The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-15
DISGUSTING INBFFICIENcY.


ings in the fsrcical prosecution of
William R. Jones on the charge of
embezzl1ng county property, Jones con-
fesses enough of this charge to make
a substantial case. Only by collusion
and q pretended prosecution that has
no heart In 1t, no actual desire to con-
vict, could this case have dragged elong
TO the length of time it has now done
In order to establish the fact that the
county has lost this property it was
first sought to show that the county
owned it Every proposition to show
this was headed of by the court, ap-
parently because 1T was out of course
or knowingly irrelevant. il the prose
cution had continued, tho final wind-up
would have been plea that the county
had not shown ownership in that
| property, and therefore there was no
case against Jones for embez5ling it
from tho county. .
Whether the points in the case were
| presented in duo order or not was, of
| course, for the court to say but it
seems very singular to the onlooker
that the county should not be permitted
to show that it owned the property that
was taken by Jones. IF it could not
show such ownership, of course no case
OF embezzlement would lie. because the
very gist of the charge was that Jones
unlawfully took this property, which
was owned by the county. Consequent.
j., if the county could not show that
1T owned the property, the case must
fail, and when it was prevented from
showing this, it looks 90 if there was
something wrong. Either the County
Attorney willfully blundered or the
court made improper rulings.
AS We understand, Mr.. Christensen,
the County Attorney, does not claim
the rulings TO have been improper on
the one hand, and on the other he de-
nounces the court by saying: 81 am
going to take this case before court
where l can get Justice That is q
pretty severe reflection upon Judge
Diehl. If it is true, as implied in that
statement by the County Attorney, that
Judge Diehl denied justice to the prose
cution, then Judge Diehl must neces-
sarily lie under the condemnation of
the public, for clearly it is not right for
any court to favor a culprit who is
under a charge Of embezzlement of
public property, at the expense Of the
people at large and allow him to evade
the just punishment for the offense.
There are those uncharitable enough
to say that the County Attorneys of
fee has no desire to mako an effective
prosecution in this Jones case; that in
fact "the gang" in charge Of this
county, including n certain coterie Of
the officials, arc linked together in
common league of graft and defense,
and that none Of the crowd would will
hngly see any other of the same crowd
punished for anything that they might
do against the public interest, or in
the way Of robbery or graft. The Coun-
ty Commissioners themselves are GER
tainly under the condemnation Of the |
public by tho defrauding Of the Coun-
ty Treasury out Of S27 900 in the nego-
tiations for the refunding Of tho bonds
two months ago. The County Commits
sioners have winked at all sorts of waste.
extravaganza and oppression in the |
County Inirmary; they stood by Jones |
longer than any honest man should have |
done. The prosecution Of the Jones
libel suit showed effoctuallv that the |
reign~of graft was supreme in that
establishment. The DEVELOPMENTS
startled this whole community, and at
tached to Jones the name of Mutton
Jones as term Of condemnation and |
reproach.
And now, apparently, the County At
Office, while 1T is its duty to
prosecute this case of embezzloment
against Jones, appears determined to
do so IN such way as to mako a
failure of it. The effusive congratu-
lations OF the Assistant County Attor-
ney TO the accused in this case even
prior to the dismissal before Judge
Diehl, shows q sympathetic interest for
the accused that is worthy of public
reprobation and contempt. 7
In the election next fall the Repub-
lIcan machine is liable TO be Judged
very much by the inefficioncy of the
County Attorneys office, and among
other, things for the listless prosecu-
ton Of this case, where a statutory Of
Tense is well known to exist. If it is
true that through lack Of zeal, through
Indifference, and through a grating
combine to defraud the public, an Of
fender can go free, then there will be
an excellent opportunity to inflict upon
the machine responsible for this thwart-
ing Of justice condemnation and pun
ishment that will be at once deserved
and effectually severe.
TIJp nnnrnr r, A c,oc