The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-25

man whose lime had been taken UP with
chlldS play resented the trickery Bitter
ana lnludlcious announcement followed
NO men, each angered by keen disap-
pointment. faced each other in the cold
moonlight on that lonely tract one in
dlgnant because of the deception and the
erect the discovery would have upon
the business he representative other
goaded TO desperation. A trump card had
been played and il had lost; absolute ruin
was in sight. Under those conditions a
scornful word OF reproach could onls be
Akened TO spark in powder magazl e
No Evidences of Struggle.
Teere were 80 positive evidences of a
struggle found at the spot two days
later, but the nature of the ground was
such as TO preclude that Blood was
found several feet south of the railroad
tracks. ia the opposite direction from
which the body was carried and to this
hour no logical explanation has been ad-
Vanced that would account for its pres
ence, unless a struggle took place there.
There was mark on James Hays face
when his body was eXhumed an G brasiOn
that the undertaken and the police
credited TO contact with the earth. There
are those, however, who believe il was
the result OF a blow so powerful that
when once delivered there was no turning
/ back. 4 situation had been created that
meant possible Imprisonment for one
man or complete annihilatiOn for an
/ other.
Consolation For Relatives.
There is poor, cold comfort in this view
Z of the situation over the theory enter
/ tanned by the prosecuting Officers, who
/ assert MoTtensen induced Hay TO come to
/ his home that evening tor no other pur-
pose than TO slay him, but MorteEsen $
/ relatives cling to whatever consolation
/ il affords. The whole story is produced
/ above, but there are dozens Of corrobora-
| tive circumstances known TO only two
| or three persons that viii probably never
! become public
Peter Mortensen, victim of circum-
j stances has all his life contended with
! difficulties that can only be attributed
/ Ia chance ana impulsiveness. Recognized
/ as one of the hardest working men OF
J his craft. devoid of any speculative habits
/ or vices. such as smoking, drinking OF
/ gambling; frugal 10 a marked degree
/ gifted over the average man in the build
J ing line. painstaking in keeping his ac-
| counts so accurate that the most minute
| household expenditure was noted anC
transacting an extensive business, he was
| always financially embarrassed. 1t is
said of all his FAMILY that they were only
| successful when working for wages, and
I this MOrtensen would not do.
Mortenson's Fiery Nature.
Possessed of a fiery disposition tina
would not permit of insult or reproOf, NJ
I matter what the circumstances, numer
/ GUS incidents in his life are cited bearing
| out the contention tnat II ne did, al
! charged, make way with Hay, Ii was il
the heat of passion. It is known tina
while living in Ogden he struck mai
i'm his own house with such force that h
was laid out cold on the floor The mai
! had accused him of misrepresentation
The block teacher at his home in Fores
Dale kept away from his house. Tn
/ reason assigned is that Mortensen in tn
heat of passion struck at him on the &C
casion of a call
Peter Mortensen's family prefers to be
leve, If believe it must that he is guilty
that it was impulse and passion tina
guided his course and not a premeditatel
plan.