The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-08
DELAY CHARGE
AGAINST FELT
Officers Hesitate to Prefer Ac.
CusatiOn of Murder.
He Is OBJECT OF SYMPATHY
OUTSIDERS NOT PERMITTED TO
SEE LAD AT THE JAIL.
He is OBJECT OF SYMPATHY

II he complaint charging murder
was not filed yesterday against
Clyde Felt. for the reason, it is
, said, that no one was found who ex-
/ pressed willingness to swear 10 the
iLformations. 1t was stated yesterday
that the paper would be filed. ana. in
fact, it was drawn. and the only part
that is lacking to bring the boy before
a jury IS the signature of one who is
willing to swear that murder has been
committed. and that old man Collins
/ is dead as the result Of the wiIfuI deed
OF the boy.
The paper was written in the office Of
the county attorney, and at his dicta-
/ ton, by his stenographer. It is con-
spicuously different from documents
OF similar character. in that it leaves
out -he clause which is usually in
| serted, with malice aforethought"
! 1t is asserted that while young Felt
| committed the deed with mature and
| careful consideration and forethoughL
as is evident from his own confession,
and from evidence which has been cor
/ rObOrated by other boys, at the same
/ time it is plainly apparent that any
/ malice whatever is wanting. This fact
/ viii have more bearing on the case
/ when it goes TO trial than sny other
/ connected with the tragedy.
Averse to Signing Complaint.
! 1t was suggested by the county at
| torney that Officers Roberts and Gill
I lespie were the proper ones to place
| their signatures to the complaint, for
the reason that they have devoted more
I time and labor to the case tnan anyone
/ else on the force, and that il is largely
/ through their efforts that the truth and
/ the confession were drawn from the
/ lad.
/ While it is not definitely known
/ whether the officers are willing to put
/ their names to the document it is be-
7 lieved that both have a decided aver
I sion to signing the paper which may
I deprive the boy Of his liberty. Other
/ officers show a similar aversion to being
connected with the affair, and il is not
likely that anyone will sign until il
, is shown that il is clearly within his
duty 10 do so. At any rate, the COM
plant has not yet been sworn TO, and
/ it is possible that il viii not be filed
for several days.
Meanwhile the lad is beginning to
realize in part the enOrmity Of the
crime he has committed. For days he
has evinced no feeling whatever fur
Their than his deep regret for having
untruthfully implicated his friend
Henry Potts in the death Of the old
man. Now he is decidedly more
! thoughtful than he was when he was
first arrested, and has the marks Of
care which are at last beginning TO
show upon his youthful cOUntenance.
Object of Sympathy.
He is the object Of the sollcitude Of
numbers of sympathetic women. who
cali at the jail daily to inquire Of the
lad. He receives numbers Of presents
from outside sympathizers who are
prOfuse in their evidence of friendship.
At the orders of the jailer, and at the
request of his father no visitors are
allowed to talk with him at the jail,
further than those who are directly in
terested. The boy has gained such
widespread notoriety that crowds Of
mOrbidly curious are constantly re-
qUesting permission to see and talk
with the boy. This has been prohibited.
and in the future no one viii be per-
mitted 10 hold any communication with
him, with the exception, Of course, OF
his paren3 and his attorneys.
The legal firm of King, Burton &
King has been secured TO conduct the
defense of the lad, and a member OF
the firm was closeted with the boy yes /
teTday afternoon. II is not known
whether Clyde will enter a plea Of
guilty or not guilty to the charge. It
IS stated, however, that efforts viii BE-
made to bring about as speedy a trial
as possible, and it is believed by many
that it viii be impossible to find a jury
that viii return a verdict Of guilty.
More About Collins.
With reference to the allegations
against the character of old man Col
Inns. who met his death at the mouth of
HelIs hollow, further evidence is be-
ing brought to the attention of the
authorities daily. which establishes be- 4
yOnd the shadow Of a doubt thar he
was as corrupt and degenerate as the
Imagination can cOnjure. George War;.
a l9-year-old boy who has been deliv-
ering milk to the old man at the Wa
satka building, called at the county
Jail yesterday and declared that he was
positive he could produce any number
Of witnesses from the Sugar House
ward who would testify as 20 the char
acter of the dead man.
Attorneys who are regarded as au-
thorities in criminal affairs were in
terviewed yesterday with reference to
the legal phase of the case. Three de-
clared that the boy could be given the
limit, and that he was a murderer I'm
the eyes Of the law. from the fact that
he deliberately waited for the old man
10 become under the influence Of chl0T-
oform before he administered the fatal
blow with the razor. Others declared
that while he was the object Of SYM
patty from every one who had heard
Of the case, some punishment ought 20
BE- melted out to him. for the reason I
that in case of an acquittal it would be
GemoraliZing example for other
youths Of the city and country who had
become addicted TO the habit Of de-
y0uring cheap novels.
The police officers who have worked
or the case are now practically salts
fed that there is nothing further con-
nected with the tragedy which has not
been disclosed They are convinced. /
however. that the clothes OF the old I
man were not in the place in which F..
they were found when they searched /
the mountain side. They express the {
belief that the boy VIII eventually re- /
veal the facts about the clothing
Wroncr Coucautfou