The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-30

" which he was apparently murdered
about S:45 o'clock Thursday night,
was dug out of the snow yesterday
morning within six feet of where the
body lay in front of the residence of his
brOther-in-law. J. d. H. McAllister, 241
East Fifth South street. The gun was
picked up by Police officer Charles
Sperry and Assistant County Attorney
Willard Hanson. Upon examination it
was found that one cartridge had been
recently fired. The other five cham
bers were loaded.
When an autopsy was made of the
body yesterday by County Physician f.
w. Whitney and his assistant, DIR.
James Ostermann, the bullet was ex-
tracted in four pieces. 1t proved TO
be a 44-caliber bullet, which TALES
with the caliber of the Smith & Wes-
son gun identified by Roy Sheets as his
fathers. The bullet weighed 1875 grains.
and the weight of the slug taken out
of the cartridge was 205 grains. DR..
Whitney says that the bullet would lose
at least ten grains after being shot
through a mans head and broken in
pieces.
The wound showed that the muzzle
of the gun had been placed close to the
head when the shot was fired. The hair
was burned and the inside of the
wound smelled Of powder. The bullet
entered the head two inches to the right
at the base of the brain. 1t took an up
ward course to the left and lodged
against the frontal bone about three
inches above the left eye. When the
scalp was removed it was found that
the skull had been fractured in four
places.
The ScaIn wac avapoipad h,t II
showed no other bruise. No bruises
were found upon the body or the hands
that would indicate that a struggle
ensued between Sheets AMI his muir
derer.
Police Officers Puzzled.
The police authorities are still puz-
Zled. One theory which was advanced
yesterday was that Sheets attempted
TO defend himself against his assailant,
was overpOwered and shot with his own
gun. It is believed that Sheets was at
tackled from behind. but before he was
struck down saw the robber. He turned
around and pulled his gun. The high
wayman jumped on him and grabbed
his arm. In the struggle the gun. which
is double action, was discharged and
the bullet entered Sheets head This
theory was illustrated in Chief Lynch's
office yesterday. and it was easily
worked out Much of the evidence gath
cred yesterday points TO this theory,
and the ground was carefully gone
over. The search resulted i'm the find
ing of the gun, but the ground bore no
marks Of a struggle. Attempts to
trace the course of the murderer
through the snow were unsuccessful.
1t is believed by the police that Sheets
was followed and overtaken. when he
Il nfn Ia oil a ri la1 i
his own gun in the ensuing struggle.
Son Identifies the Gun.
When the gun was found yesterday
it was brought to the police station.
Roy Sheets was called in and Identified
the gun.
II didn't know that father carried a
gun until two or three days ago."
Sheets said. II first noticed it on Tues
day when I went home and hung my
coat up on the rack. l felt the gun in
his inside coat pocket and examined it.
l saw the grip was off and that it was
wrapped up in paper and bound with
string. Just what he carried it for l
am unable to say, unless it vas 10 pro-
tect himself against a thug. / am sure
that the gun is his"
When Mr.. Sheets came downtown
Thursday shortly after noon ne came
over to the police station and stood
through part of the afternoon court
session. He was seen to leave there
about 3 o'clock. From there he went to
the secretary OF the A. o. u. w. and
paid his months dues. He met his
daughter, Irene, on the street about
o'clock and gave her SIS which he told
her to take home. He said at the time
that it would be late before he could
get home. From there he went TO the
city recorders office. He asked to look
at the mortgage given to the Sheets
estate by Fl. c. Hoffman for $1,000. He
went especially to see If the taxes had
been paid on the property
Just where Sheets went from the re-
corders Office is not known. He was
seen downtown afterward, but what
business he had TO attend to cannot be
learned. He often returned home late
and when he did not return by O'Clock
the members of the family thought
rothing particularly about It.
The theory that Sheets shot himself
is not believed by the police. There is
no motive for such an act. 1t is not
possible that If he had intended to kill
himself that he would have done it on