Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-04-19
YOUNG BATE
ON The STAND.
Point Blank Denial that He Ever
Confessed His Guilt.
lie TELLS OF HIS ARREST.
Also Of Advances MADE with the Hope
Of Having Him Tell who Was
aesponsibic.

The interest In the preliminary hear
ing OF the Bate case conferred this
morning around the examination OF the
defendant who occupied the stnnd
during the entire session. The usual
quota Of spectators were present In
ciudlng Mr.. Mott. who IN the absence
Of his partner. Langton. cvinccd
lively interest In the proceedings ow-
ing to the frequent mention OF the lat
ter'a name. The witness proceeded to
detall at length the circumstances
surrounding his arrest and subac-
quent conversations with Dcpui,
sheriff Cummock and Mr.. II. y. Grant.
both OF whom according to the hc-
cused PROMISED ionicncy provided ne
would diyulgu the names OF the 'othcf
parties" who We're supposed TO have
used the young man as a cats paw
Ernest Bate. who IN an intelligent
young man Of twenty two. told his
story In n ntrnightforw manner
without contradiction or heHitancy
At the afternoon session George
liuckctt testified that the actual dirin-
agc to the building by IRE amounted to
iilas.
Wallace Bcckstcad. n young man res
idcnt OF Rivcrton. was the next witness
called. but nH no new Developments
were uncarthed he was allowed TO step
down without the Formally OF cross
examination.
W. 4. Bate. father OF the defendant.
was on the stand for over two hours.
During the course OF the testimony he
stated t1nt the store was owned by
himself while the stock was held Joint
~ by Mcnsrr 4. II. Nott. =. Green, u.
barton. his son Ernest and himself
The buildings Immediately adjacent TO
the store were owned by his son ana
himself who carried no insurance on
any Of them, neither was there any In
uurnncc upon their residences or furni-
turc. Ills son Ernest was manager
and trcarurcr Of the corporation Mr..
bates testimony concerning the de.
parturc and return Of the defendant
from the dance hall was practically
the same aa that given by preceding
witnesses. In answer to a query by Mr..
varinn, Sir. Bate stated that Mr..
l.nnRton had no interest whatever In
the store. Hate further said In part:
~ told sheriff iIoweiin that be-
ilcycd the man who set the building on
frc must have a key. hut I also asked
at the same time whether II was not n
fact that many men had been arrest
Cd who had keys that could open al
most any door In the United States.
There were papers on the floor near
where the nrc Ii supposed TO have
originated. that nmclicd strongly OF
coal oil. I objected TO being inter.
viewed alone By Grant and sutton aud
others and ntcnographcr. because ]
did not want To make u possible for
them 10 make mo say anything ! did
not want 10. don't understand short
hand. and wanted 10 see what was
Au
Grant said Ia Ernest about having 60
replace the stamps. and told the boy
that ana not think Il made any dif-
ference 10 the government what be-
came Of the stamps. aa Ions ~ the
government got Its money for them
This Morning. Proceedings
The court convened at $50 this morn.
Ing. when Mr.. W. 4. Bate was recalled
IN answer TO question bearing upon
his testimony given yesterday after
noon and then the defense put Ernest
Hate. the defendant. upon the stand,
lie stated that he had been operating
the Riyerton store for some years past,
with the assistance of his father ana
MIR, Mott. Defendant stated that he
owned a fourth Interest In the enter
prise. was . married man and had two
children. Before the present corpora
tlon was innuguratcd Bate stated that
the store was operated nA a branch OF
the Salt Lake Equitable Coop. dur
Ing the time that there was fire
there" he added ~ way OF hiking the
date. Witness said he had not taken
stock OF the goods In the store for more
than a year past, and consequently he
was unable 10 TX the amount OF mcr-
chaadiHc that there was IN the atruc-
ture on March 1int; H. further added
that the goods 10 the building had been
lfat - for A ksaa 20
past Coming down to the night of the
fire witness said he entered the store
previous 20 the dance, ut about pm.
TO yet a small show case that contained
chewing gum IN order TO sell some OF
the contents 10 the prospective dancers
In the pavilion lie was only IN the
store for few minutes. After the
dance commenced the defendant stated
that he left the halt. where he was
playing the plano, three times
WHY HE LEFT THE DANCE.
Tho frat time he left the pavilion he
went across TO the store TO get piece
Of pahtrboard from on the counter 10
cut up for tickets for n drawing Tor
cap and apron dance. he stated that he
did not stay IN the store above min
ute The second time that he left the
dance he went out IN company with the
local constable To sec whether they
could run across couple OF thihph
who were said 10 be hanging around
outside. He and constable silcock sep-
arnted aa soon as they got outside, de-
PENDANT stating that he went over 10
his own home to see whether the chill.
dren were ASLEEP and take n general
look around" Witness Haib he came
straight back and went on playing with
the band. The last time he left the
store prior 10 the IRE was about salf
an hour previous TO the alarm. He was
accompanied by young man named
Moroni Dansie. who wanted some
candy; he rot the sweets and then went
Into the poftoiiice TO get letter for a
Young lady. "Dansie and l left the
store together" said the witness. Wit
ness. continuing. stated that when he
returned To the pavilion he resumed his
duties on the band stand until the cry
Of ilro was raised. when he rushed
ncroHs the street. opened the store door
and racued the postoiiice cabinet, he
then returned and carried out show
case from the store proper.
STAMPS IN THE DRAWER.
Coming down 10 the stamp question.
Witness, continuing, stated that he uHu-
nlly only kept a couple OF dollars worth
~ ftusnna In the drawer In the Offica but