The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-11-18
JED ABBOTT'S TRIAL
Serious 0ffense Alleged Against
a Pennington Man.
&
CHURCH HEARING ON
ACCUSATION Is ATTEMPTED AS
sAULT ON LITTLE CHILD.

Jed Abbott, prominent young man
of Pennington and a deputy sheriff of
Davis county. is accused of attempted
assault upon a child, alleged to have
been committed last spring.
The girl upon whom the attempt is
said to have been made is a daughter
of Captain and Mrs. David A. Sanders
and is IL years of age.
The complainant in the case which
is being tried by a church court con-
sisting of the bishopric of Pennington
ward is Mrs. Lucy A Sanders. mother
of the girl. Although six months have
elapsed since the alleged crime was
committed nothing concerning 1t be-
came public until about two weeks ago.
1t seems, however. that Mrs. Sanders
learned of the affair soon after it is
said to have happened. She gives as
her reason for not making any charge
against Abbott at that time the respect
she had for the young mans parents
and her desire to shield them from
disgrace.
1t is said. however, that the Abbott
and Sanders families have not been on
very friendly terms for some years
past and there are those who assert
that the charges of misconduct against
Abbott are. but the outcroppings of the
old family feud.
Kept the secret
So far as can be learned Mrs. San
ders first made known Abbott'S alleged
crime lust before the recent election
argument against the reelection Of
Sheriff Abbott, brother of the accused.
She vigorously opposed him. This
brought the charges to the attention of
the public and also before the ward au-
thOrities and on Wednesday, Nov. :, a
hfchnr,sc- +7.5o
The accuser and the accused were
present. From the testimony given
there it developed that the crime was
alleged to have been committed one
dark night during the spring months.
the exact date not being fixed. The
Sanders girl and a companion were go
ing home from an evening party when
they met Mr.. Abbott. At their request
he accompanied them home, going a
short distance with the Sanders child
alone. The little girl is said to have
testified that while they were alone
Abbott took undue liberties.
Decision Not Given.
After hearing the testimony the
bishops tribunal reserved a decision
until the girls father could reach here
from St Anthony, Ida, his present
home. The decision will then be rem
dered. The authority of the court only
goes as far as to disfellowship the ac-
cused from the Mormon church
Jed Abbott is a young man of good
character and a universal faVOTite in
the community. He is p years of age
and unmarried. He denies positively
! that there is the least shadow of truth
in the charges and he claims that an
attempt is being made to destroy his
reputation. a member Of the Abbott
family who was seen this evening said:
1t is a case of malicious prosecution,
nothing more Reckless charges have
been made that have not been and can
not be sustained. The whole thing re-
suited from a political feud of four
years standing and before we get
/ through it will be shown that the
charges are utterly without fOunda-
ton"
1t is limited that there may be a
criminal prosecution both against Alb
bolt and against his accusers as a re-
suit OF the disclosures made in the
case.