1869-12-20-New York Sun—Polygamy in Brooklyn

Polygamy in Brooklyn

’’New York Sun’’, December 20, 1869, p. 1

Polygamy in Brooklyn

‘’’Brigham Young, Jr.’s Opposition to the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher—What Brigham Looks Like—The Mormon Form of Worship—The Elders Catch a Tarrier—Two Converts on the Spot.’’’

In Williamsburg’s the Mormon haunt is over an oyster saloon, and is reached by four flights of rickety stairs. Yesterday afternoon the meeting was numerous lay attended, as it was understood that bishops from Utah would address the brethren. The elders sat in a semicircle, the strangers being i the centre. The temperance altar was exactly in front of Brigham Young, Jr., who is a presentable fellow of middle height, but very heavily built, slow in manner, and altogether bovine in appearance. Sometimes his eye is fixed on vacancy, his lips rapidly moving, and his nostrils quivering. This may be inspirational, but it may also be incipient epilepsy. His head is square, his eyes show a large amount of white, with a sort of glazed look, and the under eyelid is very full. His lips are well formed, the lower one being thick. He spoke at considerable length, slowly at first, but afterwards with more confidence.

The substance of Brigham’s discourse was abuse of the press. Two other bishops from Utah, a Mr. Hammond and a Mr. Potts, spoke also. They enlarged upon the earthly propsperity that awaited the faithful in the Vale of Deseret.

The service consisted of singing hymns to funny tunes, and a daring travesty of the Lord’s Supper. Two seedy individuals pulled a consecrated loaf into pieces about the size of a Spanish chestnut, with fingers which may have been holy, but certainly were not clean. This was handed round by some of the presiding gent, and afterward came a libation of water. It was noticeable that when the lecturer felt thirsty he took a square drink from the same cup. During the progress of the elements through the room the faithful sang verses of an apparently interminable hymn, to the air “Woodman, spare that tree.”

After the feast two converts were received into the Church, which was done in the following manner: Three elders placed their hands on the head of the neophyte, a County Kerry man. The elder elder then pronounced a solemn confirmation and blessed him with true apostolic unction. A woman with a baby was the other convert. She was a well-formed, good-looking woman of thirty-five, and Brigham Young, Jr., promptly stepped forward to assist in the ceremony.