasted?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. And as the ceremony went on

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Do you not think it would be fair to let this witness state what took place instead of your putting the ceremony in your own way and having her say yes?

Mr. TAYLER. No; I do not.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Tayler has not asked the witness what the ceremony was.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. No; he is stating the ceremony in his own way and asking her if that is not so.

Mr. TAYLER. I do not care to have this witness go through a three hour ceremony, and I do not think it would help this ease for her to do so at all. I am not undertaking to lead, but only to eliminate a large part of the ceremony which I think it would not be profitable or necessary to go over. I am not wanting to do anything except to get that which is salient.

As the ceremony went on were there different obligations taken?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. Do you remember what was the first one that was taken?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I think I do, but I don't know if I am capable of speaking it.

Mr. TAYLER. Well, whatever you can remember about the first one, Mrs. Elliott, or any of them that you remember. I do not care what it was.

The CHAIRMAN. Take your own time, Mrs. Elliott. Do not be embarrassed.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. The first one was, when we come to a certain place, if we didn't want to go any further and take those oaths it was to turn back and go out.

Mr. TAYLER. That was after you had gone on for some time, was it?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes; a short time.

Mr. TAYLER. Then what is the next thing that you remember about that?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. It was where we took the oaths then, which I think it is very embarrassing for me to say them.

Mr. TAYLER. Tell us what you remember.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. One, I remember, they told me to pray and never cease to pray to get revenge on the blood of the prophets on this nation, and also teach it to my children and children's children.

Mr. TAYLER. Was there any other obligation?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes; there was some more.

Mr. TAYLER. Will you state what you remember?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Well, it was that if I ever revealed anything what was done in there, I was to have my throat cut from ear to ear and tear out my tongue by the roots. That was one of them.

Mr. TAYLER. Anything else that you remember?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes; there is some more.

Mr. TAYLER. State them, if you can.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I do not feel like I can. I think it was at that time too serious, and I have always thought I would put it away and never mention it, and it seems like it is hard for me to do it. Of course, if I have to, I can.

The CHAIRMAN. Of course, witness, it is hard and difficult, but state it in your own way the substance of what you remember.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Well, it was also at a certain place that if I revealed anything my breast would be cut open and my vitals would be torn out, and another place that my abdomen would be torn open and the entrails squirt out.

Mr. TAYLER. Do you remember anything of an obligation or oath of sacrifice, Mrs. Elliott?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir; that we was to sacrifice all we owned if it was called for.

Mr. TAYLER. To what?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. To the church.

Mr. TAYLER. I think that is all.

The CHAIRMAN. Mrs. Elliott, this endowment ceremony in 1896 was like the one in 1876?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Was there any change?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. No, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. How many were present or went through the endowment house?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Why, there must have been about fifty. I don't know the number exactly, but I should judge about fifty.

The CHAIRMAN. And in 1896?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. There was more in 1896 than there was in 1876.

The CHAIRMAN. You mean in 1876 there were about fifty, you think?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir; it was very crowded.

The CHAIRMAN. And in 1896 how many?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I think there must have been up to a hundred. There was a large crowd.

The CHAIRMAN. Did all those present at the time take this obligation of which you speak?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. How was it taken? I wish to know whether you were standing together, or kneeling, or how.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. We were standing, taking it by a certain sign.

The CHAIRMAN. Doing what?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. We had a certain sign by the hands, and showed that we were taking the oath.

The CHAIRMAN. And there were about a hundred, you think?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Senator DUBOIS. Do all Mormons in good standing take these ceremonies; do you know?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. TAYLER. Have you any recollection of anything in the ceremony of an obligation respecting obedience?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes. I have a recollection of it, but I couldn't say how it was worded.

Mr. TAYLER. What was the substance of it?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I couldn't remember it exactly. I will have to be excused for it.

Mr. TAYLER. Was it an obligation, or was it a preaching or statement by some person who was in charge of the work?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes; there was some speaking to the people going through — one person speaking to them.

Mr. TAYLER. Was this matter relating to obedience something that said by some one to you?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes; it related to obedience a good many places when we went through, which I can't explain.

Mr. TAYLEK. Obedience to what?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Why, to the priesthood.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Mrs. Elliott, when was it that you last married?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I married in 1899,

Mr. WOKTHINGTON. What is your husband's full name?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. David H. Elliott.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. lie lives where?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. In Price.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. What is his business?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Liveryman.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Is he a Mormon?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. NO: sir.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. When did you cease to be a member of the Mormon Church?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. About 1897 or 1898—the beginning of 1898, some time.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. In what way was your connection with the church terminated?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Before, do you mean?

Mr. WORTHINGTON. I say in what way did you cease to be a Mormon? Did you withdraw or were you excommunicated?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. No. sir: I withdrawed from the church.

Mr. WOUTIIINGTON. Was that withdrawal in writing or merely a verbal communication?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. I went to the bishop at Elsinore and told him I didn't think I cared to be a member any longer.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. What time in 1897 was that?

Mis. ELLIOTT. I think it was in the spring.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Was it before or after the death of your first husband?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Why. it was after.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. What time in 1897 did he die?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. He died in October.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. I understood you to say just now that you told the bishop you were going to withdraw in the spring.

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Well, then it was next spring again.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Which was it now, the spring of 1895 or 1897?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. 1897, I think it was.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Who was the bishop?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Bishop Jensen.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Up to that time had you been a faithful member of the Mormon Church?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Yes, sir.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. What was it that brought your change of mind?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Oh, I come in contact with people and got a look into it and decided that it was not what I thought it was.

Mr. WORTHINGTON. Did these obligations you say you have taken have anything to do with your leaving the church?

Mrs. ELLIOTT. Well, I looked at it and I studied over it a great deal, and thought, "Well, it is kind of an odd affair," and I wondered that I had not seen it before.