The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-23
Verdict Is Announced,

Will be oNerthroWn.
Verdict Is Announced.
At e25 this morning the jury In tho casc Of
j. d. Skccn. charging Fred W. Chambers
past four years. and the present president OF
that body with the appropriation and accept
ance OF Illegal foes announced to the court
mat they had arrived ut verdict Awaiting
the return OF the Jurors his Honor. Judge
]. A. Howell the defendant Mr.. Chambers.
Councilman \. H. Moyes. a prospective de-
feDdant under a similar charge; W. D. Van
Dyke. the clerk OF the court, BailIn Sam II
Cave and the other officers OF the court The
announcement that the jury Nns rondy TO re-
port made by rap md Ballim Cave I'm
rncdiatcly went to tho door and returned with
the announcement that the jury had reached
a verdict. Tho court assembled tho bench and
the others Interested took their seats 1t
fendant- well contained but the first
words OF the clerk Mr.. Van Dyke. resulted In
a decided shock which the defendant exhibited
for only an instant,
Guilty as Charged.
Guilty charged" were the words, and
Mr.. Chambers quickly composed himself and
retained his control The verdict then
We. the jury cGnpHnneIeI in the above
titled action nnd the defenlant. Fred W.
Chambers. guilty OF charging and collecting IL
legal fees. charged In the accusation; that
the charge In the accusation has been sus-
tained. W. ]. HANCOCK.
After the reading OF the verdict tho jury
was pollcd and each member affirmed tho
verdict the last hope OF the defendant that
q disagreement would result dsspatcd.
Sentence Set for February 20,
The court then ordered and act Wednesday
February q. az the dato on which Judgment
would be passed. Tho judgment involves tho
less OF the defendants Office member OF
body. but involves further loss. any
monetary nnc. but the Office will havo TO be
announced by counsel for the defendant and
the cnss viii be taken 20 the Supreme court.
Illegal Practice Will Cease.
ono important result has been obtained by
the agitation and tho verdict, and moro i'm
Iortont results than the primary one will fol-
low the decision OF tho Jury. The first Is that
for all timo the practice OF members OF tho
City Council OF ogden that has prevailed since
1907 10 vote TO themselves extra compensation
Councilmcn. In lieu OF an increased salary
by ordinances. will never be undertaken again
In Ogden. One OF the cN-Counclmen. Hendcr-
shot. stated on tho stand that the reason the
Council did not pass new ordinance prcvld-
ing for increased Galary for the members.
Hos that the statutes did not permit. and
additionally, that II would not benefit the
members who desired It. for the reason that
tho statutes prohibited men In Office from
voting for increases during the term Of office.
ond that the -Incthod of approprlatlng money
for service on boards OF equalization and
view tho only method that r'ould give
them the money.
Accuser Receives Congratulations
J. d. Skccn, the occussr and the man who
has acquired such sisnal victory in the sup
preston or graft In Ogden, was today the re-
cipicnt OF congratulations by all classes OF pco-
pie In Ogden. and Mt once has jumped into
prominence az n result His nrst conclusions
were that the Councilmen, In their resolution
Of December 26- 1905. appropriRtlng TO them
selves Sloo.S9 was graft pure and simple. lie
frst demanded In n temperate manner that the
sums be turned back to the city treasury. The
demand treated contcmptuously. and for
q time tho members thought that ne would be
bluned OF. that he would not dare nle the
actions he held out az an alternative and
lastly that the peculiar obligations that mem
r.f fh.. dam plrRvY chm In Ttnh
qUlred to submit 10 would cnectualIy settle
the matter out OF the courts That the day OF
freedom for Utah IL ls shown bY tho
splendid verdict OF tho jury OF eight men.
Baneful Influence of Ex-Mayor.
Mr. Skecn, while dcploring the results TO tho
defendant and regrcttinE the blot that IS tho
logical result ON man who has always bornc
a good namc In the community and IL no"
regarded more as the victim Of the bancful in
nuence OF the cxMayor than corrupt
man, stated that the suits might have been
adjusted had proper attention been paid TO his
original demands that tho mtsappropriatcd
money which is now declared by the jury to
have been illegal fees. been paid by the Coun-
cllmcn involved
How Justice Was Achieved.
'Instced OF doing this" no said the organ
Of graft In ogden treated the demand con.
the members. In effect, ratified the statements
OF the ox~Mayor In his organs. Apparently
they thought the prosecution would be Joke
and failure, but their efforts to dcride the
charges and to create public sentiment and
their attempt TO bring In eNtrnncouS influences
to have tho charges dismissed lmeaninG
church nhucnco) simply urged mo forward
Their own methods aided In their defeat They
tried to impUgn my motives. saying that II
was with me a matter of revenge. Had they
not Though the columns OF their organ mHd0
IL essential that should PURSUE TIC charges
vigorously ana TO nnolity. the results could
have been different Their efforts were
the complete making OF -hc case"
A Contaminating Influence.
Mr. Skecn expressed ihe deepest sympathy
PERSONALITY for Mr. Chambers. whom he has al
WAYS regarded an honorable and high mind
I'd man aud man who would enter into
graft Put he has been under influence
that Will contaminats oven stronger mon, md
has becn brought into trouble. man cannot
sIecp wltn dogs without getting some nsRs'
and this is whnt has happened to Chambers"
Church Officials Took Hand.
The case hns developed some remarkable con-
dItIonp President Shurtlin, who before
the trial began snid TO have attempted to in
tcrforc in his pricBtly capacity and have the
charges dismissed because OF his fear thnt 1t
would disrupt the Republican organization In
Ogdon and Weber county, attended tho trinl in
person. IIis nrSt councillor President C r
Middleton testified 10 Chambers good char
nstcr before the jury; Bishop Watson did III"
same. Angus r Wright OF tho hHh council
or nc did the Eumc. Bishop Stewart