Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-18
De1uaed MOrmO0 Recruits,
ELDER HAGsBKRG BRINGS OVER FIVE wrvEs-A con
JUGAL KxCHAHoB.

De1u0e0 Mormon Recruits
ELDER HAGsBRRG BRINGS OVER FIVE wrvEs-A coz.
JU0AL KxCHAE0B.
New Yorh Correspondence Of the Philadelphia Press
Attention mas been called 10 the arrival OF party
Of Mormon converts from sweden by the rescue Of
q young girl from the party BY her sister. Emma
Nilsson, aged ffteen, and q typical Swede as to
purity OF complexion ana yellowness Of hair, had
been sent on to Salt Lake City BY her parents who
intended to follow her later; but her elder sister,
Ida, who had lived in Brooklyn q year or two, In
duced the Castle Garden authorities to deliver the
fair convert into her charge temporarily. But
Emma declares her answering devotion to
Mormonism and means to get on for a completion
Of her journey TO Utah as soon as possible.
S 70 se
migrants!" the Press correspondent inquired.
81 cannot answer that question" Emma replied,
not speak English. ave were ali pledged not to
say anything 70 outsiders about matrimony while
But IDA Nilsson asserted positively thar Emma
was afnanced TO Hagsberg, as were two other
young women in the party. 1t was through fear
that these depes Of
sOphistEy were silenced on the subject There
were seventy-two OF the swedish converts and
they were accompanied BY $40 freshly made Nor
mons from other countries, principally England.
They have gone on their journey to Salt Lake.
., Through Ida Nilson who is as strongly opposed
several curious facts about this latest Importation
have been learned. The Swedes were from the
ceptance or pOlygamy by the preaching OF Hays.
berg, native or that section, who has been two
years there at the work. He had left sweden q
taken three wIvesin Utah, where he had an extern
sive farm q few miles from Salt Lake CITY, Five
OF the women whom he converted, according
TO Emmas confession, were to become members
OF his household, really his wifes although in
order to evade prosecution they would purport 10
be hired workers. One OF them was Emma's par
ticular chun, only two years her senior ana they
seemed to be quite delighted at the prospect Of
sharing In the affection OF the same husband, al
though ne was almost three times their aye. A
third prospective wife to Hagsberg was q widow Of
sixty, and the plan seemed to be to make her
sort OF natron. She was promised supremacy in
the establishment so far as authority and prece-
dence was concerned. The remaining recruits for
Hagsoerg wedlock were mother and daughter, the
former f0rty-year-old widow and the latter girl
OF twenty-one Hagsberg was described by Emma
as an eloquent exhorter. and mis- descriptions Of
tne rengious beauties and temporal advantages OF
NE IN Utah had quite turned the heads OF some Of
- curious instance Of conJlgal irregularity was
ID tne English contingent. Elder Abram johnson,
VINO had charge OF the entire company, had been
SIX months proselyting in the southern counties
OF England, and about MALT hundred Of the imml-
learned that he had chosen any Of the women for
marriage Most OF his converts we're entire fami-
Hes, consisting OF husbands, wives and children.
In his preaching he had not advocated pOlygamy
at all, but had sought to impress upon his audi
ences the fact that Mormon men need not now
necessarily have plural wives. Most Of the dozen
SAouSus O'Si W HlAu w tue idlOu
mad come with the UNDERSTANDING between the
husbands and wives. that polygamy was not
10 De INDUCED In. But there was one re-
narkaDle exception John and Charles Laird, bro
TIERS were accompanied each by wife. John did
not propose to practice the Mormon doctrine OF
p0lygamy, but Charles accepted 1t as obligatory
It happened that Charles wife would not consent
10 sharing husband with other women, while
JOINS vile had no objection TO It, The arrange
mint was therefore made that John and Charles
should swap wives, and they did so on setting out
upon the voyage to America. Charles had a pros
spectlve second bride in the party. The Lairds
were English farm labOrers all under thirty years
OF age, and, although they were not well educated
they were naturally bright and Intelligent. Their
complication OF maLrimony was common talk
among their OmpanionS on shipboard.