Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-31
Says Salt Lake Preacher Was
Prejudiced and Acted With
out Having Facts,
PARDON CASE IS the CAUSE,
Judicial Declaration That the Young
Euglishmen Confessed Their Guilt
Aud Had Fair Trial.


ogden, Utah. Aug 3l.-Thc ogden
police department judicial officials and
others are very indignant at the fol-
lowing statement made by Rev. Simp-
kin Of Salt Lake. with reference TO the
pardon OF Robert Lister and William
Watson, alias Curwin Wilkinson, who
were convicted Of highway robbery and
sentenced to the state prison;
REV SimpNn In course Of CONVERSE
ton this morning stated that he had
made II rule during his visits to the
state prison never to make any move
to seek 20 obtain pardon for conyicts.
IN this first case. however he was con-
WINGED that there had been miscar-
riage Of justice. There had been a
hold-up in Ogden. and the police had
to arrest somebody. The two young
men had Just received remittance
from England and when arrested they
were found with money on them. They
were rairoadcd through to jail on gen
era principles. II ! did not think that
they were innocent ! would not have
done what have he said"
JUDGE HOWELL REPLIES,
In reply to the charges made by Rev.
Simpkin, Judge j. A. Howell makes
the following statement, I'm which all
familiar with the case concur
II don't propose TO criticise the action
OF the board Of pardons IN this case,
because am not familiar with the
grounds upon which Il was taken, But
] have a right which | propose to eX-
ercise. to resent the unwarranted accu-
satlons made by the Rev Simpkln
against the police department Of ogden
city, as reported IN the Deseret News of
Monday eyeSing. have been associat-
ed I'm an official capacity win the menu
bers OF the Ogden police department for
nearly three years and | know OF my
own knowledge that neither In this nor
In any other case have they during all
that period 'railroaded men through 20
Jail, nor have they attempted 10 con-
viCt men simply for the sake Of seCur-
ing convictions, as Mr., Simpkn al
leFes they did IN this case, The Ogden
police department is just as jealous In
protecting the innocent as II Is In pun-
ishing the guilty, ] am amazed that
minister Of the gospel should make such
an indiscrlmlnate charge against men
who, during the most trying period In
the history Of crime I'm ogden, have
ofncial duty. ! believe that the rev
erend gentleman has been misled by
the stories Of clever criminals instead
of making an Independent investiga-
ton Of the matter himself. II Mr., Simp-
kin win come TO ogden, and carefully
look into the workings Of the ogden POI
lice department, | viii guarantee TO
convince him preiudiced though he be
that he Is mistaken In his attack on
our police and I will guarantee to
make him sorry that he ever made such
o charge against them.
80 far ns this particular case Is con-
cerned I'm my three years experience In
trying over 5000 criminal cases, have
never known a palmer case OF guilt
These men deliberately took an olh
man named Robert Lehman OF Wan
ship. Summit county, down the track,
Knocked him senseless and robbed him
OF his money. They were arrested on n
description given by the man they
robbed, they freely confessed their
guilt, and returned a portion OK their
plumber, They were given a regular
preliminary examination and a fair and
impartial trial. being represented
throughout the proceedings by an at
torney They were convicted not only
by the testimony Of police officers, but
by the testimony Of reputable citizens.
by the testimony Of the man who was
robbed, who Is an old resident OF SUM
NIT county, and by the testimony Of II.
A. Larkin, the ogden representative OF
the Deseret News.
"A jury composed Of the following
citizens OF Weber county tried the case:
ELI Il. SpaudIng. James Mack, l. J.
Middleton. A. McClaren Boyle, Ezra
Richardson. j. p. Rankin, David NJ.
Pngree, and NJ. f. Moore II Is pre-
posterous to say that these men, among
the most responsible men In Weber
county, that the trial Judge. the district
and county attorneys as well M the po-
lice and sherffs offices, and myself.
all entered into conspiracy to rain
road these men through to jail and
make them the scapegoats Of someone
else's crime and yet that Is the effect
Of Mr.. slmpkins language, II he Is
quoted correctly. as ] assume that he IT,
81. A. HOWELL,
Municipal Judge ogden Utah
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