The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-22

After suffering five weeks IN anxious
suspension, Patrolman Matt Rhodes
last evening underwent a trial before
the full board of police and fire COM
rnissioners on the charge of conduct
unbecoming an officer, and came cut
fully exonerated. When the evidence
was all in, no other verdict than the
one rendered was expected By any who
heard the testimony of both sides.
The charges, in detail, after recilipg
5 that the accused patrolman was Sis
appended from duty on Nov. 16, 1894, for
conduct unbecoming an Officer, were rs
follows:
First-In that you, on ~ about the
54,h day of November last, iefT ycur
beat without permission or notifying
the sergeant of police Of your intea-
tion.
Second-In that you. on or about the
18th day of November last. visited 4
house Of prostitution.
The suspended patroll1 IN conducted
Ills own defense, and To each Of 5i1e
peci1cations entered a plea Of not
guilty, requesting the rial On the
hrst count to take prece lence.
Taking Testimony.
Chief Pratt made a statement of the
allegations he expected to prove on evil
dence given to him by Rhodes fellow
+ officers.
Sergeant Ford stated, under oath
that on the date alleged n the first
count the defendants beat WIS on
East Second South street, and that h..
went down franklin avenue where he
met him subsequently. This was .t
night time, and tie accused stated 10
him that he had accom- panied Two lnsr
%own the ave. .ue at their ;agues7. He
AHad alwa9s found him = careful. dili.
gent patrolman.
Patroiman Larson said lie had re-
celVed permission from he dI:y SER
geant to get Rhodes to walk his Tea.
MN couple of hoErs during
1he early part of his shift
Pn the night in question
Aetlng Sergeant Randolph gave evi-
9ehce to the effect that he had given
hhodes TO understand that Whenever
proper occasion should justify or erner-
gency arise he could make a trim I'm ~
down an alley or street interesting his
beat ''ie ms
Charles LANCE stated that he End a
Friend of his visited a house on tl,a
avenue on the night of the l4th nit
ana mat Rhodes merely accompanied
Snefn down to the house at tn III. request
Inc officer did not go in and on the
witness invitation the officer calla5
pack about an hour later, when Larson
relieved him from duty, about . a. m
so they could walk home toger her.
Ofhcer Leavitt gave c0Troborati tive ev;-
oence on this latter point.
Evidence on the Second Count.
AS to visiting a house Of prostitution
on the night alleged in the second
specification, the accused patrolman. adj
united escortinE James Hilton to Null
Nlna Beauchamp'S on his request This
was while ne was on his way home ana
after he had gone off Shift. He de-
clared the time he stopped there was
snort indeed, and in this he was cor
roborated by Pauolman Pack and Ser
geant Ford who met and talked TO him
before going into the avenue and also
after he came from the house
On being cross-eXamined by Chief
Pratt the accused denied emphatic
ever having made any appointment
with Hilton or talking to him in any
way about entering the secret employ
OF certain liquor dealers. He also de-
MED that Hilton had ever made anv
overtures or suggestions about entering
conspiracy to obtain the official heads
OF PaTolman Gillespie and Roberts TO
appeaSe certain saloon interests Tho
accused challenged the chief to pro
dUce his proofs in support of any such
animation.
Prostitutes Evidence Not Wanted.
The chief stated he would not intro
ouce any evidence from prostitutes 10
inlpeach the veracity of any of his pa
Irolmen, but he declared Hilton had ad-
united all this TO him and begged his
forgiveness. Hilton, he said, was not
quite sober when he made these ad-
missions.
Rhodes declared he had concluded re-
Gently that some of the chiefs subordi-
mates had it in for him and he believed
a copy of the department rules had been
Intentionally withheld from him
Each of the commissioners interro-
gated the accused and the witnesses
10 bring out all the facts, but it was
evident no effect was made by any Of
Ihem to conceal anything.
The Case Closed.
In summing up the case the chief
stated that he had no II feeling to-
ward the accused in the matter but
When what had been reported to him
concerning the alleged conduct unbe.
coming an officer, he believed it was
his imperative duty to suspend the ac,
cused pending the outcome of the in
: Vestigaton. He had found Rhodes an
efficient dutiful and Woodworking off,
Ger, and the only complaint he had
was his failure to report to his private
office every morning regularly while
he was doing detective work. If the
board decided from the evidence that
the accused should be exonerated he
would cheerfully accept the verdict
The accused claimed justification for
his acts as ne understood his duty.
and, ali he asked was even-handed jus.
vss e.. -. ,o,,,.,,,...,,,,.,.- -.,,,.,a IT.
he would have. and then they went
into executive session. In about ten
minutes the board announced their de-
cision, which was unanimous, and was
TO the effect that the charges against
the accused were not sustained and
further that he be reinstated with fun
pay from date of suspension.