The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-05
PRATT SAYS IT'S FALSE.
Statement of the Chief Regarding the
Donovan Affidavit.


On Friday morning The Herald pub
lished the affidavit made by ex-PoIice
Captain John J. Donovan, and entitled,
lin the matter of the charges against
Arthur Pratt, fled with the board Of
police and FIRE commissioners. by Henry
3. Burton
This document was printed as a piece
of legitimate news. secured in a Iegit-
innate way. and without any comment
as to its effect OF the correctness Of
the statements made by ar. Donovan.
The affidavit was taken before Chair
man Dininny of the police and fire COM
mission, and was regularly subscribed
and sworn TO.
On Friday evening Chief Pratt was
seen by The Herald and asked for a
statement regarding the Donovan aff1-
davit. He declined TO say anything
however. further than that the state
ments of the ex-captain were false. A
more explicit presentation of his po-
sition regarding the matter is con-
tanned, however, in the following COM
munication:
Salt Lake City. Utah, Sept. 8.
TO The Herald Company and to b. A.
Mcdaniel, It's Manager, Salt Lake
City, Utah:
"On Friday morning. Sept. 8. 1897.
you Willfuliy and maliciousiy and well
knowing that the same was untrue,
published and circulated in your daily
paper a certain hbelous and false pub
! LEGATION concerning me. headed. 'Dono-
van Testifies in the Pratt Case. You
then and there well knew that said
Donovan did not testify il the Pratt
case; that the Pratt case was not then
going on. and that said pretended affi-
daVit was not a deposition and could
not be used or introduced in evidence in
any case as testimony, and then and
there well knew that each and all of
the material allegations in said pre-
tended affidavit and said article SO pub
lished were and are false and untrue.
and you are now notified that the facts
stated in said headlines of said article.
and each and al of them are false and
untrue. and that each and all of the
material facts stated in said article are
false, and especially each and all the
facts in said article set forth relating to
my connection with the renting of q
house to one Essie Watkins and her
removal therefron. and each and all of
the matters and things therein set
forth pertaining thereto; and each and
al Of the facts concerning my gam
bling at playing poker as in said ar
ticle set forth: and each and all Of the
corning my conduct and acts in refer
ence to the want of harmony and the
fact of the want Of harmony in the
department of the police force while l
was chief of police; and each and an of
the facts as in said article set Sorth
concerning my acts and conduct to-
wards one Ford and one Eslinger or
either of them; are each and all of them
false and untrue. Each and all of the
facts in said article concerning my
character and my acts and conduct rel
atiVe to the Office of chief of police or
otherwise as in said article set forth
are false and untrue IN fact, all the
facts in said pretended affidavit and
each and all of them are false and I'M
| true, except those referring to time
when said Donovan first went on the
force. the time when he resigned and
the names of the different chiefs under
whom he worked.
And you are hereby demanded to ac-
knowledge publicly in your paper the
falsity Of each and all of said charges
as in said article set forth and by you
published, and to retract the said pub
LEGATION Of the said article so published
by YOU as by law provided. Very re-
spectfully, ARTHUR PRATT
It may be said in this connection that
Captain Donovan was regularly sub
and that he appeared before the board
10 testify, but was prevented from so
doing by the action Of Commissioner
Kenyon, who suddenly announced that
he would not act with the board in this
matter. upon which testimony had al
ready been taken fer two or three days.
Having subsequently completed all ar
engagements for going to Klondike, and
being unable to remain any longer in
the city. he made this affidavit for use
in the hearing There was evidently
no "eowardiee" in his action in making
the affidavit, as Ell the parties inter
ested knew that he was on hand to
testify orally. and that he was pre-
vented from SO doing was no fault OF
his.
The Tribune's position with regar4
TO the matter yesterday morning g.
cited much comment, and no little mer-
riment. It denounced the publication
in unmeasured terms editoriaIly. and in
its local columns proceeded to give the
substance OF the affidavit for the ben
eft OF its readers.