Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-02-23
LAST NIGHTS DAsTARDLY WORK

A dastardly assault on the person of
United States District Attorney w. II.
Dickson was committed last evening by
four cowardly wretches-two sons and
nephew OF George @. Cannon, and viii
lain named Hughes. Under pretense of
having information to impart to Mr..
Dickson in his capacity as a United States
official, two of these wretches, after night
fall, sought the gentleman at the Con-
tenental Hotel and begged him TO accom-
pany them to the sidewalk, where they
could talk out OF earshot of any one
who might feel disposed to act
the eavesdropper. No suspicion of foul
play crossed the mind OF the gentleman
so importuned, and in compliance with
their request he accompanied them to the
sidewalk. Here the two accomplices in
waiting made their appearance, and
almost ut the moment the unsuspecting
mans foot crossed the threshold OF the
door, one OF the misbegotten wretches
dealt him two terrific blows in the face,
while his cowardly accomplices sought to
help on the brutal work by hampering
the assailed man so that he could not
defend himself. In the scufile that
ensued n window was broken, and the
crash Of falling glass attracting the atten-
ton of gentlemen near by, the scurvy
wretches ceased their cowardly attack
and sought to escape in the darkness.
So, it has come to this at last, that in
Utah officers OF the United States Gov
ernment who seek only to well and truly
perform the duties devolving upon them
in pursuance OF their oaths, can no longer
60 on with their work, or live in their
own houses, without running the risk OF
being set upon and brutally beaten, il
not murdered outright, by ill-conditioned
scoundrels who, measuring the popular
sentiment in Utah by their own fiendish
feelings, imagine that it would be glori-
GUS thing to main or kill deputy mar
shall or two, or wound unto death those
faithful officers OF the courts to whom is
entrusted the important work OF en-
forcing the law against all violators
thereof
To say that this brutal work has the
approval Of the entire Mormon people
would be to basely libel them. But that
there is, all over Utah, strong under
current of animosity at work against the
officials who are now bravely doing theil
duty-that and nothing more-is to put
it mildly. For years and years the
people here have been taught to regart
United States officials as their sworn enc
mics, whose mission was and is
to harass, oppress and imprisor
them for their religions sake; who
look with greedy eye upon the posses
sions Of the people, and whose highest
ambition is to bring OH conflict here
which shall result in Il renewal OF the ex
and Nauvoo, the better that they may
seize upon the property of the Saints
The legitimate results OF such teachings
are-what? Why, only a few short
weeks ago an unnameable outrage was
perpetrated Mt the residences OF three
United States officials in this city q few
weeks later deputy United States Mar
shal, while OH his way home, wal
waylaid in II dark alley and ar
attempt made to murder him
now come n QUARTET OF ruiiians
who, under pretcnse OF giving such in
formation as will assist the United States
District Attorney to more efIectually per
form the duties OF his office, decoy hin
out into the dark and attempt t.
disfgure him for life, il not to murde
him in cold blood. These outrages ar,
the legitimate outcome OF evil teachings
traceable directly to the meh here wh'
assume to control the people OF this Ter
ritory in all things, both spiritual ant
temporal, in the latter case even to tn,
setting up OF a stocking.
The line is now reached! Halt mus
be the word! Another such outrage ai
that OF last night and woe to the wretche
by whom it may be perpetrated.