The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1885-12-11
WHAT DOES 1T PoaTEND9

Troops being Concentrated Westward
Their Destination Presumably Salt Lake
City, Where Serious Trouble Is Said to b.
Brewing = Tho Mormons Clamorlng fn,
blood Atoneuient--They May Get ft.
OMAHA, NEB., December 6.-At an
early hour yesterday morning General
Howard, commanding the Department 0.
the Platte, received orders to send troops
from Fort Omaha to some point which be
refuses TO make public. Artillery bat.
teries B and c, Fifth Artillery, were aa-
cordingly ordered out and left yesterday
afternoon on special train for the West
over the Union Pacific. It Is understood
that all the remaining troops at Fort
Omaha, consisting of ten companies of
infantry and one Of cavalry, have been put
under orders to be ready to move
at moments notice. Inquiry at
Union Pacific headquarters reveals the
fact that the company has received
instructions to have in immediate
readiness additional special trains for tbs
movement OF those troops westward.
General Howard has persistently refused
to answer questions regarding the des.
tination of these troops. "My orders are
strictly CONFIDENTIAL said General How.
ard to your correspondent, "and / can
not possibly even intimate where these
troops are going. 1t is of the utmost
Importance that the people of the CON-
munity to which they are destined shall
not be apprised of their coming" It is
evident that serious trouble Is anticipated
somewhere. General Howard intimated
| as much.
The general conclusion Is that the
| troops of the depaxment are all to be
| rapidly concentrated at Salt Lake, in az
| ticipation of an attack upon the Gentiles
| by the Mormons. Trouble of serious
nature has been brewing there for the last
| few days. The arrest, conviction and
| imprisonment of Mormon leaders for
| polygamy haye not only aroused the Nor
mons to great Indignation and revengefu'
bitterness, but have caused them to re-
taliate by importing prostitutes from San
Francisco and Denver and using these
women to entrap Federal officials and
prominent Gentiles. In this they have
been partly successful, having caused q
One Deputy United States Mar
shal was arrested for fornication
with one of these women, under
the city charter. He, was taken
by writ of habeas corpus by the United
States authorities, who declared the city
ordinance invalid, because it exceeded
the authority granted by the Legislature.
The other night another Deputy Marshal
was assaulted by what he called four
Mormon assassins, one of whom he dam
gerously shot. The Mormons and their
papers denounce this shooting as the act
of an assassin, who made the first assault,
and the Mormon press is calling for blood
atonement. These are the causes that
make Salt Lake volcano to-day, liable
to break forth at any moment. Threats
have been made that the entire Gentle
population will be cleaned out and excite
ment and fears are increasing from day Il
day.
A dispatch received In Omaha from
Salt Lake, in response to telegram o
inquiry, says: "The infamed condition
Of the public mind here is causing mos
serious apprehensions, and the move
ment of the military is designed to pre-
vent the possibility of an outbreak AM
secure In advance the preservation of lit
and property. Troops cannet be concen
trated here any too quick to allay tn
alarm and excitement"
Owing to General Howard's reticenc
|. regarding the destination of troops ther
is considerable speculation as to wher
they are really going, but the great ma
jority believe Salt Lake Is the place with
! out doubt. Their destination is allege
by the officer to be Fort Fred Steele, !
Wyoming, on the Union Pacific. Other
intimate that it is Fort Lewis, In South
ern Colorado, where there have been som
, disturbances among the Indians, and ais
among Apaches some distance from ths
post. General Sheridan 1t Is stated, dt
sired to concentrate large number {
troops at that point to handle any serlou
I outbreak which might take place in th
1 Southwestern country.
8 Another guess Is that troops are neede
/. 1 for labor troubles at Rawlins, Roc
:. Springs and Evanston on the Union II
e ciflc, but railroad officials deny anythin
of the kind, 1t is also limited that tt
;, troops are to 60 to the Pacific coast {
= account of Chinese troubles. So far ,
!, Indian troubles are concerned 1t Is not
all likely that artillery would be forwar
e ed. The sending out of the artillery co
firms the general belief that Salt Lake
il the destination or place of concentrate
j. The troops at Fort Robinson, Neb., ha'
a been ordered to move to the West, al
Il orders of similar character have been
! sued to other posts in this department.
LATER.-It is sure thing now that t
troops from this department are going
% Salt Lake, and 1t is understood fro
Q, good authority that trouble Is looked +
"a there.