The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-03
SAVAGE ATTACK ON
THE POLICE CHIEF
Official Has Denied the Charges
and Asked for Inyes-
tigati,
THIS HAS ALREADY BEGUN
AND WILL BE IN OPEN
Those Who Have Made the
Charges Are Asked to
Present Facts.

Chief of Police George Sheets is
charged with aiding bunco men II
compromising with their victims and In
helping to railroad the alleged dupes
out of town.
The Chief denies the charges and has
asked the Mayor and the Council who
are his superiors for swift and thor
ough investigation
That investigation has already be-
gun, and there is promise that it shall
be open and above board and conducted
without fear or favor to any one.
Probably no man has been more saw
agelv attacked than has the Chief in
this case. Those who have made the
charges against him are asked in the
interest Of fairness and justice TO pre-.
sent to the investigators all facts In
their possession that the public may
know whether or not they were actu-
ated by personal or political hatred or
by desire to further the public vel.
fare.
The Tribune, after a. thorough investi-
cation OF all Of the charges that have
been made, believes that Chief Sheets
is the victim of a malicious outrage,
but if it is shown by the facts that
he is even in an indirect way guilty
Of the crime charged, The Tribune Will
withdraw support from him and demand
his immediate dismissal.
If those who believe the Chief OF
[,n1Ina IS ry,,,1tu - ,o1l,,g,n,
inals base their judgment on facts
known to them, or that can be obtained
from them by those interested in a
thorough and an honest investigation,
it is their duty to come forward with
proof. Until George Sheets is found
guilty it is the duty OF every fair
minded man to withhold Judgment and
TO reason on the charges and the facts
as they have been made and exist.
When Chief Sheets talked with tho
McWhirters and with Bell in his Office,
two or three members of the Depart
ment and reporter from The Tribune
were present.
The Tribune man endeavored TO in
terview the Scotchmen but they de.
clined to make statement Their
names were known, Their complaint
also was known. There was no reason
for their refusal to be interviewed on
the ground that they hoped by their
refusal to escape publicity. There was
everything in the conversation between
the Scotchmen and their companion,
Bell, to warrant the conclusion that the
trio were friends who had had some
sort Of a falling out. Chief Sheets
says that when the McWhirters stated
that they had lost their money and
were anxious to get out of town and
when Bell offered to let them have
$1,000, he was under the impression that
the $1,000 was offered in a friendly way
by their colleague to tide them over
their misfortune.
He was not impressed with their
story that they had been victimized.
No other member Of the police depart
ment who knew of this case gave spec
ial credence to the Scotchmen's s claim.
1t appeared very much that if they had
been robbed that they had gone into
a game with the intention Of swind-
ling the other fellow and were there
fore entitled to no sympathy. 1t
looked to those present very much like
quarrel between gamblers. And when
Bell left the police headquarters usteus-
IDLY to secure the $1,000 he had offered
to advance to his companions there was
every reason to believe that it was a
friendly act. At least generous act,
for the Scotchmen stated positively that
Bell had not wronged them unless in
directly.
Bell returned with $3.50, stating that
that was all he could raise. His COM
panions insisted that they could not get
along with less than $1,000. Bell stated
that he would go out and try to raise
the other $3.50. AS he was leaving
Chief Sheets said it occurred to him
that 1t would be unwise TO let Bell take
the $3.50 with him. He thereupon stated
TO one Of the Scotchmen; "You had