The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-24
CASE OF SHEETS
NEARING ITS END
Arguments of Prosecution
Closed and Defense Be-
gins Final Plea.
TO RESUME THIS MORNING
SENATOR ARTHUR BROWN
SCORES POLICE CHIEF.
TO RESUME THIS MORNING

The arguments on the motion to dis
miss the Sheets hearing are drawing to
close and Judge Armstrong will Prob
ably give his decision in the case short
ly after the resumption of the case
this morning.
Judge Varian continued his argument
for the defense throughout the morn
ing session and completed it shortly
after the noon recess. Assistant County
Attorney Willard Hanson spoke first
for the prosecution and was followed
by Attorney Arthur Brown. Soren X
Christensen was making the closing ar
gument for the defense at the close OF
the afternoon session. He will COM
piete his plea this morning.
In Judge Varian's argument yester-
day, he stated that the case mad al
ready been tried by the partisan press
of Salt Lake and that by the papers
the chief had already been adjuGged
guilty. He arraigned in bitter terms the
view taken of the case by some 0f the
newspapers and said that happily
courts OF justice do not reach conclus-
ions i'm the same way as newspapers.
Defense Makes Review.
He carefully reviewed the evidence CT
each witness in the case and stated
that there was nothing shown by the
testimony that could possibly implicate
the police chief in the transaction. He
said that the fact that Bell had called
up the number of the chief of police.
in no way connected the chief with
the case any more than though the
bogus policeman had called up Judge
Powers. Judge Dickson, W. s. McC0r-
nick, or any other good citizen, would
be evidence Of their completely in the
crime
He sa d that the chief sent Hempel
out to look for the criminals as soon
as he had heard of the theft and had
i'm every way tried TO discover the per-
petrators OF the crime. AS for the re-
ceiving Of the money from Bell. Varian
said that if anyone had committed d
felony il was Alexander McWhirJer.
He called Attorney Mark Brafet a
Sherlock Holmes and ridiculed him act
ing i'm the dual capacity Of attorney
and detective.
In concluding Judge Narian said that
the MCWhirters were much more aDX-
ioUs TO get their money back than they
were to see that the guilty men were
aDprehended and said that it was COM
mon knowledge that the return of mon
ey in the way i'm which it had been re-
turned in this case. was the universal
practice and should be left within the
judgment Of the chief of police
Not influenced by Press.
Assistant County Attorney Willard
Hanson followed Judge Varian and said
In cart:
Il am sorry that Judge Narian re-
ferred TO anything outside of the testl-
mOny i'm this case in the course OF his
argument. He has said that partisan
press has convicted Sheets before his
trial. Be that as it may, it is certainly
not in the record of this case. and
should not be considered, but since he
has advanced the point, l only wish 10
say this that if q partisan press mas
found Chief Sheets guilty, partisan
press has also declared him innocent,
and has gone farther and endeaNoreo
TO besmirch those public officers VINO
we're merely trying TO do their duty IN
the case.
However. ! repeat, 1t haS no'IhhS 20
do whatever with this case. which must
stand on its merits without reference
TO whatever view may be aiken one
way or the other by the press
Judge Varian says there is nothing
10 show that Chief Sheets vas IN any
way instrumental in protecting or mar
boring the culprits. Why. Chief Sheets