The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-11-24
THE RESULT MADE CLEAR.

THE RESULT MADE CLEAR.
Chief Pratt's Sensational Charges
and the Boards Findings.
In order to show how little there
was against Captain Donovan in the
findings of the board, the charges and
findings on each specification are here
given in full:
The General Charge.
To the Hon. r. n. Baskin, Mayor, and
the Honorable Board of Police and
Fire Commissioners of Salt Lake City.
Territory of Utah:
I hereby charge John ]. Donovan,
captain of the police department OF SALT
Lake City, territory of Utah, with con-
duct unbecoming a gentleman, and an
officer of the police force of Salt Lake
City, with a disregard and violation OF
the duties of his office; with disrespect
toward the chief of the police depart
ment, his superior officer, neglect of
his duty as captain of the police force;
of making false statements and reports
to the chief of the police department
and members of the board of police and
fire commissioners; and willful suppress
sion of a letter directed to the chief Of
said department. and a wilful and in
territorial concealing of the said letter of
said chief and using said letter for his
own sinister and unworthy personal
purposes as will more fully appear in
the following specifications, to-wit:
First Charge.
Specification THAT on or about the
DIST day of July, 1895, at the city and
county of Salt Lake, territory of Utah,
the said Captain John j. Donovan, in
violation of his duty as a member and
officer of the police department of said
city, received a letter which referred
to and contained a charge of miscon-
duct against Sergeant w. H. Ford, also
a member and officer of said police de-
partment, at police headquarters at the
old city hall in said city, which was
directed to the chief of the police de-
partment Arthur Pratt; and then and
there corruptly suppressed and con-
cealed said letter, and failed, neglected
and refused to show or report said let
ter or the contents thereof to the said
chief of the said police department, it
then and there being his duty to re-
port the same to the said chief imme-
diately; the said chief, Arthur Pratt,
then and there was and at the time of
the receipt, concealment and suppress
sion of said letter by the said Dono
van as aforesaid. being in Salt Lake
City and attending to the duties of
such chief.
All of which is a disregard and vio
lation of the duties of the position as
captain of the police department of said
city; and tends to destroy the discipline
and harmony of the police department
and in violation of a conflict with sec
ton 10 of an act of the legislature of
the territory of Utah, approved March
the Sth, 1894, and of rule 4, page 6, of
rules governing the police department
of Salt Lake City.
The Board Found No Corruption.
Specification eliminating the word
"corruptly'' from the specification we
find the charges therein contained are
true.
Second Charge.
Specification 2-That said Captain
John J. Donovan on or about the 21st
day of July, 1895. at the city and coun-
ty of Salt Lake, then and there ap-
plied to Arthur Pratt the chief of the
police department of said city, for
leave of absence, and then and there
represented to said chief that he, the
said Donovan, wished to visit Bing-
nam. Mercur and the Tintic mining
districts to see and visit with some
Of his friends. That said Donovan did
not wish to visit Bingham, Mercur or
the Tintic mining districts, or either CT
Sdlu pIdttS, llldl dill VI oclAo 1 Cyl OoO1i-
ia tions were wholly false and untrue,
and We're then and there made known
to be false and untrue. and were then
and there made by said Donovan for
the purpose of deceiving Arthur Pratt,
the chief of the said police depart
ment who was then and now is ais
superior officer; and to enable said
Donovan to go to Mount Pleasant,
Sanpete county, Utah territory, to OBJ
tain evidence against w. H. Ford,
and the said Donovan failed, neglected
and refused to report said misconduct
If any, on the part of said Ford, to his
superior officer, the chief of said de-
partment, which it was his duty to
do
That the said Captain Donovan then
and there, by reason of the said false
and untrue representations as afore-
said. made to his superior officer, the
chief of the police department of said
city, did obtain from said chief leave
of absence to visit Bingham, Mercur
and the Tintic mining districts: that
the said Donovan did not visit or go
to either of the said places, on the cor
trary did then and there, by leave Of
absence obtained as aforesaid. and not
otherwise, did go to Mount Pleasant.
Sanpete county. this territory, and did
use said letter so as aforesaid con-
cealed and suppressed by him in try
ing to blacken the character and bring
disgrace upon the said Sergeant w.
H. Ford and the police department of
said city.
Ali of which is in violation of MS
duties as an officer and disrespectful
to his superior officer, chief of the said
department, and tends to destroy the
discipline and harmony which should
exist between the officers and mem
bers of said department.
The Finding.
Specification 1--WE find that on or
about the Dist day of July. 1895. Cap
tain Donovan received of Arthur Pratt,
chief of police. leave of absence, stat
ing that he wished to visit Bingham,
Mercur, Tintic district and Provo, to
visit some of his friends; that he also
intended to go to Mount Pleasant, San
pete county, during said leave of alb
sence, but did not inform the chief of
the. fact; that he obtained said leave
of absence; did visit Mount Pleasant,
Sanpete county, without visiting any
of the other places: but there was evil
dence tending to show that he was
called home by a. message that his wife
was sick. The board is of the opinion