The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-08
HOT fEUD RACES
IN VIKING LEAGUE
Scandinavian Boss Wanted the
Governor Watched.
WATERMAN ON THE RACK
MIDNIGHT PRowLING AT TIE
COUNTY BUILDING.

The Viking League an organization
Of scandinavian Republicans that
numbers nearly 1000 in campaign
times and is again taking on new life,
was assemhled IN special session last
night ia try one OF its members on
I charges preferred by A. f. Lawson,
the recognizes mead of the league. AxeI
Uhrstr0m. nightwatchman of the city
and county building, is the member
who was put on the rack Charges
and counter-charges were made, and
at the conclusion of the tropical SEES
sion it, wis voted that Uhrstrom was
guilty of the offense Of taking a nap
and also a drink, thus bringing the
Vikings into disgrace.
The meeting was held in one Of the
! basement rooms Of the city and county
! building. At the outset sixty-seven
members had assembled. AS the pro-
! eeedings went on. sfngly and in groups
the members quit. until only fifteen
stood up to vote on the question of
sustaining the accUser or the accused
, 1t was a close votes TO z.
The charges against Nightwatchman
! ChrStron were that he had been neg
igeut IN his duty bV falling aslpeD and
that he had broken his word to never
{ take a drink Of liquor. Mr.. Lawson.
brother of a former member OF the city
council, said he had preferred the
I charges and had the proof. When
asked why he had worked up the case
: against UhrstrOm. he said he. as the
/ chairman OF the leagues committee on
positions. had been responsible for Sc
curing the watchman's position. he felt
an interest in him. and knowing that
Dhrstr0m was surrounded by enemies.
! he felt it his duty to look after him.
NiGhtwatchuan -UhrstrOm denied alb
( SOlutely that he was guilty of the
! charges He = 7Ted that the reason
! Lawson had it in . Il him was because
i he bad refused 10 pay Lawson Z per
( cent Of his wages as & tribute. He as
serted that Lawson wanted him to plev
/ the part Of spy and spOtter ON the Of
/ hcials in the city and county building
from the governor and mayor down to
J the janitOrs.
Watch on the Governor
I why he wanted me to keep watch
/ Of Governor Wells. County Attorney
! Christensen City Recorder Nystrom
and the other single men of the Off
1 GERS. who sometimes come down to
Z their offices OF nights, in the hope Of
( getting something against them to use
as cluD over them, 4 suppose Gen
tlemen, have never been a spy nor
a coward, and u is too late to start in
now"
Betore the gaping mouths had closed,
/ OhIstrom made it clear how Lawson
I
man SAID that on March q at 2.30 in
the morning, when ali was dark and
stlu IN the public building only the
I light he was reading by burning. he
! l Zen, that some one was near. AS he
dOZed III his chair be heard footsteps.
Grabbing his gun he went forth. ex-
pectEg to find burglars. There. be-
( fore oiu1, declared -UhrstrOm stood A.
Z f. Lawson in the threshold of the south
door of the city tredsurer's office. He
: said that lawson got in throuEfla win
dow on the ground floor of the state
( land Office, because the lock on the
/ window was detective.
/ II confess that the only neglect of
J duty 4 am guilty Of" said Uhrstrom.
/ was in not killing him, as 7 would any
other burglar"
( UhTstrOm added that he had seen
{ Lawson proving around the building
at al hours Of the night to keep nab
: on. him, and recited several instances
! Of how he had seen him trying the out
/ side doors.
lawson admitted that he had been
; around watching the Waterman on a
( great many occasions, but he justified
i his action. on the score Of serving The
/ best interest Of the league and Uhr-
strom's welfare He admitted getting
Z IN through the window and being
J caught by the Waterman.
1 As to the Counter-charge that Law
son had levied tribute at the rate of 4
/ per cent on the salaries Of the Scaudi-
{ naNlan employees of the city and COun-
I ~. Lawson denied it. but besides Uhr-
I strOu1, Park Keeper Erickson. Peter
/ Johnson, Lewis LewisOn and Fireman
/ Carlson reiterated it as me solemn
truth
/ Frequently during the. meeting when
/ Lawson made reference to the Viking
/ league, voices would chip in You
! mean LaWsOE.2 and You're the
: lea que"
( city Recorder NystrOm pleaded for
J the accused watchman, and did much
to break Lawsou's following, which
had dWindled 10 seven.
( When the motion made by Lawson
/ that it be the sense of the league that
! his charges against the Watchman were
true was put by President Matson 10
4 a vote. he declared that the question
( was 80 to- whether your humble SER
! want is to- be disEraCed or whether the
/ honor OF the league is 10 be upheld.
( an amendment to lay the motion on
( the table brought Lawson 10 his feet
/ with the remark, That means to lay
( it All onto me
But Lawson finally won out by the
( narrow margin Of one vote. with four
hfths Of the members gone to Seek the
fresh air IL was decided by the same
I vote that the league as an organiza-
( ton should take no further steps to get
! Uhrstrom's scalp.