Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-29
Chief SHEETS IS
READY TO RESIGN
His Party Leaders Find Public
Sentiment Set Too Hard
Against Him.
COUNCIL WILL FORCE ISSUE.
Enough american" Members Are
Ready to Act to illuminate the
Handwriting On the Wall.

The statement was made this morn
ing semi officially, with n degree of
positiveness that amounts to practice
| al certainty, that Chief of Police
| Sheets will not send his resignation
| 10 the city council-tonight. Also, he
| will not be removed-tonight. That
| the plan was, enrly last week, TO re-
move Sheets tonight, there Is emo
doubt hut IL did not originate with the
american" members of the council,
| certain of the city committee of the
so-calIed reform" party. They Inn
| asine that, by removing Chief Sheets
| all will be smooth sailing for the
americans" but, so says the News"
informant. they are liable to run up
| against snag, 10 fact several snags
| before they get through. There pro-
| misses to be some sensational rcvcla-
lions ere long and when they come
| certain leaders of the reform" crowd
will receive a jolt that will make
| their back teeth rattle.
/
| slow, but also exceedingly fine. are
| about to grind Salt Lakes chief-of-
| police out OF his office while the fell
ony charge under which he Is await
| ing trial has chance to go on Its
| way to the jury.
once before Sheets nearly reached
| the end of his rope. 1t was when the
| McWhirters were first telling their
! story to Judge Armstrong, and it came
| out with directnass, force and vivid
| ness of detail which threw constsrna-
| ton into the ranks of even the at
| toraeys for Sheets, and Mr.. Varian
| time after time stopped lines of cross
examination with flushed face MS the
telling blows came back from the
| men whom the Tribune was villifying
| as suckers from Scotland"
During that trial there was period
| when American party leaders flock
| ed to the trial with Honest George
| Sheets, and listened to the evidence.
| Then there was Friday when no
| one came with him, no one sat with
| him. and no one shook his hand at
| the close of the days hearing. on
| the next Sunday there was meeting
! of american" party chiefs In the
Tribune office. and the subject or
"ditching" Sheets was all that was
| discussed This was two days before
| the verdict failing to hold him for
| trial. verdict for which those who
| had attended the hearing were hard
| ly prepared. and the new hope that
| dawned with that verdict led to the
second lease on life which the chief
| received.
CASE WOULD NOT DOWN.
But the Mcwhirter case would not
| down, and the chiefs defenders were
| kept busy hopping from pillar to post
| ir order to find new grounds on
| which to support him. The original
| McWhirter story was told In simple
| home-spun Scotch, and while the Tri-
| bune was originating Mormon de-
| tective stories, and Scotland Yard"
| tales. and turning the full force OF. its
| mud machine onto the sheriff's office,
| the prosecuting officials, and all who
| had to do with an attempt to get the
| accused police officers before 2 plain
! citizens TO be judged of their inno-
| cence and guilt, the McWhirter broth
| ers were taking the $1,000 returned to
| them. and opening n little bake shop
| where their hope had been to use their
| $4,000 to open a large one.
Then came the capture of Parent,
| and his confession, which supported
| all the story's details, and added
| much new light, including tho fact
that II was Raleigh who came 10 the
| gang and notified them that they must
| get out of town, because the sheriff
| would be after them. The mystery
| of the gangs sudden Disappearance,
knowing they had police protection.
| was thus explained for the McWhir-
| tiers, on their return from Los Angeles,
| had made another call on Chief
| Sheets. and acquainted him OF their
| presence in town 20 locate some OF
| their stolen money
DESERTED BY FRIENDS.
| And while the chief was able TO fight
his way on strained technicalities for
| a time. and has still evaded facing the
| ~ plain men, American sentiment de-
mands shall settle such questions as
his guilt or innocence, He'll was cap
turod, and came back 10 confess as had
Parent, adding more corroboratinB
evidence, but IN no way breaking down
the original McWhirter testimony or
| altering Its fundamental declarations.
Then Jim Donaldson who had proudly
worn his American" party badge in
| convention, was the recipient of
righteous verdict al the hands OF the
jury, and this brought him rapidly TO
the front with confession, and helped
to break down the last straws OF the
Sheets defense The "stalwart back
ing died away, the friends have de-
serted. the Tribune has ceased II laud-
atory defense, Sheets win now be sur
rendered to his peers who number an
even dozen in plain clothes, and the
party viii try to wage It's campaign
disowning rather than defending him.
WHAT WILL SHEETS DO.
The question now In. what WIN
Sheets do? Sheets Is renuted to Gown
Kearns. IN that he knows more than
any other person about the inside life
| OF the man whose money he has tah-
ON for many years nR private detec-
tive" In this capacity Sheets shad-
| nWad Atty Wbrthlngton of Washing