The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-27
M0RTENSEN ENTERS A
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY
Suspected Murderer Of James R. Hay is Araigned
in the Police Court
Prisoner Presents Worn and Haggad Appearance But Still
Maintains Firm Front
DETER MoRTENsEN was formally

degree. With steady voice he answered
% the charge. mot guilty"
Word spread rapidly throughout the
city that Mortensen was about 20 be
given an opportunity to plead and a
motely crowd focked to judge DiehTs
court room at police headquarters dur
Ing the few minutes required in trans
Ierring the prisoner there from the
county jail. He was moved from the
}al in a closed carriage. Sheriff Nay
lpr and Deputy Raleigh ACCOMPANIED
ths prisoner. The carriage swung into
the city jail yard by way Of the alley
ia the rear.
Ahere was no delay in hurrying the
prisoner through the back door and to
the court above, where Judge DiehI.
county Attorney Christensen. a num-
bee. of other officials and AIortensen's
counsel, Attorney Bernard J. Stewart.
We're in waiting. The accused man
seated himself beside his attorney and
hush fell over The scene as. the mag
isJrate appeared on the bench and
called the prisoner by name.
Appearance Of Mortensen.
Mortensen arose and advanced a step
or two. He was attlred as when ar
rested, in dark suit and wore a darl,
overcoat, somewhat wrinkIed and
soiled through a week OF neglect. Nor
Jensen wore no collar Or cravat. a cir
cumstance that did not tend to add to
ms appearance. His personal property
had been locked in a compartment be-
longing to jail attache, who was not
present when he was removed, so that
those articles of mis- apparel could not
be secured.
The haste that characterized the
transaction when it was finally decided
70 arraign him precIuded The POSSIBLE
ity OF securing a collar elsewhere. and
as Nortensen said that he was satisfied
10 appear a. he was, he was hurried
on to the court
Standing with clasped hands, from
which his black stif hat dangled, there
was nothing about the man TO indicate
the soie unity Il the occasion. He was
gaunt and Worn, but not so to a great
er extent than thousands of his fellow
men in the enjoyment Of their E5erty
only those who saw Peter MuttanFsn
before or at the time of his arrest
could read in his face the story of what
e-I ms No+s7EA iii 81 SllltE.
Prisoner IS Arraigned.
Peter 8Iortensen." called the magis-
trate, and the prisoner fastened his
eyes upon him expectantly.
Is that your true name?'
yes sir"
The fail of a pin could have been
heard in the silence that reigned as
Justice Diehl proceeded to read the
complaint accusing him in cold and
verbose legal phraseology of having
taken the life Of James r. Hay with a
revolver on the night Of Dec 16.
MOrtensen fastened his eyes upon the
magistrate witt a suspicious, inquiring
gaze that has grown to be habitual
with him Once, and only for a mo-
ment, he cast glance over the crowd
that was regarding him as the center
of interest Then he focused his gaze
on Judge DlehI and throughout the re-
mainder CT the ordeal never shifted his
eyes from him.
Mortensen, are you ready to enter
a plea?"
The accused turned to his counsel in
mute inquiry. The latter nodded his
head without moving from where he
sat
yes, sir" responded AIortensen to
the court.
"Are you guilty or not guilty?"
mot Guilty. His Plea.
Not guilty" came the firm response,
without a suggestion Of a tTemor in
his voice, and the crowd that had been
al ears. leaned back with a sense of
relief. Antij patton was pictured in
every face and 10 sensation, not even
a recital Of the gruesOme, unknown cir
CumstanCes attending the crime, would
kave OccasiOned surprise.
Here County Attorney Christensen
cut the proceedings short by annOunc-
ing that at the request of counsel for
the defense, and with the consent of
The state. the case would be continued
without date.
The scene was over. Peter Morten-
sen had for the first time, formally, Of
ficially denied his guilt. For a moment
he stopped TO chat confdentially with
Bishop Jensen who was an interested
s70ectator. Then he repaired TO the
awaiting carriage and was driven back
10 the Jail The sheriff and Deputy
Raleigh. Attorney Stewart and his bro
Their, Henry M0rtensen, accompanied
him.
So far as surface indications went.
those who saw the carriage whirl by
might have mistaken the party fOr
lot Of mcrry-makers instead Of the
principal actors in Tragedy that has
stirred the entire state.
Returned to the Jail
Arriving at the jail. AIortensep was
taken at once to his cell. For close
onto an hour ne was I'm consultation
with his brother and his lawyer. His
talk with the former was brief, and I'M
relation TO MS business affairs which
are now in Henry Mortensen's hands
for adjustment His conference with
his lawyer was % a nature easily
guessed. but the details viii probably
never be known TO any save the ac-
cusod man and the lawyer who Is fight .
ing the Legal battle TO save bis life
Even the brother OF the accused was
excluded and sat in the jail Office
,SreamiIy watching the strange scenes /
4bout him.
While the conference was in progress
in the cell above the carriage that had
been used in Mortersen grim trip
was brought into action once more .
this time 20 start Neils Youngsden the
madman and author Of Tuesday nights .
horror st the Jail. on his "trip to Provo /
10 he iFnmured in on insane asylum.
Henry MOrtensen surveyed the poor
vrefcF in his leathern restraining
mum silently regarded the marks on
the padded cell that he had left in his
frenzy. and turned away. A few min .
utes of prison life had made a far
greater impression on his mind than