The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-07
WHO Is BRIGHAM YOUNG?
His Original Wife-A Queer Chapter in the
Life Of the Prophet.
From the Northern Echo EngIand). j

t'ioin euo NOrtucru ECHO tfHBidnuJ'I
III the parish authorities OF Stockton would bus
make formal application to the President OF tho
Mormons for the money spent In maintaining his
first wife, we might hear Mr.. Brigham Young'a
own views as to the claims OF the Mrs Brigham
who now resides In Stockton Almshouse. Mrs.
Brigham Is too Old now to Journey to Utah to claim
her rights. so that we fear that this interesting
problem will never be authoritatiyely decided.
The claims OF Mrs. Brigham are soon stated. and
1t must be admitted that there is at least a con.
siderable degree OF plausibility about them. No
apology Is needed for discussing the subject such
as is required for discussing the Tichborne case.
for the Mormon President IL man who has left his
mark on the history OF our age. Anything TENDING
to throw light upon his origin and identity ia q
matter OF interest to the historian rs well the
general public, to whom Brigham Young Is a much
more real parsonage than the Emperor OF Brazn
or the King OF SIAM
The story which was told by Mrs. Brigham to our
Stockton representative is clear and stra1ghtfor.
ward. Although the old lady is now verging upon
her eightieth year she Is in full possession OF ali
her faculties. She seems as brisk and as cheerful
she was when, half O century since, she won the
heart of her husband. concerning whose identity
controversy is now raging she says that on the
9th OF February, 1890 she was married to man d
the name OF william Brigham, at Stockton Oh
Church, by the Rev. MI. Gilpin. This man, cooper
by trade, worked for many years in Stockton, both
before ana after his marriage. He was the iegit.
mate son of a man named Young his mother'a
name being Mary Brigham. 1t Is in these two
that there Is the first ground Tor suspicion
that the civilian Brigham" OF stockton
may be none other than brigham YOungn
OF salt Lake. Nothing would be more natural thar
that man seeking to disguise himself from pursuit
should do SO by assuming the surname OF his
father and by prehxing that of his mother. Mar
red when he was but nineteen years old William
brigham became a lather in less than a twelve
tV-fO
Mrs Brigham bore him nine children. In 1884 he
went on voyage in the Griffin to the South seas.
and Tor twelve months a certain proportion or his
wages was paid over to his Wife. After that time
the owners OF the Griffin not Knowing whether
discontinued their payments, and Mrs. Brigham In
consequence was thrown upon the parish year
again. sued the owners for El9 1913. 3D., the balance
OF wages due, got the money, and found himself
chiai authorities who hao been maintaining his
wife. The prospective loss OF half mis- wages seems
have ans s lie refused ns vie ts
after their long separation he left London.
At this point William Brigham vanshes from the
scene and Is never heard OF again. Mrs. Brigham
says she heard through a friend that man who
knew Brigham Young the Mormon Prophet, had
said that he nad worked with him as cooper IN
London. This rumor. together with the TACT that
the Mormon President bore the names Of her hus-
band and his father, caused Mrs. Brigham to en-
terrain the suspicion that the lOng-lOst William
Brigham was actually ruling at Salt Lake. She
backs this up with another Renaissance OF their
married life, winch we confess throws consider
able doubt upon the accuracy OF her narrative.
She says-at least it is reported. and it is pos
sble there may be misunderstaneing-tha 'be-
lore Brigham left nome az all he frequently said
he should. go to salt Lake CITY, and asked
refused to do So" This is maniestly and
on the lace OF It absurd: Brigham left stock
numerous migrations, had settled at Kirkland on
this side OF the Mississippi. 1t was not TIKI three
years later, IN 1887 that the first "Oregn mission"
was projected by Mormons. that William Brig
ham could hardly have been converted to the iaith
wards, in is47 that the Mormons, under the lead.
ershp OF Brigham Young, settled near the great
salt Lake. ''Sat Lake City" did not exist 70 1891
sell, so that either Mrs. Brighams memory has
played her tricks or else she has been msrep0rted.
Accepting the latter alternative there Is nothing
In her narrative that in any way conflicts with
what we know OF Brigham Young, while in many
points 1t comedies remarkably with the history Of
the Mormon Prophet. 1t was in 1867 that WIZ.
liam Brigham disappeared. IL Is not till 1874, when
Joseph Smith was murdered, that Brigham Young
appears as theichieitain OF the Latter Day Saints
From that date the doings of the latter
been o IN to SsnR
o cooper, acted for short time as landlord OF tho
Castle and Anchor. Brigham Young is teetotal-
Ter and en1OrceS teetOtalism; but, OF course, Q
publican may, in other circumstances, become an
apostle of the Maine law. The vanished William
ners stud1ously inclined, very crafty and SMART
description which needs no alteration TO 1T 1t to
dence to personal appearance is of the first i'm
pOrtance. In this case the evidence is slngularly
u
be considered the first vile OF the famous Nor
mon: William Brigham was man OF fair COM
inches in height, broad shoulders and a slight
'stOOp. The last visitor to salt Lake City, whose
we nave 6eoae u.s. a
in height, thick set, with wniskers OF light Drown
hair meeting under his chin He has small blue
eyes. slightly aquiline nose, square business-ike
head, light set mouth and strong Jaw" por-
trait of Brigham Young, Mrs. Brigham says, bears
considerable resemblance to her lost husband,
while 1t was identified at once ''father' by her
eldest daughter, who cannot have been more than
thirteen years Of age when William Brigham left
Stockton. There Is also an extraordinary simi-
larity between the portrait OF Brigham Young and
look as if tnev were nortraits Of the same man AZ
different ages All this evidence points in one
direction. An indignant Latter Day Saint de-
Cares that several persons who knew "Biie
Brigham" says that he does not resemble Brigham
Young's portraits but his asseveratons are worth
portrait OF the Mormon President as that OF her
lather bv Mrs. Brgham's daughter. The evidence ID
certainly sufficient at least to justify the beef that
1t Is not only perfectly possible, but by no means
improbable, Tor William Brigham, OF Stockton, to
"President OF the Church of the Latter Day Saints
all over the word.n Mrs. Brigham however, con-
tributes evidence that ought TO be conclusive; one
way another. about the identity OF William
Brigham with Brigham Young. Her husband saw
very badly with one eye; he bad large mole on
one OF his shoulders and on one of his fingers owing
to cut a little above the first JOINT nail used
to grow, which frequently required cutting. This
last peculiarly may have been removed by time,
but the mole on the shoulder and the dim-sghted.
ness OF one eye ought to be sufficient to settle the
question. Ii Brigham Young has such a mole, II
he Is nearly Dllnd IN one eye and, above all, II his
finger exhibits the curious excrescence to which
Mrs. Brigham swears, Billie Brigham, OF stockton,
and no one else, Is the Prophet of the MOrmons.
Some OF the American papers might take up this
investigation with profit to themselves. If they do
We hope they Will send US the result OF their In
qutries. The ordinary story runs that Brigham
Young was born OF New England parents in the
state or VermOnt-anOther account says in Ohio
and that he was brought up to be a painter and
glaZler before he became seer and revelatOr.
Americans would naturally rejoice II the States
were relieved OF the odium OF having given birth
to Brigham Young; while, if 1t Is fairly proved that
Mrs. Brigham, OF Stockton Is the only legitimate
wife OF President Brigham Young, OF Utah, the
Mormon Seer may, perhaps deign TO apply some
OF his vast wealth to save Mrs. Brigham Young No
rom the state OF poverty IN which she now lies.
TOMPKINS AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
BROOKLYN.
The new and spacious eddce erected by the