The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-24
MAYOR CANNOT
GUST HILTON
Majority Of Council With the
Chief.
&
RELIGIOUS LINES DRAWN
POLICE ROW DEVELOPS MANY
CoMPLICATI oNs.
RELIGIOUS LINES DRAWN

10 the demands made upon him by
Mayor Thompson, and he win not be
removed 3uring The life OF the pres
ent administration. This was the most
interesting development yesterday n
an affair that greatly stirred the city.
The consensus Of opinion is that the
mayor made a mistake in demanding
4 The resignation at this time; that since
he had let the matter run so long, he
ought now to LEI 1t run tin the end
Of the year. and make what changes he
thought proper at the opening of his
new term of office.
Five or the Democratic councilmen-
1Iessrs. rartenstein, Tuddenham, Ed
gar Howe. Fernstrom and Reid. IA
vor leaving Chief Hilton where he is
an the end of the year. Z. r.. Howe
was not seen yesterday on the matter
but the understanding is mat be viii
stand with the other Democrats. Coun-
Gilman Hewlett is OF the same opinion.
IL Chief Hilton was good enough for
Ihc mayor till now. he thinks he is
good enough for the remaining five
weeks of the administration and he win
not vote to remove him. Councilman
Buckle has expressed himself TO the
same effect to friends, and it is an
derstood that Councilman Cottrell
takes the same position, although he
refused to express an opinion last
evening. From this IL viii be seen that
there are eight or nine cOUncilmen
known to be opposed to the removal of
Chiet Hilton TIN after the LIST of Jan
uary. and the mayor will be unable TO
carry out his determination.
Up to the Council.
Mayor Thompson soId the chief that
= he failed TO receive his resignation
before Tuesday evening he would send
q communication to the council at
that time. The understanding is that
this communication would be the re-
NOV q Of Chief Hilton and the appoint
me1t Of his successor. It would then
be up to the council and the fight
would be on with the friends Of the
mayor in the minority. This promises
10 greatly embarrass the mayor, and
To open fight that means mischief
for the entire two years of bis admin
istrarion. IF he should fail to carry
his point en- this matter even after the
new council is ushered in, il would
mean annoyance and trouble from the
start TO the finish. Judging from this,
the mayor has much more at stake in
This matter than at first appeared.
Hilton-Sheeis Feud.
One other development of deep in
terest i'm this embroglio is the bitter
ness that exists between Chief Hilton
and Detective George A. Sheets. and
the consequent Generalization of the
police department. Whether based on
facts or not, Chief Hilton has the con-
Z viCtiUn thar Detective Sheets has been
= s-sts--n g-tof undermiue him for some time
past, that he has been running tC the
mayor with all sorts O. stories. and
zLat he has been working to have him
y tal0Wn out I'm order that he might step
into the position. On the other hand
Detective Sheets has not tried very
Ehard. especially of late to conceal his
contempt for the chief. although he
matatains thac ne is not working for
his position.
There is nothing in it," he said
am not after the position; I have
not minated TO the mayor that I
wanted the position, and I have not
asked any councilman to help me 20
get the position. L have never had
any inumatiOn from the mayor as to
who he wanted for chief of police"
This bad blood between the chief and
the detective has extended to most of
the men, so that the force is split into
TWO warning factions, each more intent
1n getting the best OF his rival than
IN locking after the interests of the
people OF the city. A few of the more
~fi-F'-l fultNC LltllDCES OF the force nave
managed TO keep out Of the brCil. but
q large majority have taken sides in
one camp or the other. The feeling
mat If Chief Hilton is removed it
means ot1c-I death to practically half
!. The members on the force is adding its
full share TO the decentralization.
Religious Lines Drawn.
Religious feeling seems to be play
ing az important part IN this affair Of
the attempted removal of Chief Hill
Ion by Mayor Thompson, and from
present indications it is destined TO
play q stin more importaSi part in
the future. The belief is expressed by
the friends of Chief Hilton that the
reason the EFFORT is made to Dust him
q tsis time is the fear on the part Of
The mayor and his advisers that they
could not muster the required strength
after The new council came in. There
WIZ BE- but five straight Gentiles in
the next council and il is clear 20 be
seen that if the fight on Hilton were
70 be made along Mormon and Cen
tlie lines the mayor and his advisers
would be badly whipped The division
So the present council on religious
lines is practically the same as the
new one win be, but the managers of
TIE administration seen to be OF the
opinion that now they can whip in a.
majority of the members. 1t is Ger
lain that the mayor and his advisers
are very anxious TO have the matter
disposed of before the first of the
year
Mayor IS Annoyed.
Mayor Thompson seemed TO be very
much put out yesterday with the turn
The AFFAIR had taken. He certainly
expected Chief Hilton to quit without
causing him any more trouble. The
TACT that the chief had determined to
right for his Job seemed 10 be very dis
conceIting 10 his honor, and ne WAS
not ia pleasant frame Of mind. Il
arc the last man in town you should
come % see about ghis matter he
saiG Everybody Ia Salt Lake seems
te know more about it than I do. I
teiave nothing whatever to say about
AS to who Chief Huton's successor
IS 80 be in case he is ousted, Mayor
lhampsoa -as equally silent There
= 70 vacancy yet is there2" ne de-
3aauQed, when spoken to on the sub
1ect L cant au a vacancy till there
vacancy 70 flL can To-
ne complication Is certainly am in
- resting one and one that promises
ID gr0W in interest as the plans of
The mayor and his friends are unfold
Ell Whatever the outcome of the fight
aainsf Chief Hilton. q strong effort is
- b rsade to have the salary OF the
ohte gratly Increased. The argument
8 nfeSrs thai the salary Of Ire sheriff
90 SAT- Lake county is $1,000. aNd that
3