Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-08
Royal B. Young Thinks MOrten-
sen Had an Accomplish
Sure,
WHAT He WOULD HAVE TOLD.
SAYS to the News" That He Would
Have Advanced That Idea on
The Witness Stand.

the attorney for the defense to intro
duce oral testimony in behalf OF the
motion for new trial for Peter Nor
tonsen?'
The above question has been asked
scores OF times since Mortenson was
sentenced by the court TO be shot to
death on Nov 20. The "News' has
received many inquiries on the subject
and for the purpose Of being able 10 am
swer the question a representative Of
this paper called on Mr. Young at his
office this morning and asked him the
question
well" said he. "to be brief would
have testified that all the statements
made by Juror Alma II. Rock or
practically all the statements he made
i'm his affidavit with reference TO the
measuring off distances. are que"
Then It is a fact that some of the
Jurors did measure various distances
while visiting the scene Of the MUIR
der?'
JURORS MEASURED DISTANCESE.
Eyes, that is true. / could give the
names OF the jurors but ] do not care
to do 80. when we got TO the inter-
section OF the street car and railroad
tracks north Of Hendricks store, one or
the Jurors started eastward to measure
off 70 feet one of the jurors called to
him and told him that II was west and
not east He then turned TO me and
asked me II that was not correct ana
/ told him that II was. The gentleman
then stepped off 20 feet. or what he
thought was 10 feet. west"
well what about the statement that
you talked to the jurors about the
case"
ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS.
"When was appointed special Of
ficer Of the court TO conduct the jury
to the scene, my understanding was
that | was to answer such questions as
the Jurors asked. | did not volunteer
any information whatever. What said
was in answer to questions. There were
the II men who were trying Peter and
they had the testimony before them.
Several of them asked me q great many
questions and every one OF them asked
me something. One OF them asked me
question which was purely personal
and had no bearing on the case what
ever. knew all the Jurors personally;
some OF thomlI had known for years"
What about the visit to Morten-
sens house?"
zone OF the jurors asked to go into
tho room where the setee was on which
Mortensen and Jummy Hay were sup
posed to have sat when the money was
alleged 10 have been counted out | said
that | did not know whether Mrs.
Henry Mortensen would be willing for
us TO go in or not, but that | would
ask her, | did ask her and she had no
objection We then went into the
north room and two OF the Jurors sat
down on a setee in the room"
Mr. Young's attention was called to
the fact that the setee In question
was at that time in the court room.
II don't know whether the one the
jurors sat on was the same or not"
said he. but 1t was a lounge, or setee.
After leaving the room we went into
the cellar and one of the Jurors asked,
pointing to a wall. II that was the place
where Mortensen claimed TO have con-
cealed the money. l did not know and
OF course could not say. The Juror then
stood on keg and looked on the ledge.
AT THE GRAVE SIDE.
when we went down the track to
the point where the body was taken
into the field. pointed out the place
on the track where the blood was, but
mind you, Il was IN answer TO ques-
tion, | also showed them where the
track was from the railroad track to
the fence and 10 the grave At the
grave ! was asked about the condition
Of II. The statement that stated that
the grave was then longer and deeper
than when the body was discovered is
true The grave was only three feet
long In the beginning but II had been
gophered out underneath and the head
and feet were showed under so that
there was solid ground over the head
and feet, But when the body was
pulled out It broke the ground and en-
larged the grave"
Mr. Young was then asked what
Mortensen referred 10 when he accused
Dist-Atty Eichnor Of keeping back
facts that Mr. Young could have testi-
lied to which would have been favor
able TO Mortensen.
BELIEVED PETER INNOCENT.
TN the beginning" replied Mr..
Young Il believed that Peter was in
nocent On the morning the body was
discovered Peter urged me 10 90 back
with him and investigate. When we
got TO Twelfth South he urged me 10
go back When we got to the grave.
and | was satisfied that II was Jimmy
Hays body, l took hold of the hand and
started 10 pull II out, Then said 10
Peter No | think we had better not
disturb It until the coroner is notified.
Peter then volunteered to go and tele-
phone to the police. | could have told
about his grief at that time He was
more demonstrative than | was, and II
ne was acting the part he certainly
acted II well.'
In speaking Of the tracks leading
from the grave 20 the fence, and the one
track from the grave out across the
slough and over to the northwest cor
ner OF the field MIR. Young said that
the track to the fence was well beaten
as though Il had been made by several
persons or by one person Intentionally.
But | am positive" said he, that
the tracks leading across the slough to
the northwest corner OF the field were
never made by Morteusens feet unless
he wore larger hoes than usual because
the feet that made those tracks were
larger than Mortensen's.
As / said before, In the beginning I
believed the man was innocent, but
when the thing began 10 unfold It.
self In the regular trial and the facts
came out, / believed him guilty. I went
to see him several times and on one
occasion | told him that there were
some things that he would have TO ex-
plain to me before | would believe In
mis- Innocence, He assured me that
when the proper time came he would
do so. Wen, he hiss never done A. I
have been to see him at the state prls.
on and ] told him that If he dld not
commit the deed, he knew who did.
HAD AN ACCoMPLICE.
You know IN his snench 10 thn cnnrl