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in Mr. Rigdon's church, and the latter became interested, read portions of the “Book of Mormon,” was converted to the doctrine of the Latter-day saints, and baptized in October, 1830. He at once became zealous, and in December, 1830, met Joseph Smith at Fayette, N. Y. It has been claimed that, through Rigdon's agency (and there is no doubt of their association in the scheme), Smith became possessed of a copy of Solomon Spaulding's manuscript, which he read from behind a blanket to his amanuensis, Oliver Cowdery, with such additions as suited the purposes of Rigdon and himself. (See Spaulding, Solomon.) Rigdon transferred to Smith as many of his followers as he could influence, and the two men were thenceforth partners in all their enterprises, even to the practice of polygamy, and both claimed to have received revelations. When Smith removed to Kirtland, Ohio, in January, 1831, Rigdon went with him, and was his most efficient preacher. Subsequently they preached in Hiram, Ohio, where, on the night of 25 March, 1832, they were dragged from their beds by a mob and tarred and feathered. They returned to Kirtland, and a year later a church hierarchy was established, consisting of Smith, Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams, who were elected presidents and styled “the first presidency.” They established a mill and a store, and set up a “wild-cat” bank without a charter, Smith appointing himself president and making Rigdon cashier. The neighboring country was soon flooded with notes of doubtful value, and, in consequence of this and other business transactions, the partners were accused of fraudulent dealing. At the same time it was said that “a revelation from the Lord” had declared that the sins of Rigdon and Williams were forgiven, and that henceforth they were “to be accounted as equal with Joseph Smith, Jr., in holding the keys of His last kingdom.” In 1838, the bank having failed in November, 1837, Smith and Rigdon fled in the night to avoid arrest, pursued by their creditors, and took refuge in Missouri. Large numbers of Mormons had preceded them, and, having become involved in quarrels with the inhabitants, had been driven by mobs from place to place until they settled in Caldwell county, in the town of Far West. Here the fugitives joined them, and Rigdon became noted for the vigor of his denunciations against the persecutors of “God's chosen people.” After spending some time in jail, having been arrested by the state authorities on charges of treason, murder, and felony, Smith and Rigdon were found guilty, but after some months' imprisonment were allowed to escape, and joined the Mormon exodus to Illinois. When the church was established at Nauvoo, Rigdon was still one of its presidents. In the course of his connection with that body he had been twice tarred and feathered, and several times imprisoned for his alleged conspiracies and misdemeanors. When Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot at Carthage, Ill., 27 June, 1844, Rigdon aspired to the leadership of the sect, but the twelve apostles preferred Brigham Young. Rigdon refused to submit to his authority, and, for his contumacy, was declared to be “cutoff from the communion of the faithful, and delivered to the devil, to be buffeted in the flesh for a thousand years.” Thus cast out, he left the town of Nauvoo in the autumn of 1844 and went to Pittsburg, Pa., and thence to Friendship, N. Y., where he died declaring firm belief in the doctrines and truthfulness of the “Book of Mormon.”

RIGGS, Elias, missionary, h. in New Providence, Union co., N. J., It) Nov., 1810. He was graduated at Amherst in 182'.), and at Andover theological seminary in 1832. He was a missionary at Athens and Argos, Greece, for the American board, from 1832 till 1838, and in Smyrna, Asia Minor, from 1838 till 1853. Since the latter date he has labored at Constantinople. He visited the United States in 1856, taught Hebrew in Union theological seminary in 1857-'8, and was invited to become professor there, but preferred to return to his foreign field. The translation of the Scriptures into the Turkish language was placed in 1873 by the British and foreign Bible society and the American Bible society in the hands of a -commit-

tee, of which he was

a member. As a result of its labors, the entire Bible was published in both Arabic and Armenian characters in 1878. A revision was made by a larger committee, including Dr. Riggs, and the new work was issued in 1886. Mr. Riggs received the degree of D. D. from Hanover college. Ind., in 18.53. and that of LL. D. from Amherst in 1871. He is the author of " A Manual of the Chaldee Language, etc." (Andover, 1832; revised ed., New York. 1858: and several later editions); "The Young Forester, a Brief Memoir of the Early Life of the Swedish Missionary. Fjelstedt" (1840); "Translation of the Scriptures into the Modern Ar- menian Language," completed with the aid of na- tive scholars (Smyrna, 1853 ; reprinted in many edi- tions in Constantinople and New York) ; " Grammat- ical Notes on the Bulgarian Language " (Smyrna, 1844); "Grammar of the Modern Armenian Lan- guage, with a Vocabulary" (1847; 2d ed., Constan- tinople. ls5(i); "Grammar of the Turkish Lan- guage as written in the Armenian Character"; " Translation of the Scriptures into the Bulgarian Language" (1871 ; several editions. Constantinople and Vienna) ; " Suggested Emendations of the Au- thorized English Version of the Old Testament " (Andover, 1873); "A Harmony of the Gospels in Bulgarian" (Constantinople. 1880); "Suggested Modifications of the Revised Version of the New Testament " (Andover, 1883) ; "A Bible Dictionary," in Bulgarian (Constantinople. 1884); and minor publications, including tracts, hymns, and collec- tions of hymns, in Greek, Armenian, and Bulgarian.

RIGGS, George Washington, banker, b. in Georgetown, D. C., 4 July, 1813; d. at Green Hill, Prince George's co., Md., near Washington, 24 Aug., 1881. lie wa- educated at Yale, and in 183(1, with William W. Corcoran, formed the banking-house of Corcoran and Riggs. which acquired a national fame during the Mexican war by taking up the entire loan that was called for by the government in 1847 and 1848. This proved a profitable transaction from the large commission that was received and indirectly by bringing the firm into great publicity. When Mr. Corcoran retired from business Mr. Riggs formed the present firm of Riggs and Co. He also entered largely into the purchase of real estate in Washington and other parts of the District of Columbia. Mr. Riggs took a great interest in the management of the affairs of the District, and in 1873 he acted as chairman of