The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-31
POLICE ARE
IN A TANGLE
Rivalry intensified by Latest
Gun-fnding Incident,
WORK AT CROSS PURPOSES
PAWNBRoKER DENIES He SOLD
MCRTENsEN THE PISTOL.


Killed James R. Hay two weeks ago
last night and who, the police claim,
on Sunday gave every indication that
he could identify Mortensen as the pur-
chaser, has, for some reason, taken a
stand against The police. Yesterday he
declared he had never seen E5ortenseI.
before confronting him on Sunday. and
affirmed that the police we're endeavOr-
ing to force him to identify a man
that he could not conscientiously.
This latest development OF the Hay
murder mystery, following the exuita-
ton of Chief Hilton and Detectives
Davies and sperry over what they BE-
lieved to be the discovery of the last
missing element to convict AIortensen.
l. generally regarded as the outcome
OF the bitter rivalry and spirit of fac
tonalism and disintegration existing in
the police department From start to
nnish the internal ,+aTfaTe Waging in
the department has prevented the case
from being cleared up. George Sheets, /
who heads the opposition against Chief
Hilton, enjoyed the first inning when
he arrested MOrtensen, From that time
the prisoner was in the custody of the
chief until he was turned over to the
sheriff. In the interim tie chief and
ms men and Sheets and his adherents
nave been working at cross purposes.
The Mysterious Revolver.
Two men working under the personal
direction Of Chief Hilton traced the
mysterious revolver and recovered il
from Thomas Boyle of Mill Greek, the
young man who found it at State and
Thirteenth South streets over a week
ago. No secret is made of the belief in
police circles that the other faction not
only made light of the discovery, but
threw obstacles, so far as possible, in
the way of the officers seeking to fol-
low Up the clue.
Chlef Hilton and the men he had
working on the case insist that the
paw noloker gave them every reason to
believe on Sunday that he recognized
MOrtensen. but hesitated TO make bis
identification absolute. Petrovitzky
says the trio is dreaming, and that he
IS the victim Of coercion. The CHEZ
does not speak any too pleasantly of
Fetrovltzky in relation to his exDeri-
ences in the same connection IN the
past, and intimates where the trouble
Sheets and PaWnbroker.
On the other hand, Sheets AYERS he
saw the pa%nbroker Sunday afternoon
and that ne is very genial, trust
worthy citizen, gUiltiess Of guile and
burning with desire TO serve the pub-
lie. Sheets says he is out of the Nor
Jensen case, and glad Of it. If the case
had been closed up last Friday before
Chlet Hilton's men made their find. IL
would have been stronger.
Chief Of Police Hilton, when seen last
nlUhF ia 60
nave taken, expressed himself as fol
lows; 1T looks very strange to me
that man would make one statement
enc day and then fatty deny ii the
next It strikes me that there must be
something amiss somewhere. Of course
4 vas not present when PetrOVirzky
confronted Mortensen, and did not hear
lis statements, but I know that the
two officers whom I had working On
me matter ave conservative men. and
/ have the utmost confidence in tie
correctness Of what they reported to
me. They are not men who would ex-
aEgerate anything or try to MAKE II
appear something that it was not, just
TO further their ends.
Said Mortensen Was Nervous.
They reported to me that Morten-
sen was visibly nervous when the
pawnbroker entered the cell, and that
FetrovitzlSy picked him out of The
crowd Of prisoners present as the man
looking like the one to whom he sold
the gun Ny officers told me that
while PetTOvitZky would not swear nos
itively that MOTtensen was the man. he !
had by his words ana actions given
them every. reason to believe that he
thought he was the same man. and
wanted to see him again under differ
ent circumstances to see if he could /
not positively identity him
1t looks very strange that he should /
now completely go back on his state
ments and declare that he could never
identify the prisoner. OF course. 1 have /
my ideas about the affair ana there
are Others tho share them with me
but what y are I viii not say.
T TX It Is Right Gun.
"Altho8s a the stand that the pawn /
broker takes now makes it impossible /
for us TO prove anything in relation 20 /
the gun by him, yet we are as confident /
now as ever that we have the right |
gun We intend to keep working on /
the matter regardless of the present !
circumstances, End we expect in some /
5vay 20 he able TO prove that we are
right before we get through. The two I
officers whom have had working on 4
the matter are as confident as 1 am
about the gun, and they propose 10 /
keep on with their efforts to prove that
the gun is the property Of Nortensen. /
Some have argued thar the gun was
lost in the road, but if that lad been
the case, the publ notice which il has
attracted would have brought the loser
10 claim it."
Petrovitzky's Disclaimer.
81 am positive I never sold ii gun to (
Mortensen. This is the assertion
emanating from Jacob Petrovitzky that
has stirred the police department. ct
sold a weapon like that found some
Wees ago to man who paid $3.50 for
IT TO keep of JTamps he said I have
no means of Identifying the revolver.
When I went to the county jail Sunday
to try to identify the pure laser. the
police pointed out the man in advance.
] went IN where he was and he and
looked at each other When I came
OFT I said it was not the man. They
urged me and I told them if they covId
wear It was the man, all right
couldn't. They had my clerk, David
Meyers, look at him. but he couldn't
tell anything about the case u the
afternoon talked with City Detective
sheets ABOUT the case, and told him
would not identify Aortensen. I won't
swear mans life away to help out
police officers"
oficer Davies Position.
When I learned Of the pawnbrok-
ars change Of front / was greatly sur i
.5rised," declared Officer Edward
Davies. = believe as firmly as ever1
that we have the right weapon. and |
think We VIII prove e ia time Of7ceri
Sperry and I visited every pawn shouI
and secondhand store in the city Sat-j
uFday evening and the only weapcni