The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-05
Willard Hanson Fractures Stat
ute in Trying to Collect
Parents Fees.
CONFESSED THIEF ON
TRIP TO DENVER HAUNTS
Man In Jail, Who is Supposed
to Be Out, Visits Colorado
Metropolis.

County Attorney Willard Hanson vio-
lated plain provision OF the law of
Utah In endeavoring TO secure witness
fees for w. II. Parent. the notorious
crook and thug who testified against
Chief OF Police Sheets. and In sending
deputy sherifIs 10 Deputy City Recorder
Clutch to insist that the fees be paid,
Section $40 OF the Revised Statutes Of
Utah says;
mo county officer shall. except for his
own services, present any claim, account
or demand for allowance against tho
county, nor In any way advocate the re-
lief asked in the claim or demand made
by any other"
Hanson A Rabid Offender.
Hanson sent three deputy sherinfs TO
Mr. Clutch to demand Parents witness
fees. These were Deputy Sherirrs Steele,
Sleater and Andy Smith. Mr.. Clutch,
following the advice OF City Attorney Og
refused TO issue the warrant for the fees,
SO Mr. Hanson decided to break the law
In person. Calling up Mr.. Clutch he told
him in language profane and sulphurous
that he must pay the fees. Mr.. Clutch
still refused TO do so, and will continue
To refuse until Hansons stool-pigeon
shows up in person to collect them. "Au~
dy' Smith, the last deputy sheriff to go
on a collecting tour for Parent. re-
marked In the presence OF several people,
after being told what the law was. that
lie was urea DelnR mace n SUCKER OF.
A peculiar feature of the Parent claim
for witness fees is the fact that Parent
himself was co-defendant In the case
in which he gave his testimony. He was
charged Jointly with conspiracy along
with Chief Sheets and several other de-
PENDANTS. Chief Sheets demanded and
was given n separate preliminary exam
nation. and Il was then that Parent tes-
tilted. The proposition of a man being
paid witness fees for testifying In
criminal case in which he is a defendant
even II Parent calls in person TO claim
his witness fees. he may have some trou-
bic getting them.
Makes Trip to Denver.
Parent It seems, was not In Salt Lake
when the deputy sheriffs and Hanson
he is here now. About ten days ago he
was seen in Denver. and IT Is presumed
that he was sent there on some mission
by the conspirarors against Chief Sheets.
There is also strong presumption that
his fare was paid there and back by the
county. together with the expenses of
deputy sheriff TO accompany him, Nom
inaly at large on his own recogni2ance,
he is really In custody and while here is
kept confined In the county jail. or II
allowed on the street. deputy sheriff
always accompanies him. The county
jail Is conducted on lines almost as secret
as those of the Mormon temple. and
whether any man supposed TO be In jail
is really there Is always a matter OF more
or less mystery.
Had Special Counsel Twice.
While the newspaper enemies of Chief
Of Police Sheets are clamoring for the
retention OF special counsel TO assist
County Attorney Hanson and to help him
get Into court with his charge against
the chlef-a task which he has yet failed
to accomplished is interesting TO recall
that twice during The prosecution of
Chief Sheets special counsel has been re-
tained and retained In vain.
Ex-senator Arthur Brown. rated by
bench and bar as one of the ables: law
yers who ever practiced in the Utah
courts. acted as special prosecutor when
Chief Sheets was discharged by Judge
Armstrong last October, and was paid
chief was rearrested last winter Judge
o. \. Hilton. a notorious il not noted.
criminal lawyer of Denver, was retained
at an expense of $500 10 assist Mr., Han
son.