The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-06-05
Select STORY.
A MARRYING MAN,
THE ADVENTURES OF MORMON
MILES.
The Rumpus Which q Spunky English Girl
Kicked Up at Salt Lake = The Great
Mormon Demonstration.

Kicked Up at Salt Lake = The Great
Mormon Demonstration.
S
Though a firm believer in the doc
trines of Brigham Young, John Miles, o
Salt Lake City, has had anything but
happy experience in his polygamisti
ventures. Miles, who is man OF onl!
twenty five, was born and brought up il
London. There he made the acquaint
ance of Carrie Owen, some ten or twelve
years ago, He was faithful beau, anC
I the twain were generally regarded as en-
gagged. In 1870 Miles went TO sea. From
his ship he wrote to ask Carrie Owen i
she would wait for him and be his wife
The girl was much in love with the sal
lorlad, and sent him her promise. TC
this she held, though news came of the
wreck Of Miles ship and for two or three
years she supposed him to have gone ia
the bottom of the ocean. Instead of this
Miles had found port in Australia, and
there fell in with company of Nor.
mons. Fond of adventure, and taking to
the doctrines of the polygamists, young
Miles set out for Utah. He did not forget
his London girl for all his wanderings,
and succeeded in getting sent to Eng
land as missionary fthe church. Once
in, London lie went straightway to Car.
rie Owen, told her his mission, and ask.
ed her to go to Utah as his wife. He told
her frankly that he was engaged TO two
girls, sisters, named Spencer, in Saint
George, but agreed to give them up. He
had only accepted their suit, he said, at
their mothers solicitation, and would
write them that he was going to bring
Carrie over the sea with him and that
she was the first in his heart. He talked
now and then, in the casual Mormon
way, about marrying all three of them,
but quieted the London young woman
ty declaring that in any case she should
be in all senses No. L. Miss Owen, on
these explicit terms, finally consented to
come to Utah, She was a graduate of an
English seminary, had served both as
governness and teacher in England and
Holland, and possessed many attrac'
tions, as we'll as strong temper
1t was on the 4th of October last that
John Miles and Miss Owen reached Salt
Lake City. The latter became boarder
in the house of Mormon Canon until
preparations could be made for her wed.
ding. This took place three weeks later,
but in the meantime the young English
woman learned some very unpleasant
things. Having got her safe in Utah,
Miles told her that he would not give up
the Spencers, and that she must consent
to be No. 2. 1t was law of the church
that the oldest should be regarded as
first, and that the elder of the Spencer
girls was older than Miss Owen. The lat
ter resisted long and caused much dis
turbance. She even went to President
Taylor and appealed to him to let her
rank as first, but he said there must be
order in the church, and refused the re-
quest. Miles at length won her consent
to be second, and with that understand.
ing the wedding journey to the Endow-
ment.house was made. Emily Spencer
had already passed through the forms of
endowment and awaited in the sealing.
room the coming Of the fierce tempered
No. Q. Emily's costume that which
brides wear-is described by Miss Owen
as consisting of cap, robe, apron and moe.
Casins. The robe was long piece Of
linen, about two yards wide, gathered at
the waist and shoulder with sash. A
square piece of muslin, three.Cornered,
constituted the cap, which flowed back,
The apron was composed of nine fig
leaves made of green silk. In this garb
the bride was sealed, either for time or
eternity, or for both, as she and the hus.
band might elect. In this case Miles
wanted to make it for time and eternity |
with both women, ard such was the |
form of ceremony. When 1t came to the
veil the first irregularity was occasioned |
by Miss Ovens indisposition toward the |
Spencer girl, who insisted on her rights |
and rank as No. l.. Miles had taken his
bride the second by the hand and seated
her before Elder Joseph Smith, who
wrote their names in book and hand.
ed them passports to the sacred sealing.
As they entered that secret place and
knelt before Wells, the counselor asked
Miles where his first wife was, as it was
her right to give away the second. This
was so resented by Miss Owen that
Wells muttered some words, and the GER
emony was performed without any aid
from the hated rival. The latter had
taken herself out of the way, and for a
few hours that afternoon the husband
devoted himself alone to No. 2, thereby
avoiding the trouble that came as soon
as the two wives were together.
In honor of his double marriage,
Miles had arranged for supper at Can.
mons house, and at Miss Ovens request
he had enlarged the affair into a wed.
ding reception. No. 2 did not intend
that No. l should be present, and did not
invite her. Emily Spencer, or Mrs.
Miles first, was ION hand all the same,
and even seated at the piano, when Mrs.
Miles second entered the parlor. The lat
ter, had, it appears, made a vow to fit
just such an event as this meeting, and,
going to the piano, she told Wife Spen.
Ger to get off the stool. Miles cried
emily, my wife, don't you rise" AS she
smartly, saying, 81 said I'd do it, and /
will" Miles contented himself with de-
claring that he was ashamed of her
Whereupon the irate Owen replied: III
you don't shut up I'll slap you, too" and
would have done so, beyond doubt,
had not friends seized her by the arms
and held her fast. The reception could