Monday, May 8, 2000 Saga: including his graphic account of .the MormonBattalion. Late last year, however, Western Americana collector First Sheriff Cut A Wide Swath Schleve of Camarillo, Calif, cache ofpapers once owned by Mapas second wife, Jane Robinson. Schleveinitially intended to buy only one letter, but when he arrived to makethe purchase, the owner had arrayed a size- @ Continued from B-1 After his discharge, Ferguson hit pay dirt in the first days of the California gold rush. On reaching Salt Lake in October 1848, he deposited $640.06 in the Brigham Young gold accounts, probably as tithing. Early records are murky, but the legislature of the State of Deseret officially created Utah’s first six counties in January 1850, when Brigham Young himself probably appointed Ferguson as the first sheriff ofGreat Salt Lake County. In his first recorded case, Sheriff Ferguson. seized a Ute named Patsovett in April 1850 and executed him the same day for murdering a man named Baker. As commanderof the Fort Bridger & Greenriver Expedition, in August 1853 Ferguson Jed a 150-man posse to hunt down Cardinal O'Connor laughs as his New Jim Bridger, who stood accused of arming York City congregation sings “Happy Indians and encouraging them to attack Birthday’ to him in January. Mormonsettlements. Bridger escaped, but the Saints seized “Old Gabe’s” property O’Connor’s Influence Felt in Utah and fort. ing able to stand up.” The young Army veteran was commissioned as Lt. Ferguson at the creation of Utah’s territorial militia, the Nauvoo Legion. With Lot Smith and otherstalwarts, he rode in the decisive cavalry charge at the Legion’s first major Indian battle at Fort Utah (present-day Provo). According to Mormonhistorian and apostle Orson Whitney, Ferguson commanded the Life Guards, hand-picked men who served as Brigham Young’s personal bodyguard, “especially through the Indian country.” Mark Lennthan/The Associated Press Thelate Cardinal John O’Connor, the former Navy chaplain whorose to archbishop of New York, earned his reputation as the Vatican’s mostinfluential and often controversial champion in America by force of character, Bishop George ‘T met him once, informally, at a re199% Whilesheriff, Ferguson read the law, Pallbearers carry Cardinal John O'Connor'scasket into St. Patrick's Cathedal in New York on Friday. O’Connor,inill health’since undergoing surgery, died Wednesday. Tater serving asterritorial attorney gener- O'Connor had been in deteriorating health since undergoing brain surgery last August to remove a tumor. He died Wednesday, a little more than four months after celebrating his 80th birthday. Funeral services are today in New York’sSt. Patrick’s Cathedral. Speaking for the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, the Reev. Jeff Sells remembered O'Connor as “a faithful servant of our Lord wholived the gospel with passion and courage. “Cardinal O'Connor's ministry was marked by his concerns for those Jesus loved most — those poorandin need. He is perhaps less well known,but no less Jeading man almostuntil his death. ‘On his missionto Britain in 1854 for the MormonChurch, Ferguson served as pastor of Ireland and on his return helped organize the handcart emigrationof 1856. On reaching home,.he was named adjutant general of the Nauvoo Legion. Perhaps al, He also became oneof Great Salt Lake City’s foremostactors, appearing in 1853 as Hamlet, and remained Utah’s favorite Niederauersays. November destroyed night that they were exhausted — not be- BY BOB MIMS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE in posse Bridger’s stock of rum “by doses.” Wild himself Catholics, non-Catholics alikepraise life of service ception Ferguson’s in Washington,” said Niederauer, spiritual leader of Utah’s 200,000 Roman Catholics. “He was a magneticpersonality, very immee and at ease in a large group of peopl He was a very frank communicator . a very forthright and strong proponentofchurchteachings, andyetwas also a very compassionate champion of those in need,” the bishop said. “His leadership in the Catholic Church in this country will be sorely missed.” Unsettied weatherwill continue to plague mainly the northem portion of the state today, allowing a couple of showers as welll distinguished, for his ecumenical and interfaith initiatives and