The Nation - News from Jan. 24, 1988

Law officers surrounding the northern Utah farm of an armed polygamist clan said that storming the compound to bring an end to the siege, now entering its second week, could no longer be completely ruled out. However, Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Doug Bodrero stressed that authorities still wanted to end the standoff with the family of slain polygamist John Singer peacefully and would resort to force only as a last resort because of the presence of nine children in the compound. At 4 a.m., a half-dozen law officers on snowmobiles raced around outside the compound for 45 minutes. At 8 a.m., a twin-engine police airplane resumed buzzing the house to as low as 100 feet from the roof. “We’re looking at those outdoor electrical billboards to communicate to the people,” Bodrero said.