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The historic Clawson polygamy case...
The historic Clawson polygamy case...
Item # 714475
October 16, 1884
ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Oct. 16, 1884
* Rudger Clawson polygamy trial
* Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
* Mormons - Mormonism
Page 2 has: "A Polygamist on Trial" being a report from Salt Lake, Utah Territory, on the rather famous case of Rudger Clawson.
Clawson was the first practicing polygamist to be convicted and serve a sentence after the passage of the Edmunds Act, a federal statute signed into law in 1882 declaring polygamy a felony in federal territories.
Clawson was sentenced to the maximum possible penalty—31⁄2 years in prison and a $1,500 fine. For his final words before being sent to prison, Clawson defended his right to practice his religion and challenged the court's ability to enforce a law aimed at destroying a particular establishment of religion in violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Twelve pages, very nice condition.
AI notes: The Rudger Clawson polygamy trial took place in 1889 when Clawson, a prominent member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), was charged with violating federal laws against polygamy. At the time, the U.S. government was enforcing the Edmunds Act (1882), which criminalized polygamy. Clawson, who had married multiple women according to church teachings, defended his actions as part of his religious beliefs. He was found guilty and sentenced to prison, though his sentence was later reduced. The trial was part of a broader campaign by the government to eradicate polygamy within the LDS Church. The LDS Church officially abandoned polygamy in 1890, though it continued in some parts of the church until the early 20th century. The case highlights the conflict between religious freedom and federal law during that time.
Category: Post-Civil War
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