commitment.” Indeed, O’Connor’s reputation for faithfulness spread beyond: denominational walls, also winning praise from the ruling First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints. “Tt is with deepest sympathy that we note the passing .of Cardinal... John O'Connor,”a church statement read. “He was an ardent championof virtue and an exampleofChrist-like service. Along with the many who have been uplifted by his long years of self-sacrifice, we offer our sincere condolencesto his colleagues and friends.” craving action, he led a mob that dumped able pile ofold documents ona table. ldn’t believe whatI was seeing,” Shelve says. “I got excited and boughtthe wholelot.” The collection of 46 letters and early Utah documents was reportedly discoyered hidden in a dresser once owned: by Ferguson's granddaughter, a minor Hollywood starlet. The Ferguson papers include letters written from Nauvoo, Ft. Leavenworth and Echo Canyon during Utah's confrontation with the army. They reveal a man totally devoted to his several wives and what he saw as th “duty asa man of| i Theletters also show that hostility toward federal authority in Utah is not anew phenomenon. “The Government seem-determined to use us up, but God won't let them,” wrote in 1857. “We intend none ofthem shall enterthe City, thoughto preventit, we have to slay them.” Earlyin 1858 Gen. Fergusonoutlined an aggressive plan for a spring campaign in a report to returned ee eae He first had to fend off he hadintimidated Judge Stiles judge’s papers in 1856. The court compelled Brigham. Young to testify, and historian Norman Furniss noted that he eed with seven apostles “clustered around him, their pistols and knives ready for service” and the additional support of 300 well-armed spectators. Ultimately, a Mormonjury found Ferguson notguiity. In 1859 James Ferguson and his a4 partners launched The Mountaineer, newspapercreated to counter the blast’. of Utah’s first non-Mormon periodical, The Valley Tan. (Decorum prevented the Deseret News, the LDS Church's ae newspaper, from joining the fray.) venture failed after two years due 2 : shortage of newsprint. An increasingly debilitating due problem haunted this rising star. Wilford Woodruff wrote in 1859 that the general “camenear dying drinking poisioned [sic] whiskey.” By August 1863 the apostle found the brilliant and talented Ferguson “near his End with hard drinking.” Following his funeral, fellow members ofthe Utah Territorial Bar expressed their sorrow that his “devotion to to the inebriating cup brought him toa premature grave.” Athis death, General James Ferguson the law library of federal judge George P. Stiles into an outhouse and burned it, helping to ignite the Utah War that brought one-quarter of the U.S. Army to enforce federal authority in the “State of Deseret.” Although a prolific writer, practically _ Utah historian Will Bagley recently completed editing ArmyofIsrael: Mormon Battalion Narratives with David L. Bigler and Bright,Rising Star, a Life Sketch of none of Ferguson’sliterary work survives, James Ferguson. was 35 years old. asthrough 6 pm yesterday 87 at St. George Laketown Utah righ precip. . 0.44" at Bear Lake Sroupt p6 an. enol ‘as a thunderstorm or two. High pressure will build in behindthis system, bringing partly to mostly sunnyskies and warmertemperatures for tomorrow and Wednesday before the next system arrives ‘Thursday. Blanding 81/56/s * Powell Statistics recorded atthe Utah Division aanaes ~ Good City Hi/Lo Prep Atta * 47/42 Blanding 78/51 Bountiul 60/46 Brian Head 56/46 0.09 Low: 23 in Cut Bank, Montana; Ghnalnnatt Clovotand Gotumbia, High: 106 in AbMene, Texas Loutvile 7085 88/85 782 pe ro BAIES pe BAEZ pC St Loule 57/48 0.17 72/61 sh 7540 po) 786.221 BS/ET po THEI ¢ ‘Madioon 80/65 8063 | BA/71 90/71 po 91/74 pe OAS coz 81/54 8 ORG @ 8840 ah 50/44 718 r OOM por 72/50 SanAntonio Minneapols 814 7ASO.| 7048 pc Savannah 6501 B00 BBs Seat Montpelier &3/51.0.01 74/53 67/501 Sioux Fale 7340 po Otyton ANS BVA po 82/57 po Norfolk = 0068 = 8400 sO 8 Window Flock 77/47 cane pe 74M6 po Onahoma Cy B00 BON | 7HRG@ Washigion 90107 82/70 8 BANE po Yettowslone 4192 0.39 41/29 po Denver _Westher(W): s-sunny, pe-partly cloudy, ¢-cloudy,ah-showers, t:inndernomasony, st-anow flurries, an-snow, {-joa, Prop precipitation, Tr-trace. ‘