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TRUTH
The Great scandal.
The manner in which the cases
against Chief of Police Sheets and
his associates have hcen conducted
is a disgrace to the prosecuting of
ficers and no great credit to the
judiciary. An exceedingly grave
crime was committed. The chief
of fjolice and his first assistants
arc implicated in the crime. The
evidence against the chief and
4p his associates is so strong that no
reasonable doubt exists as to their
guilt. The evidence against thorn is,
so conclusive that their only hope of
escaping conviction is in preventing
I the case ever being tried before a
jury. So far the prosecution lias
shown itself to be imbecile and worse.
The machinery of justice, the courts
included, have to say the least behaved
very peculiarly.
A grave crime was committed, an
extensive robbery, a crime which af
fects the safety of the life and pro
perty of every citizen. The perpetra
tors of that crime, so far, have gone
ttnwhipped of justice and the ap
parent intention of those charged
with the administration of the law is
that they shall escape the consequen
ces of their misdeeds. Mr. Sheets,
the chief of police, the man Above
I all others whose duty it is to pro
tect the lives and the property ot
the people was and is charged with
being a party to the robbery in ques
tion. He had a preliminary hearing
J and was discharged by the judge;
although most people thought the
evidence against him was almost
strong enough to warrant conviction,
the judge apparently thought there
was not even probable cause to hold
him for trial. Probable cause is all
that is necessary to hold a person for
trial.
The same proceedings in a slightly
different form were started again. A
preliminary hearing was had before
another judge who had some concep
tion of the law and the proprieties
I and Mr. Sheets was bound over to the
I district court for trial.
The case came up in the district
court before the judge who in the
first instance refused to hold Mr.
Sheets for trial. On a mere
technicality, the indictment, or in
formation or whatever it may be
1 called was quashed and the case was
J supposed o be dismissed. The pro
secution fueling or simulating the
i feeling that at least substantial just-
', ice had not been done in dismissing
the case, took j appeal to the su-
premc court fronu the ruling of the
judge of the district court.
When the case camie up in the
supreme court it was found that
I the district judge or the district at
torney had not properly made, or
caused to be made the record of the
proceedings and the conclusion. No
order of dismissal had been entered
and therefore the appeal had no
i
standing in the supreme court and
there was nothing left for the .ittor
ncy general to do but ask for .1 dis
missal of the appeal. Thus on an
other technicality, the prosecution
was knocked out again.
That a crime, a most serious crime,
was committed there is no doubt.
The defendant, Sheets, was charged
vti'h complicity in that crime. lie
ought to have had a fair trial in open
court before a jury of his peers if
such can be found. The courts in
stead of taking cognizance of manu
factured tcchcnicalitics should have,
at least, put no obstacles in the way
of substantial justice. It is a cause
celcbre, a case in which all the people
are vitally interested, a case involv
ing the safety of the lives and pro
perty of the people. The legal mach
inery instead of facilitating the ends
of justice has impeded it. It's a
scandal..
It's a case of which the governor
of the state should take cognizance.
It is within his jurisdiction to review
the conduct of all state officers, jud
ges included. His duty, as wc see it,
is to step in, dismiss all the attorneys
for the prosecution, have others em
ployed at the expense of the state,
call in a judge from some other dist
rict not affected by local abnormal
conditions and have the case tried
on its merits freed from politics and
all other extraneous considerations.
The case against Sheets, to use a
vulgar expression, has been "all bal
led .up" and if records so far made
stand, it is questionable whether the
prosecution can ever get it into
court or not. In this dilcma wc feel
like helping out the cause of good
and honest government and with that
end in view make and publish the
following assertions believing them
to be true:
The two young Scotchmen, the Mc
Whirtcr bnothprs, were robbed of
$10,000 in Salt Lake City. Chief of
police Sheets, and other members of
the police force were parties not
only to that robbery but to others.
Chief of Police Sheets received pecu
niary benefit from the robbery and
so did some members of the city
council; in other words they re
ceived a part of the spoils. The act
ual robbers were under the protec
tion of the chief of police and he
helped them to escape and has not
only done nothing towards b inging
them to justice, but has Jiicldcd
them and used his influence to pre
vent their capture and punishment,
all because he and as indicated be
fore, members of the city council
were participants in the spoils.
