President's Office, Saturday, October 15 [18]87 Report of a private interview held between President Woodruff and United States Marshal Dyer. After some general conversation, Marshal Dyer said,— Well, Mr. Woodruff, I am glad to see you out and I hope to see more of you. President Woodruff — Yes, I considered ...

it qut quite a privilege to get out and look on the faces of the people at Conference. Marshal Dyer — There is no need for you to be uneasy. President Woodruff — I really don't think it would add particularly to the interest of our great government to take a[nd] shut up, for marrying a wife or two, an old man 80 years of age. Marshal Dyer — Of course, that is a long discussion. I have always taken the stand that stringent laws ought to ...

be passed. I think the thing has been trifled with, and the government has been criminally liable. I have always taken the view that inasmuch as there are so many people who have gone into polygamy when they con- scientiously believed it was right, and there was no specific law against it — I say in a case of that kind that if Congress had said we will let you go ahead and won't fall out about it; but any fellow that goes into it ...

now we will punish him so that it will be a terror to him. Others have done different; but we are not re- sponsible for what others did before. The facts are, that in my opinion all the people here lost their heads the last two years. I think that the Gentiles, encouraged with a little favors that dropped to them; got wild and ex- pected that in a moment they were going to be able to pick up everybody ...

that stood in their way and send them off somewhere. On the other hand, your people were just as stubborn, and nobody seemed disposed to meet halfway. I will tell you, that, as far as you are concerned,—I have no hesita- tion in the world; I would tell it to you on Main Street just as soon as I would here — you shall not be arrested, unless the Grand Jury shall take the case up themselves and indict ...

you. President Woodruff — Thank you. Of course, that is a favor; it is a privilege to walk out in open day- light and among our people. Marshal Dyer — Well, I don't know as there has ever been an attempt for your arrest. I have bothered less about your case than any other man of prominence in the Territory. I didn't even know who your family ...

was. I have never looked into the matter enough to know that. After some further conversation which was of an unimportant character, Marshal Dyer retired.