Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-16
HOW LONG?

for pickering about everything as Utan
is. There can be no question here which
will be decided on its merits, but into
everything there enters the eternal Nor
mon and Gentle prejudice. Such COM
monplace things as obstructing the side
walks or allowing a team to stand in the
streets unhitched, if the city officers
complain against him who obstructs the
sidewalks or who allows his team to
stand unhitched, are at once made an
issue between the two parties, Mormon
and anti-Mormon, and according to the
belief of the man complained OF, 1t is
either persecution or disloyalty. 1t is
eternally tempest in teapot, no mat
ter what the subject of the controversy
may be. This has been very well illus
trated in the recent Thomas trial, in
which policeman was charged with as
saulting a man who had murdered the
Chief of Police in broad daylight. The
murder was one without any palliating
circumstances, and without the least pro-
vocation in the world. A mob soon col
lected and proceeded to the city jail and
took the murderer, who was a negro,
out, and hung him. 1t was clear case of
mob law and lynching so far as the hang
ing was concerned, and such things are
to be discouraged in all communities, no
matter how atrocious the crime COM
mitted. But it was charged against some
of the officers who were holding the muir
derer in custody that they assaulted and
beat him in a shameful manner, and the
same charge was brought before the grand
jury, who indicted officers Thomas and
Hilton on the evidence. 1t seems not to
be remembered by many that the grand
jury proceeding is an &C porte
proceeding, and that it is their
business to investigate the charges
made against people, and not to hear the
other side of the question. They but
did their duty in bringing the indict-
ments if the evidence warranted them in
so doing. The traverse jury listened to
the evidence which the prosecution had
to present, and also to the defense which
Mr. Thomas had to make. They in a
different capacity listened to all the evil
dence and decided the case as they
thought the evidence warranted, and
they acquitted officer Thomas. They
1Uara nc Touob bound 70 ,oo,,;4 H.
Thomas if the whole evidence, pro and
con, did not justify a conviction
as the grand jury were to bring |
the Indictment if the evidence which |
the prosecution presented to them in
the grand jury room was sufficient in
their mind to warrant it. But now some
Of the papers, more especially the Herald
of tN;s1 city. trying 70 ,,ol-e e>,..>sGl.i..
OF the case, and this morning 1T has an
editorial entitled, The Jury Humbug, in
which it says: Thomas is a Mormon
police officer, and was charged with hav-
ng beaten the negro who murdered CITY
Marshal Burt. Whether or not he had
beaten the black brute, in no other coun-
sry would an Indictment have been found,
he circumstances being everywhere else
leld as abundant justification for the ex-
hibition Of passion that the striking of
the negro implied. 4 But
the officer was a Mormon, and the grand
Jury being non-Mormons, he was indicted
and placed on trial"
This is the view Of the Herald on the
Thomas case, and it may be well to saw
is the view of the Mormon portion of the
But here is what the same
paper said in regard to another notorious
murder case: Perhaps if Hopt had
been a polygamist merely there would
nave been no error in his previous trials.
but as he is guilty of one of the most
cruel murders ever perpetrated, and is
deserving, if ever man was, of the death
hat the law has prescribed for those who
ylltully slay their fellows, he runs along
aughing at the statutes and chuckling at
he courts
The NeWs last night put the prosecution
ipon the same plane, saying: 'It is not
necessary to travel far for a reason for
he prosecution of officer Thomas
Neither will it be needful to 90 any great
lstance for the cause of taking up his case
nd using but small if any endeayors
D inquire into the vastly greater offense t
ommltted by the mob. Mr.. Thomas is q
nderstood to be Mormon, while some Y
those who melted and took part in tbe 7
'nchlng are supposed to be non-Mor-
ions' This was said editoriallv. In $,
he Tribune of yesterday, was the follow n
lg: The jury who tried the case ~
as composed of ten Mormons and two q
and a conviction, even had o.
he proof been as strong as holy writ. [
ould have been a surprise as much to q,
he defendant as to the prosecution. A if
sagreement was possible, and. in the ii
yht OF the evidence and the character of h
me OF the defendants witnesses, prob r
lie; and hence the jury for six or eight O,
'urs failed to agree, but the minority for tr
nvlcton finally gave up, and what was W
lie before the trial is now false" H
lis was said locally in the Tribune. 81
last nights Chronicle there appeared
commune alton on the Thomas case h,
lich SAD, But no one expected con- WI
cuon with Mormon jury. Several es
rsons on Wednesday last said, in NV III
aring, that the result would be as If is tu
e evidence was clear as honest wit -,
sses could make it, and that of the de- g.
ldant also showed plainly thatheabused o.