The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-04
SHEETS HEARING
HAS BEEN BEGUN
Chief of Police and Sergeant
HempeI Appear Before the
Council Committee.
ARREST COMPLEXITIES CASE
BELIEVED THAT SHEETS WILL
RESIGN AFTER HEARING.

+++*+<+A++++A+AA%%%%%%%%%&
y cation of Chief Sheets yesterday. y
y The hearing was not completed when y
adjournment was taken until Friday y
y Later in the evening Chief Sheets
y was arrested on a warrant charging y
y the offense which the council was y
investigating. 1t is not known what y
y course the council will pursue, but II y
y was reported last evening that the y
more influential Americans" ia y
= vored the completion of the hearing, 4
and then having a VindicatiOn and y
y eXoneratiOn verdict. after which y
y Chief Sheets would resign his posi- y
y tion lin order that ne might not be y
y an issue in the campaign"
*<%*%<%%<+@%<$
The city council sat as a committee OF
the whole yesterday afternoon in the
council chamber. at the request of Chief
of Police George A. Sheets. TO investigate
certain charges which, he alleged mad
been made by two newspapers, rejecting
on his conduct in office.
The investigation was forced to an is
sue by the Democratic and Republican
members of the council, after debate
covering nearly an hour and a half. in
which the American" members of the
council cOntended that it was the place
of the newspapers TO show what basis
they had for the alleged charges.
The American" councilmen contended
ii was the place of the newspapers to
show their hand. while the other members
/
Sheets to show what he had TO COM
plain of. al TO give such explanation Of
his acts in the office as he might wish
to do.
Chief Sheets was finally called to the
stand. and in answer TO questions by City
Attorney II. J. Dininny and members Of
the council made statements concerning
his connection with the case in which the
McWhirter brothers were robbed OF $40 90
/ by confidence men, which were evasive
and conflicting.
Chief is Restless.
During the entire time Chief Sheets was
the stand. he was nervous and i'll at
ease. He shifted about in his seat ner-
| vOusly drummed with his fingers on the
arm of his chair. and his answers were
given in many cases only after careful
thought
: The only other witness examined was
! Sergeant John Hempel TO whom Nc
Whittier made the complaint that he had
{ been buncOed.
/ The members of the council who were
/ present were Black. who presided in the
1 absence of Council President A. J. Davis:
| Barnes. Carter. Crabtree, chairman OF
/ the councl committee on police and prlS-
] Ons. FernStrom, Holiday, HOlley. MulVey,
/ Tuddenham and Wells.
/ Mayor Ezra Thompson was present dur
/ ing the entire session large number
/ of spectators were in the room Promi-
| nent among these were a number of prom
| inent American party workers. and a
/ clergyman.
| At the opening of the session Council
! man Black stated that the council had
met as a committee of the whole, in &C
/ cOrdance with a motion passed Tuesday
| night. to take up and consider a cOmmu-
/ niCatiOn from Chief of Police Sheets. in
/ which he asked an investigation of certain
/ charges he asserted had been made in the
| Salt Lake Herald and the Inter-MOuntain
! Republican.
Are we going to take up this case
alone. or others with it," asked Council
man Fernstrom.
IF there is any other charge" said
/ President Black, 1t should be made in
/ writing, and such written charge filed
! There is no rumor so far as | know that
/ any other charge has been made"
Councilman Crabtree said that there was
| another matter that had been suggested.
! in reference to a trunk and some Clothes
/ that had been sold to a secondhand man
/ He said that should be settled also
IF We take up the charges made in
them" said Fernstrom- Crabtree said
| that Chief Sheets desired 10 have the
whole matter investigated in full.
A Limited Investigation.
1T should be understood" said Coun-
! Gilman Holiday, that we are not TO take
! up the matter of a bunco game. The
| county is working on that. We are here
! to investigate the facts in these cases
! and learn if the chief Of police has been
/ derelict i'm duty
! Councilman Wells said that the first
| and most important thing to do was TO
| show whether a buncO game had been
\ committed If no crime had been COM
mitted. he could not see how there could
| have been colluSiOn- Charges had been
! made. he said. that the chief was dere-
/ lict in the prosecution Of the case. II
! It We're established or admitted by the
/ chief that buncO game had been COM
| mitted there would be a basis on which
to pr 2roc cSdroes have bean made .. said
\ Crabtree. This is simply a request by
! the chief on account of articles and insin-
uationS by the papers We have nothing
! to act upon unless someone comes forward
! with charges.
! Wells wanted to know what there was
/ to investigate IL there were no charges.
! Holiday recited the facts in the McWhir-
! ter case as they had been published in
/ The Herald Continuing he said:
1T was stated further that these men
went TO Chief Sheets and wanted him to
/ get back their money. 1t was insinuated
! that he got them $1,O00, and as / would
! infer from the articles. it was also in
simulated that he cut up the 5000 and
got his divyy. He has asked to have this
| investigated. II the men are here and
did go to the chief and he failed to do his
duty, they should come forward and make
! their statement"
General Invitation.
| Councilman Black chairman, asked
| HOLIDAY if ne wanted to ask if the news
papers. The Herald and the Inter Noun
1 tain Republican. were present at the
I hearing.
L want to ask the newspapers. or any
! one else who IS here. and who knows Of
| this case TO come forward.
/ FernStrom moved that Sheets be called
/ upon TO state his object before the COM
mittee. and give him chance to tell
\ what he wanted The motion was sec
/ onded by HOLIDAY.
! A general discussion followed and Chair
man Black ordered Chief Sheets letter
read again.
! Ferry moved that IT be the sense of the
committee that the examination Of wit
nesses, II there We're any, De under the
! direct supervision OF the city attorney,
1 that the councilmen reserve the right to
ask questions and that those who should
testify be required to take oath before the
| recorder, who Is a notary. This was aft
erward withdrawn by Ferry.