The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-03-07
COURT REFUSES
TO DISMISS CASE
Judge Thurman Makes Impas-
stoned Plea in Sheets
Behalf.
LIE is PASSED IN COURT
DEFENSE NOW SEEKS TO EsTAR.
LiSH ALIeI.

After several hours OF argument by at
torneys for the defense and County Attor-
ney Willard Hanson. the motion of the
defense tc dismiss the case against Chief
Of Police George A Sheets on a charge OF
conspiracy was denied yesterday after
noon by Judge J. J. Whitaker of the city
court. After half an hours recess the
defense began the presentation of evil
denee
Captain Burbidge was the only witness
who testified yesterday afternoon for the
defense. He testified that he was acting
chief of police from Aug IS to Aug. Is or
49, during which time. he said the chief
was absent from the city, Applications
for liquor licenses bearing the signature
OF Captain Burbidge as acting chief OF DO
Ice were offered in evidence. The ap-
plications were dated Aug Is and Aug.
a, and thet police captain testified to
signing them on Aug. 20 and Aug q.
on the days they came up for considera-
ton by the city council.
The evidence of Captain Burbidge was
the Ilrst Ink in the alibi which the de-
Tense hopes to establish for Chief Sheets.
who claims TO have been out Of the city
from Aug 10 to Aug. Is, during the time
that Parent swOre that the conspiracy
was formed between Bell Parent. New
ton and Sheets To aid in establishing this
Cruickshank. chief clerk OF the passen-
ger accounts Of the Oregon Short Line
railway, TO show by the reports OF the
railway company that the chief and his
wife and daughter left Salt Lake on
passes for Logan or Aug Is and returned
Aug. %.
Witnesses for Defense.
Among other witnesses subDoenaed yes
terday afternoon by the defense were
Thomas Halliday proprietor of the Hal
hday Drug Co, George GOalen, proprietor
Of a second hand store at 169 State street.
and B. /. Cough, a clerk in the same
store. The defense expects by the intro
drction of this testimony, to discredit the
story OF w. Fl. Parent concerning the
telephone message from the drug store to
! the chief and the payment of $3.50 TO the
chief in Goalen's second hand store.
When court convened yesterday morn
| ing Attorney Soren X. Christensen for the
defense, moved that the case against
I George Sheets be dismissed. In the course
of his argument County Attorney Hanson
on one occasion sprang to his feet and
shouted to Attorney Christensen, That's
/ a lie" For a moment IL looked as though
a scene might occur ana the court inter
suave attorney for the defense apologized
for his remark. which had precipitated
the county attorneys wrath and said.
The county attorney is a gentleman
Mr. Hanson however. was not satisfied
and said, Il can't say as much for YOU
After Mr.. Christensen's argument.
/ which QediI Will the discrepancies III lne
evidence before the court. was completed.
| County Attorney Willard Hanson took up
/ the argument for the defense He dwelt
at length on the outrages perpetrated. b.
/ the conspirators. OF whom he said Chier
1 Sheets was one. He called attention to
/ the lax manner in which the chief had in
vestigated the MeWhirte robbery as con-
vineing evidence that a conspiracy existed
| between him and the robbers. Again and
/ again the county attorney shouted:
why didn't the chief arrest Benz"
JUDGE Thurman's Plea.
The argument lasted until the noon re-
cess after which Judge 5. r. Thurman
made an eloquent plea in behalf Of Chief
| of Police George Sheets He arraigned
| the county attorney bitterly for what he
/ said was a compact with criminals 10 de-
| feat the ends of justice in what appeared
to be a promise of immunity of Parent
on a felony charge in order TO attempt
to convict Chief Sheets of misdemeanor
Poor. bleeding Utah. cried Judge
Thurman, has a history written In blood.
but even in the darkest period OF what
arc known as the 'cruSadeS the state
never made such an unholy alliance with
| an arch-criminal as IN this case. Not only
have they accepted his confession against
the character of public officer. but they
have made his attorney the attorney 1or
the state The action is without paral-
lei in criminal procedure
Parent has testified under oath that
he has had no promise of immunity from
the state If this is true all credit 70 the
county attorney lot refusing tS iONtf
himself to enter into such nefarious
compact with this arch-crook. He has
Confessed under oath to all the crimes
! ia the category of the thief the bunco
man and the swindler and 1 would be de-
relief in my duty as a citizen of Utah II
I did not demand that this confessed
crook pay the penalty for all his nefa-
rious crimes
For Political Purposes.
But do you suppose that this man IL
telling the truth when he says he has
beer promised nothing? From the cir
/ ctffnstances in this case haven't we the
right to suppose that the prosecution
went 20 Parent and said. You dog, you
deserve twenty years in the peniten6ary.
but If you will help US convict CHIEF
sheets Of a misdemeanor we viii turn you
scot free isn't that the reasonable pre-
sumption?
THE history Of this prosecution from
it's inception bears out the statement thar
il was begun merely because George
sheets was head of a department dis
tasteful to the prosecution. Do not mis-
take me- I am not here as an apologist
for the municipal administration. l have
nothing in common with It, Tn here
Continued on Page 8.