The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-21
WORK AND THEORIES
OF THE sHERIFF's OFFICE

Sheriff Naylor and his staff spent a
busy day yesterday in a vain search
for the missing evidence in the murder
mystery. Deputy Cummings and Au-
gust Peterson were posted TO guard
the premises throughout the preceding
night, and late at night the sheriff
himself drove out with Deputy Thomas
Busby and engaged in a quiet inves-
tigation.
Yesterday morning the sheriff had a
force of men on the scene, including
Frank Larson and a crew from the
Salt Lake Scavenger company. The
latter engaged in a search Of the
vaults of the vicinity, hoping to find
bloodstained clothing, while the depu-
ties searched the house once again Al
big package of letters. bills, books and
accounts, including the unTeceipted bill
due the lumber company. was gath
cred up from Mortensen's book case
and taken to the sheriffs office.
Then attention was directed to the
cellar. Every object on the cellar
floor was removed. It was Thought
that a weapon or some money might
be found concealed there, so no labor
was spared in the quest. Every inch
of the dirt floor was tested. and wher-
ever soft earth was encountered the
dulged in until il was demOnstTa ted
that nothing was concealed beneath.
Something like thirty bushels Of pota-
toes are stored in the cellar. These
were removed, as was every object
that could afford a possible hiding
place. That part Of the search was
absolutely without result.
Search For Missing Articles.
q.
work in the back yard. The OutbUild-
ings and coal shed were overturned
and the yard was dug up where the
location of a cesspool was pointed out,
but nothing Of a suspicious character
was found
The sheriff's force did not leave
empty-handed, however. Aside from
MGrtensen's papers, to which so much
Importance is attached, a large blood
stained cloth, found near the railroad
crossing at Seventh East street, and
several rags such as might be used to
stanch a flow of blood, found pOked
away in the yard adjoining Morten-
sens home. were brought in. More inn
portant than all in the eyes of the in
vestigatOrs, however, was Mortensen's
barn shovel, now held as a priced bit
of evidence by the sheriff.
Identity of Murderer.
The identity of the murderer may
be shrouded by some degree of doubt,
said Deputy Busby last evening. I'VE
are positive on one point nOtwithstand-
ing. This shovel is the one used to
dig the grave. When the grave was
filed in and an effort made to scrape
snow over it, the implement used left
a mark in the snow. In all this Vi
cinity there is not a square-ended
shovel or spade that corresponds .
those teil-t tale marks except this long
handled barn shovel.
I'VE are working along precisely the
same lines as the police, except ore
variation in theory. We have discov-
cred conditions that cause the helief
that Hay did not walk down the tracks
to where he was killed We agree
with Detective Sheets that he left
MOrtensen's door in the possession Of
his full faculties and vigOr. That he
left the yard in that condition we
doubt.
Says Hay Was Stunned.
Something happened there and Hay
was stunned. We have learned that
Hay did not repose the confidence in
Mortensen that would prompt him to
indulge willingly in secret excursions
into the desOlate field where he was
found While Mortensen was escorting
his sister-in-law home Hay lay uncon-
seious, very close at hand. Then some
one picked him up and carried him
down the track, with only one thought
in mind-how to get rid of the body.
AT the point where the evidences of
the tragedy are found Hay began to
revive. There was a brief, one-sided
struggle, and Hay was thrown down.
He was rising on his hands and knees
when the fatal shot was fired. Il en-
tered his head at the base of the brain
and at an angle that would indicate
his position was such. and that the
one who fred the shot was standing
over him.
Leaving his victim lying across the
track, the murderer fed in fear and
with the view Of securing something
with which to bury him if the sound
Of the shot did not arouse the neigh
bOrhoOd. Strangely enough the muir
derer made direct for Mortensen's
premises. We are not guessing about
this. Last night Sheriff Naylor and
rode out here after 9 o'clock and Sc
cured proof on this point.