The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-06-07
MORMON HOME AT NAUYOO
THE QUARRELS OF BRIGHAM
YOUNG,S
Three Wives When they Lived In This
House

House.
In the wake of a report that officials
Of the AauFmonchurch are disposing OF a
large part of the property owned by
the scot in Salt Lake City, Utah, comes
the inteliigeee that the old brick build
ing at Nauyoo, H., which Brigham
Young once called home ad which for
over five years harbored three of his
favorite wives, has passed from the
hands of the family that has owned it
since the Mormons were driven out of
Hancock county.
Captain Joseph Reichtmann, an old
river man, recently bought the old resi-
denoe says the Chicago Daily News, of
the founder of the Mormon church from
former Chicagoan, DR.. ]. w. Parker,
now resident of Peoria, ILL.,, for four
hundred dollars. Dr.. Parker, who at
one time occupied the chair Of lecturfng
physician in a Chicago medical college,
lived in 1t when boy with his parents,
and has been its owner for over a quar-
ter of a cetury. He inherited the prop
erty from his father, Captain Reicht-
mann will add story to the building
and he and he and his family will make
it their home in the future.
The structure was built by the ag-
gressive leader of the latter day saints
in 1880, when the cohesive, loyal follow
ers of the doctrines fathered by Joseph
Smith were driven out Of northeast
Missouri. across the border into Illinois,
by the enfaged inhabitants of that part
of the former State Though it has
passed through the turbulent times
which have had their outbursts of war
and riot, 1t has sttod unscathed and is
to-day practically an unhurt cradle of
Mormonism.
The house originally consisted Of six
rooms, two halls and large cellar.
Three Of the rooms served as indiyidu-
al bed chambers for his three wives.
The others were used for sitting room.
dining room and Kitchen. The maih
hall was used for reception purposes.
On the exterior there is little to show
/ that the house has been standing for a.
4 period Of nearly seventy years.
Many interesting tales are still told
by old residents Of Nauvoo of occur
rences that took place IN the old home
stead during Brigham Young's tenan-
cy. The Mormon leader had pen-
chant for dark eyes. The first young
woman he brought to his domicile UNI
der the Mormon title of wife" had
brown eyes. Lucy Decker Seely, tail,
1.-THE and graceful Of form, with an
abundance of brown tresses, moved sby
Young's eloquent and isidous wooing,
4 thought she had learned to love him
and became his wife. The nuptial knot
was tied in Mormon ceremony, at a
Mormon altar, and the mainstay OF
their i1icipient sect, happy beyond ex-
preston led his pretty bride to his new
home and formally installed her as
Mrs. Young No !, under the new
4 Mormon polygamous doctrine. He had
left another wife in the east, however,
who was broken hearted owe rhis con-
duct.
Lucy Decker Young, his first wife UNI
der the Mormon practice, had blind, inn
plicit faith in her husband To her
misguided mind he was being who
partook of celestial proportions. Ear
nestly believing in the creed he was la
boring to spread under the cloak Of s're-
ligion," oblivious to his faults, she saw
reflected in her husband only those
/ qualities which stand for good.
In the course Of two years Amelia
Partridge and Harriet Cook, both adj
herents to the Mormon faith, became
wives of Brigham Young through Zee
lestial marriage" as the Mormons
u lie k,ad Loo
! in ginger before fisthird marriage,
it was destined for Harriet Cook to
supply. If the quiet residence on the
corner of Kimball and Grange streets
lacked snap before her entree it did
not take this young woman long to in
ject it when she became a mistress of
the household. She was harnessed to a
disposition which, if it could not be SUI:
preme, was destined to he unhappy.
She had a quarrel with her husband
one day, 1t is told and determined to
retaliate on him through his other two
wives. She got them to go in the cell
lar on some pretext and when they
were safely at the bottom of the ssteps
slammed the door and bolted it, maxi
ing them fassts prisoners. She had
previously made an arrangement with
Young to meet him at his church office.
then to take dinner with q friend and
attend musicale in the evening.
The other two women would have re-
manned prisoners until late in the night
had not Young suddenly found he need
ed a paper which was at home and
proceeded to the house to get it, where
to his chagrin he discovered his two
wives securely lyoeked in the dark,
damp cellar.
Their retaliation a man might hold
Inadequate, but woman never would.
1t is related that the vindictive Har-
riet had just purchased a spring hat,
which was at once her pride and inspi-
ration Lucy and Amelia determined
to shatter the bonnet and secure re-
venge for their mistreatment at Har-
riet's hands, While she was visiting at
neighbours the following day they
: took it from a closet, tied a rock to 1t
with a stout cord and threw it bodily
into q disused we'll. When she learned
of the episode Harriet sprinkled bitter
tears over the resting place of her lost
millinery.
When the Mormons were driven from
Hancock county in 1876 the snug little
home where the Mormon apostle" and
his wives had lived was forsaken.
GAYLORD FARM MEETING.
NVaIIinpfor.d I11na 6-The ANNA