ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ, ʃˈɔːɹtli ˈæftɚ kˈænən hæd bɪkˌʌm ɐ dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ɐθˈɔːɹɪɾi, ɐ sɛnsˈeɪʃənəlˌaɪzd nˈuːz stˈoːɹi baɪ dʒˈoʊsəf lˈɪpmən ɪnðə sˈɔlt lˈeɪk tɹˈɪbjuːn ɐlˈɛdʒd ðæt kˈænən hæd tˈeɪkən hɪz wˈaɪfz sˈɪstɚ lˈuːi wˈɛlz æz ɐ plˈʊɹɹəl wˈaɪf.
In 1884, shortly after Cannon had become a general authority, a sensationalized news story by Joseph Lippman in the Salt Lake Tribune alleged that Cannon had taken his wife's sister Louie Wells as a plural wife.