Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-29
Indiana Mabert's Romance.

Indiana Mabert's Romance.
| A recent correspondence between the
Rev. DR.. j. M. Thoburn, pastor of the
Methodist Church in Calcutta, and the
Rev. John M. Reid, one of the Metho-
dist Missionary Secretaries stationed in
New York, has brought to light a
strange story of Mormonism. On the
9th of March, 1868, child who was
named Indiana Mary was born to man
named Mabert, living in Calcutta. Five
months afterwards Mrs. Mabert died,
and the child was cared for by Mrs.
Mcmahon, her grandmother. In 1865,
as the7story runs, the Rev. j. P. Meiks,
Mormon Missionary, left Salt Lake
City for India, and on arriving at Cal
cutta became acquainted with Mrs.
Mcmahon. He succeeded in proselytiz-
ing her to his religion, and one night
MI Mcmahon abducted the child In
diana and fled with her from the coun-
try, accompanied by Mr.. Meiks. Mr..
Mabert started in pursuit of the fugi-
tives, but did not succeed in getting on
their track. Mr.. Meiks and Mrs.
McMahon went to Salt Lake City and
the child was placed in the family of
Orson Pratt. A year or two later Mrs.
McMahon died and Indiana became
member of the household of Brigham
Young. Here she remained for two
years, when she went to St.
George with Lucy B. Young, who
had been living at the Lion House,
and when she was 10 years old she
went to live at Zion with Dora Young.
Here the girl remained for several years,
and she was in fair way to become an
orthodox Mormon, as at the age of IA
she went through the St. George Tenn
pie and knew little of any thing except
ing Mormonism. Her peculiar position,
however, of being without relatives in
Utah and prejudice she had conceived
against the rites of the Mormon Church
prompted her to make inquiries with re-
gard to her family, and she found that
she had been brought from Calcutta,
where her father was still living. Last
February Indiana, who is is now about
16 years of age, wrote to her father,
mailing her letter to Calcutta, but Mr..
Mabert was in Burmah, and the letter
fell into the hands of the Rev. DR.. Tho
burn, who communicated with the Rev.
DR.. Reid.
DIR. Thoburn announced to Mr.. Reid
that the young girl had relatives in Cal
cutta, who wished to have her restored
to them, and he asked for information
as to whom Indiana was living with and
if she was Mormon. He added that if
she had good prospects in this country
it would be better for her to remain
here, as her Indian relatives were not at
all wealthy. DR.. Thoburn's letter was
sent to the Rev. Mr.. Tiff of Salt Lake
City, who found that Indiana NIabert
had left Dora Young and had gone
south. Soon after receiving DIR. Tho
burns letter he met Judge Wheedon
and Indiana's case was mentioned.
Judge Wheedon said that he knew of
the case and that Indiana was member
of the family of a DR.. Cooper. There
MIR. lift found her, and he offered her
home with his family until she would be
able to return to her father in India.
She accepted the offer and at the same
time declined a proposition of the Nor
mons to enter the Brigham Young acad-
envy at Provo. -.E4
The young girl, who is described as
being very pretty, and as having very
retentive memory and remarkable con-
versational powers, has several rings
that belonged to her mother but gold
watch that formerly belonged to her
mother is said to be now part of the
apparel of Salt Lake City Mormon. The
Rev. DIR. Thoburn, who will attend the
General Conference in this country next
May, will take Indiana with him on his
return to India; and the young girl, in
speaking of the matter, said she could
never be induced to return to Mormon
ism, and that her only desire is to re-
turn to India. Since the beginning of
the correspondence her father returned
to Calcutta and is very anxious to meet
the daughter who, when he last saw her,
was an infant and is now a young wOm-
ann. Y. World.