The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-05
NUMEROUS CLUES
LEAD TO NAUGHT
Police Follow Many Rumors Regard
ing Sheets Mystery, but
Learn Little.
cTILL ARE TRACING UP GAP
DEAD MAN MAY HAVE DONE DE
TEcTIVE WORK.

Diligent probing into the personal
affairs Of Nephi NJ. Sheets, the muir
dered man, yesterday, by the police
authorities, resulted in the discovery
OF nothing tangible to solve the mys-
terry. The troubles in the Sheets fam
lily, so far as could be learned, seemed
to be based on mere gossip. The po-
lice are still looking for a man who
heard a woman say that another man
told her that his friend knew some
thing about the case which would IN
dcubtedIy clear up the mystery. This
man has not been located. The infOr-
nation which the police have been able
to gather has come to light in just
such a disconnected manner. Before
the inquest convenes at 2 o'clock Mon
day afternoon, however, the police eX-
pect to have some evidence to intro
duce which will throw considerable
light on the case. The exact nature
Of the evidence has not been disclosed.
May Have Been Detective.
The information that Sheets was en-
gagged in some precarious business
which made it dangerous for him to
carry his valuables was investigated
yesterday by the police. Nothing def
mite was learned but fight on this
phase might disclose a reason for his
movements about the city during the
evenings he spent. down town. It is
possible that he was engaged in some
private detective work Sheets spent
considerable time in police court and
seemed to follow closely the work Of
the police. It is known that ne had
carried a gun for two months. He had
also left his watch at home for two
or three weeks and all his other val
uables. He had several conversations
with friends whom he told he had been
placed in a dangerous position from
the nature of his work. He talked of
this matter in strange manner but
always said he was prepared to meet
whatever came up. He talked also
about hold-ups who had recently ter
rOrized the citizens of the city, but pat
ted his gun and said that he was
ready for them.
Durand's Testimony Has Weight.
Since James Durand, the teamster
who delivered four sacks of coal at the
McAIlister residence for John B. Nc
Kee. told his story, as related excIu-
sively in The Herald, of seeing a man
in front of McAllister's double gates
three or four minutes before the shot
was fired. the police are more con-
WINGED than ever that the man was
Sheets. Durand is not positive that
it was Sheets because he did not know
him, but he says there was a striking
resemblance. This brings Sheets to
the scene of the murder but there are
several links missing in his movements
up to that time that the police are
trying to find.
Sheets was seen on Main street at
40 p. m, the night of the murder,
by William GALLAGHER. Thirty-five
minutes later he was seen again in the
Court saloon on Fourth South and
State streets. This was a little less
than an hour before the shot was
heard which ended his life. His move
ments from that time up to the time
he was evidently seen by Durand can
not be traced. The police are endeav-
oring to close up this gap, but so far
they have been unable to find a clue
to work on.