Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-13
N1oRNIoNIslrs SAD SIDE.


NIoRMoNIsTs SAD SIDE.
The Woes That Are Suffered for the Most
Part in SiIence-The Effect of Poly
samv Upon Original. Lawful Wives
The Wretehed Condition of Affairs
salt Lake Letter.
The sad side Of MOrmOnism is not very
often touched upon. Many observers see
its Iudicrous features, and others tue dan
gerous political tendencies Of the HER
archv. lat few discover the heart-break-
ing sorrows so closely vailed in hundreds
Of homes By fanaticism and terror. When
joseph Cook was here the other day he
received a letter from Mrs. Paddock Of
this city telling the following story: "A
short time ago an educated young news
paper man came 10 Utah from England
with his young wife. They had fallen
under the influence Of a Mormon mission
arv. ana were deyOut believers in the
teachings Of the Saints. For a time they
lived here Hnmolested, but the priesthood
at length exerted their influence en- the
husband to force him into pOlygamy. The
wife. finding opposition in vain, at last
gave her nominal consent. A second wife
was brought into the house. In short
time the first wife became mother, but the
infant never cried aloud. 1t came voice
less mo the world, but il wept in silence
all the time. Sleeping or waking the
tears flowed from its closed eyes, and IN
three or four weeks il died. The mother
said il died Of a broken heart. Every day
Of its life il shed the tears that the mother
had repressed before its birth. The
mother herself soon followed the child,
and both rest together on the hill"
Isaac LangtOn and wife have grown
grav in the faith. For years they have
resisted the appeals of the priests and
have lived for each other. They have
been DOOR all their lives, and both have
had 10 struggle hard to keep their nome
and rear their children. a happier old
couple could not have been found in Utah
until last week. Both beng near the end
of their earthly race, the fond old wife had
long ago given up Worry or apprehension
concerning her husbands loyalty. In his
old age. however, the Wiles Of the priests
caught him. 1t was represented 70 MN
that the hard lot he had experienced
through life was due to GOd's displeasure
because he had not followed the teachings
of the prophets, and that if he hoped for
better things in the world to come he
must Quickly take another wife to his
home. The old fellow tried to commune
cate his determination to his aged partner,
but lacked the courage, and nnaly con-
cluded 10 surprise her. he went through
the Endowment House with youthful
woman. and. presenting himself at his
lOwly home, informed his first wife OF
what he had done. The old lady was
staggered by the blow, but, restraining
her feelings, told the neWly-Wedded PAIR
that she would soon be out Of the way.
LangtOn and his bride went of on visit,
and on their return on stree. car Mrs.
LaugtOn No. /, in abject despair, threw
herself under the wheels Of the vehicle.
The driver CHANGED to have control of the
brake. and stopped the car before the old
lady was crushed. Her clothing was
torn from her, however, and she was seri-
Ously injured internally.
A decidedly different result was reached
in the case Of Israel Pinkham and wife,
another old couple, who moved from Maine
many years ago to this Territory. They
Dassed through salt Lake the. other day
ON their way 10 their old home, and the
old lady made no secret Of the cause Of
their return. To a reporter of a Gentle
newspauer she said: My husband and
have lived together these 43 years, and
though we fined the MOrmOns 20 year
ago. nothing was ever said about poly
gamv until this spring. Then some
sueaking priests came around and got the
old man worked up with the idea that he
must have one or two more wives. Not
much. Israel Pinkham,' says ]; we've
Travelled together this far, and no Mormon
will SEPARATE us now. We've got two
sons and q darter back East, who sha'n't
have anybody pOking fun at them; and
there's the two little boys what we buried
back in Maine, who won't nave no occa-
sion 10 Pint their fingers at US when we
cross over 70 the other shore. This thing
has gone inst as fur as it's going To-.
Israel Pinkham, we're going back to
Maine SAYS /, 'and, whether We've got
one year or ten to live, Wen end this here
pilgrimage decent, as we begun It
Amt that what l told your" said she,
addressing the old man who had been a
silent listener. He smiled in faint way,
and nodded assent. "We're going back TO
Maine,r continued the old lady, ''pOorer
than when we came out here, but wiser
and no wuss. so far as / know. There'll
be no more Mormon in this family"
George Walker had two wives and mar
ried a third, a woman much handsomer
than either of the others. The first one
died in a few weeks and the second went
insane and was sent home TO her parents.
Wife No. 3. who thus became the only
wife, led a very contented life for while,
but She is now filled with rage and grief
because her husband has married another
woman, and is maintaining her in good
Young Clawson, son OF one OF the
leading Saints, has just married his third
wife in two years. He is not vet %
hut promises to rival Brigham
Young In the number of his spouses if he
lives as long. He is rich, and his father
takes pride in pointing to him as an
example for all of the youth in Zion TO
follow. One odd feature Of young Claw
sons operations in the matrimonial line is
said 10 be the fact that while the second
wife knows of the existence of the first,
and the third is aware that she has two
predecessors. the first does not know
there is a second or a third, and the
second is ignorant that there is one later
than herself. Some time or other it is
confidently expected that the young man
will have to make a series Of explana-
tiOns.
The strenuous efforts which the leaders
in the church are making TO stimulate
polvgamv. and the necessity which exists
Tor keeping plural marriages secret, have
induced many Of the faithful to keep the
fact Of their later marriages from even
their previous wives. knowledge or this
state OF affairs has driven many Mormon
wives VINO are suspicious of their hus-
bands 10 the verge OF distraction, and not
a few Of them have adopted extraordinary
measures 10 discover whether their appre-
tensions are well founded or not. Moth
ingmakes the average Mormon WOman's
Otharder than the suspicion that there are
wives Of whom she knows nothing. 1t is
bad enough TO put up with her those whom
she is well aware divide with the honOrs
of wifehOod, but the idea that others Of
whom she knows nothing may be rolling
in luxury somewhere is intOlerable.
Nearly ali OF this wretchedness is con-
cealed. The most extraordinary devices
are resOrted TO TO cover up any scandal
among the faithful, and were 1t not for
the fact that there are many keen-eved
Gentiles here, suppression would be com
nlefe. A NOung girl named Annie