UTAH.
The Miles Polygamy Case.
[Press Dispatch to the Enterprise.]
SALT LAKE, May 4.—The following is the condensed report of Miss Owens' tes-timony Saturday: "I came to Utah on October 4, 1878 first knew John Miles ten or twelve years ago in London; the acquaintance continued until he went to sea; I was eighteen years old then and am now twenty-three; this acquaintance was kept up until he went to sea in 1870: he lived in London until he went to sea; I and my parents lived there; the acquaintance was rather intimate, for just before he went to sea we became engaged; this was before he came to Utah; he went to Australia with the Mormons; his ship was wrecked and it was supposed he was lost and we did not know differently until three years after; I heard all on board were lost; I next heard of him when he came back to England as a Mormon mis-sionary; the acquaintance was then re-newed; he then told me he was engaged to two young ladies in Utah; he said he would write these young ladies and give them up and then take me for his wife; he said that there might be a chance of his marriage with the Spencer girls, but said I would be the first wife; he said he couldn't marry while on a mission because he was required to be married in the En-dowment House; John Taylor would set-tle it; upon this statement I consented to go with him; I had been a governess in England and Holland; had educated my-self; when I got here I went to Angus Cannon's; remained there three weeks before the Endowment House affair; the plan was, that Emily Spencer, being the eldest, should be the first, I the second wife and Julia Spencer the third wife; this was the arrangement; I went to John Taylor with Miles; I asked Taylor if the plan talked of was true; he said it was, that it was the rule of the church that the arrangement should be as he had said; I gave him reasons why I should be first, and he said the reasons were not sufficient; I talked with Emily Spencer and she said she would wait ten years for John; Miles said he must obey the counsel and refused to make me the first wife; he said it was fully understood that Emily Spencer was to be the first wife, I the second and Julia the third; I first desired the reception to be had in the Fourteenth Ward school-house, but Miles was afraid it would get into the Tribune, and so it was arranged to have it at Gannon's; some one asked me to play; I civilly asked Emily Spencer to get up from the piano stool, but she re-fused; I asked Miles to give Emily Spencer a reception by herself, and told him if she came I would strike her; I did so and used this language at that time: "I said I would and I will;" Miles told Emily to sit still, saying she was as much his wife as I was; at the supper table I remarked that I had no right to the head of the table; afterward they were going to dance, but when asked I refused to play; Miles would not dance, and said if he couldn't dance with his wife Emily he wouldn't dance at all; I received an inti-mation that he had married Emily Spen-cer at the reception, and when he came to my room at night after the reception I left the house and went up street, when Miles and George Cannon took me back; afterward I left the house at 9:30 o'clock, going up town, and Mina Cannon came and walked with me; went to St. George with Miles; lately had a conversation with Miles, when he said that when he got free from this trial he would also marry Julia Spencer; he denounced the damned lawyers; he repeatedly told me that Emily Spencer was his wife in a taunting way, and I was only his second: I never lived with him in St. George; I saw Emily Spencer in the Endowment House when Miles was there; Emily Spencer had on a robe, cap, apron and moccasins; the regular Endowment dress; the robe was two yards wide, gathered on the shoulder re is also a , the apron consisted of nine fig leaves of green silk; the moccasins were of linen; this regalia was worn by the bride at the sealing ceremony; I saw her in the room next to the sealing room about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 24th of October, 1878; this was the day agreed upon when the ceremony was to take place; Emily Spencer had taken her endowments in St. George; I had not re-ceived my endowments, but took them at 9 o'clock that day in the endowment house; I was taken by the hand, when Joseph Smith took the names in a book, then on slips of paper; Miles gave his name, and afterward I did the same; found Daniel H. Wells and Dora Young in the sealing room; Daniel H. Wells asked Miles, "Where is your first wife?" Emily Spencer was in the room and had on the garments described; I was in Miles' company from the endowment house till we reached Cannon's; it was so arranged that Miles should accompany me in order to divert suspicions; he did not go back to the endowment house but went to Cannon's; we left the endowment house at 3: 30 P. M.; those who go into the endowment house are sworn not to reveal what is seen or done; I was a member of the Episcopal Church before I came out here and joined the Mormons.
Cross-examined—I arrived in Salt Lake on the fourth of June, with John Miles' stepmother; immediately went to Angus Cannon's; remained there three weeks before I was married and afterwards when I returned to him; I left Angus Cannon's the next day after I was married to go to the house of Marshal Shaughnessy; after-wards went to American Fork, for Miles had stolen my things; don't know that I was in very good humor; Miles slept with me afterwards; I came back from Amer-ican Fork on Sunday morning; I have not recovered all of my clothes yet; Angus Cannon still has some; I remained at Cannon's till December and then went to St. George; remained at St. George about three months; my understanding with Miles was that I should be his first wife; he talked about his plural wives; he said he would give them up at all risks, but would advise with John Taylor; he believed Emily Spencer and Julia Spencer would give him up; finally he said I should be his first wife, but that he might have to marry the other women; the first time I heard Miles admit that he had married Emily Spencer was directly after coming out of the Endowment House; this was about 3: 30 P. M.; it was before the wedding feast which was given for me and Spencer by Cannon at Miles' request; I desired it for myself alone and stated that I didn't want Emily Spencer there; I spoke to Conley about it and he made the wedding cake; the first time at reception that I heard Miles had married Emily Spencer was from Kate Conley; she said Miles had been introducing Emily Spencer as his wife; the first time I heard it from him after the ceremony was just outside of the Endowment House; he said he would have me to know that Emily Spen-cer was as much his wife as I was; this lasted about five minutes; we were on our way to Cannon's; the next time was at Cannon's house; he then called her his wife when she was sitting on the stool; he said, "Emily, you are my wife; don't mind her; you sit still;" it was then that I slapped her face; I did try to slap Miles' face, but couldn't get the chance.
