The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-06
AN INSULT TO THE NATION.
Mormon Leaders Order the National Flag
Hosted at Half-Mast on Independence Day.
| From orr Second Edition of Yesterday I


SALT LAKE, July 4.-When the sun rose this
morning the national flag hung at half mast on
the City Hall, the county court house. the Deseret
News office the Mormon Tabernacle the Church
Tithing Office, John Taylors residen ce, the Nor
man Church Offices, and the Salt Lake Theater
That on the last named building was put at full
mast W. Rosster, the present man
ager saw it, but those on the other buildings hung
limp and deiectedly against their masts. No one
could be found to explain the reason. About
noon the committee, composed of United States
Marshal Ireland, G. l.. Hanes, Major Wilkes
and Captain Evans, tine last two named ex con
federates) went to the City Hall to find
out the reason. City Marshal Phillips
said it the result of personal whim. The
committee demanded that the flag be raised to
full mast which demand was met with refusal
whereupon Captain Evans jumped up and start
ed out to raise it himself The door was shut
and locked by the policeman before he reached
it. All present, including a dozen of police
officers. made rush for Evans. Constable
Charles Crow raised his club to strike, and drew
his pistol, and the other officer reached for
their guns. Quiet was restored by the United
States marshal, and the conference went on.
The city officials said the Fourth of July was
a day Of mourning to them and this people"
whose best men were in the peniter tiary by virtue
of federal official action perversive of all princi-
Piles of law and liberty; that the flag over the
City Hall did not belong to any ring of so-callei
loyal Americans, and intimated that any man
who undertook to disturb the flag at half-mast
would be shot. the officers and the
committee of citizens then went into the
street, where small crowd had gathered.
numbers of whom wanted to raise the flag at all
hazards, but they were warned by the police
not to attempt it on pain of being dropped" In
a private consultation with United States Mar
shall Ireland, the city marshal consented either
to raise it to full mast or take it
down within thirty minutes. In the
meantime Constable Crow had mustered up
small squad to ''clean the mob out" The city
marshal consulted with Mayor Sharp, who was
attending a Mormon priesthood meeting In less
than thirty minutes the flag down amid
the ieers and sneers of the city officials.
The G. A. r. Post, which was celebrating
near the city, was informed of the difficulty,
and came in, after passing resolutions to run
the flags to their proper places. They met
crowd of angry citizens at the Walker House.
The crowd wanted to go and. by force put the
flags where they belonged, but the counsel of
Governor Murray prevailed. Finally, a com
mlttee of five was sent to demand of the
mayor that it should be done, and a
few minutes later the flag at the City Hall
was run up to the mast head The citizens
committee made demand on Sheriff Groesbeck,
and hoisted the flag at the county court house
from half to full mast, without demurrer.
The flag the cooperative store was also
run from half to full mast at about o'clock
this evening, but the others hung out in
defiance till down, and yet at
half mast All who are Immediately re-
sponsible for this reasonable piece of business
dscam knowing anything about it, but it has
leaked out that the order to thus insult the
Nation at large aud the government of Utah
came direct from the head of the church.