Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
Ann Eliza YOung's Story.

teenth wife of Brigham Young, told the
story Of her wrongs in a recent lecture in
Chicago, the following synopsis of which
is taken from the Chicago papers:
My parents, she said, were born in the
State of New York. My mother was con-
verted to Mormonism when only sixteen
years old, at which time she married my
Ohio (the first Mormon colonization point.
He was also a Mormon. l was born at
Nauvoo, H., Sept. 3, 1874. When about
n year old my father married a second
wife, under the belief that it was a re
ligious duty. In 1913 they ~emigrated to
Salt Lake. / was married at the age of
nineteen to James L. Dee, in the Endow-
ment House, and according to the rites of
the Mormon religion. Those who are
married in that house and receive their
endowmentS are given a spiritual name,
and MOrmons say those who apostatize
forget the names there given them, which
is not true, as I have not forgotten mine
it was Sarah. Our family consisted Of
three children. [ was considered the
" pet" We lived at Cottonwood, about
ten miles from Salt Lake City. Ny
brother received q ~sub-cOntract to put up
telegraph poles and never received his
pay. At that time Brigham Young
was paying his addresses to me, and
on my refusing to listen to his suit my
brother was swindled and ruined in his
business. Mr.. Young then told my
mother to advise me not to marry for love
but to marry some "good brother in the
church-like himself, for instance. Utter
ly refusing to further listen to the suit, he
then threatened to cut my brother off from
the church, and, knowing his revengeful
spirit and power for doing harm, l mar
ried Brigham Young to save my brother
from disgrace. [ was divorced from Dee
by the Probate Court in 1867, and was
"sealed' to Brigham Young April 2,
1868. Heber G. Kimball, First High
Councillor, and next in rank to Brigham
Young, performed the ceremony in the
"sealing-roOm" Of the Endowment
House. After the ceremony I went home.
Mr.. 9oung's visits to Our house were like
angels visits, but not so peaceful. He
would come to see whether matters were
managed economically, and remain but a
short time. He promised to give me a
good home and 81 1000 per year as "pin-
money. But he only gave me thirty dol
lars a year and two dresses. [ lived on
the farm with my mother about three
wars and Dya b0tb urorro6 barJ a+ Il oiru-
ing. He required the products of the
farm to be brought to him, and I had the
pleasure Of bringing in the results of my
labor for his other wives. Finally he
said his expenses were so much that
he could lot let my mother re-
main on the farm with me. My
brother gave me five dollars a week to pay
Mr.. Young for her board, and she was
then permitted to remain. I then began
to hate him, and when | found out that he
was guilty of prevar1cation and decep-
ton, and swindled poor people out of
their lands, [ began to think that the
Prophet was not 1nfallible. I began to
doubt my religion, and made a final eff
fort to restore my waning faith, ard was
baptized by immersion in the Endowment
House, but the ceremonies were conducted
in such an Indifferent and ludicrOus man
ner that my belief was still more shaken
instead of strengthened. During the last
two years of my Mormon life I lived at
Salt Lake in a cottage scantily fitted up for
me by Mr." Young. In order to earn
my own living l gained his consent to
keep boarders. Finally, becoming dis
gusted with that manner Of living, I re-
solved to leave him, and on the It'll of
July, 1878, I sold "my'' furniture, left
the house, and went to the Walker House,
a leading Gentle hotel. While there l
received many letters of c~ongratulation
from Mormon women, who expressed
their fears for my safety. Many even then
wished me to retrace my steps, saying
that probably the angels would whisper
in Brigham's ears to treat me better; but |
replied that [ did not wish any interior
ence from the angels. My sufferings were
such that at several times [ was on the
point of committing suicide, and my only
course was to make a desperate effort,
which [ did, and left him. On the 18th
of November following [ left Salt Lake
secretly and in a closed carriage.
The ~lecturess then directed her remarks
to the Prophets numerous family saying
she was not actuated by malice or revenge
in thus exposing the secrets of his house
hold. Amelia is his favorite wife, and is
the ruler Of the household. She gives
rather than receives counsel from him.
She dimes with him, seated at his right
hand, as the honored guest, and their table
is supplied with all luxuries and delica-
cies. The other five wives who live IN
this same house with him and his favorite
din at a different table and on the coarsest
food. He forsakes all others for her. The
secret of this is, he loves and fears her.
She has a violent temper, n on one oc-
casion, while / was in "Mr." Young's
office talking to him on business, Amelia
came in and, seeing me, violently slammed
the door and left. Mr." Young uncere-
moniously got up, left me, and followed
her. When Brigham married Miss Van
Colt. it is said, Amelia invoked a curse
,-o, 10 baaG I'm one occasion Rr;rbono