The prosecution has so far failed
to get the case into court although
the organs of the thugs have pre
tended that Sheets and his co-conspirators
were aching for a speedy
trial.
Now as the imbicle prosecution can't
get il into court, let the defense try.
If what wc have just stated is not
true, Mr. Sheets has an excellent case
against Truth for criminal libel. Wc
invite him to institute such proceed
ings as he may think proper. Wc
will welcome it and assure him wc
will prove everything wc have stat
ed, and a good deal more. The pro
secution in this case is feeble. Wc
always like to help out the weak.
R. H. Whittemore, a brother of C.
O. Whittemore, general attorney for
the San Pedro road, arrived in Gold
field during the early part of last
week and seriously contemplates lo
cating here in business. Whittemore
is one of the most successful insur
ance men in Salt Lake City, and is
interested in mining matters also,
lie stated to the Review that he liked
the looks of the place and thought
it a good spot in which to accumu
late a lot of money for future use.
He made the Grimshaw his home
while here. Goldficld Review.
.
It's about time a certain ex-chief
justice of the state of Utah was be
ing called to some mining camp on
important legal business and soon
thereafter a corporation of mining
brokers should, according to time
honored custom, have some wonder
fully cheap mining stock for sale,
said stock being highly recommend
ed by the ex-chief justice, mining
expert, etc., etc.
The strike of the construction gang
of the telephone companies docs not
seem to amount to much. Business
with the companies is going just the
same as if there was no strike. The
strike at this time was evidently :i
mistake. Mr. Lynn, the leader of the
men, appears to be an unsafe man to
follow.
Truth stated several months ago
that Joe Cottle would succeed James
Sabine "Jr. as superintendent of the
county infirmary. The change will
take place about June 1. Mr. Cottle
is very competent and well fitted for
the place. From a political stand
point he is entitled to recognition, al
ways an ardent republican and a good
worker.
The great scandal which is known
as the Shcccts case, is approaching
a climax. Sheets is more of an inci
dent, a tool if you will, than any
thing else. There arc others much
worse than Sheets in this case, but
they keep in the back ground.
Judging from pictures of the law
yers engaged in the prosecution of
Haywood, Pettibonc et al for the
murder of ex-Governor Stcunenbcrg,
one should not be surprised to find
any of them defendants in any old
case.
Judge Bartch wants a fee of $1000
for his services in the Bradley case.
Some people have got more nerve
than brains or sense.
DRUNKENNESS CURED. M
fit . yVt-ZrET ,J. A positive ami pcrma-
J ! Tf otr nent cure for Orunkcnuess iH
I JreiliWA.'t'PO-OCt and Drut; Addictions. H
(OnhRlirrl fcTiSr l'rniii li I'.ircnt House, l
ufcljrij'LJ LfXfilJ DwlRht In Correspondence
KEELEY INSTITUTE H
331 W.S. Temple St , Salt Lake City, Utah H
VIOLA ALLEN H
In "Twelfth Night."
Truth is in receipt of a pictorial M
postal card from Frank J. Hewlett M
of the Hewlett Bros, company, from M
Nagasaki, Japan. Mr. Hewlett is M
making pleasure trip to Japan and M
the Orient generally and is having the M
time of his life. M
H
On May 30th, Saltair, Lagoon and H
the resorts generally will have their H
formal opening. There will be no H
scarcity of water at Saltair this sea- H
son. The Lagoon is looking prettier H
than ever. H
The Cullcn Hotel, the new Cullen
is strictly first class. Ben Ileywood, I
proprietor. Ben is first class in cv- I
crything he does. I
H
John E. Hansen, managing editor I
of the Dcseret News has entered I
really fashionable circles. Appen- I
dicitis, hospital, operation, doing well. I
Attorney W. R. Hutchinson :s at I
Blackfoot, Idaho, trying some drain- I
age suits in the courts there. I
