Mr. Townsend, a hotel-keeper at Salt Lake, married a young wife. The other wife became disgusted, and refused to remain in the house. So, in another house back of the hotel, lived the first wife, leading a miserable, unhappy life, looking upon the second wife as an interloper, having
an unutterable contempt for her, and refusing to speak to her.
Mrs. Captain Hooper, an intelligent and lady-like woman, says she does not like to think of the subject,—would rather not talk about it; admits that if her husband were to take a second wife, it would make her very unhappy, but says it is a part of her religion, and she believes it would be her duty to submit. It is known that Brigham urges Captain H. to take a second wife, and it is thought the Captain will be forced into it by the absolute power, whose behests he must obey, no matter how contrary to his own inclinations it may be. He was once seen to come out of the President's office with tears in his eyes, after having had a conversation upon the subject.
T. B. H. Stenhouse, an active, intelligent man, holding the office of Postmaster at Salt Lake, under the Federal Government, has a beautiful and accomplished wife, and an interesting family of eight children. For a long time after arriving in Utah, he remained true to his wife. She lived in constant apprehension that her husband would "go into polygamy," and so much was she opposed to it, that she once said to me in his presence, that if he did, she could not and would not live with him longer.
Mr. Cook, the Superintendent and Assistant Treasurer of the Overland Stage Company, who was accidentally killed in California, was, during his lifetime, on intimate terms with Stenhouse, and is supposed to have exercised considerable influence to prevent him from embracing the pernicious system. It is known that on one occasion, Cook, hearing that Stenhouse contemplated something of the kind, threatened him with a prosecution under the Anti-Polygamy Law of Congress.
Cook was killed, as stated, and soon after, Stenhouse, freed from any restraint except the church and his own pliable conscience, married Celia, daughter of Parley P. Pratt, a pert little miss, fourteen years of age, and took her into his
family, with his eight children and the wife with whom he had lived so many years. And this too, in open violation of a law of the United States, under the government of which he holds a lucrative commission!
FOOTNOTES:
[219:A] Deseret News, October 1, 1856.