The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-28
Constantly II Is Filled With Mis-
representation of Salt Lakes
Chief Of Police.
CLAIM REPEATEDLY MADE
THAT FORCE is NOT LOYAL
Two Men Quoted Dismissed by
Chief Sheets for Better
ment of the Service.

Church conspirators against Chief of
Police Sheets and the American party
are filing the columns OF the Mormon
press of the entire state with fulmina-
tions against the chief, despite the fact
that n Judge of the District court.
elected on the church Republican ticket,
has twice dismissed charges against the
chief
In obedience to COUNSEL impaired
from the center stake of Zion, how
ever, the Mormon state press-and the
major portion Of the country weeklies
of the state are either Mormon or Jack
Mormon-has taken up the hue and cry
raised by the church conspirators here,
and are holding up Chief Sheets as n
villain and as an awful example of
American rule
One Sample of Mendacity.
The latest contribution to this viii.
ication of Chief Sheets is printed in
Davis county paper, which processes
great knowledge of the inner workings
of the Salt Lake police department, nj.
though its editor lives in the rural dis
tricts, This editor BADLY asserts that
the officers Of the Salt Lake police force
believe that Chief Sheets is guilty of
the accusations made against him. and
cites as It's authority for such an asser-
tlon two -policemcD-both Mormon
mlssloHarles-who were removed from
tho force by Chief Sheets, for the good
OF the service. shortly after he took
Office. Following is the editorial utter.
ance In full:
Ii Is barely possible that MIR. Sheets
doesn't mind this investigation that is
going on as 10 his methods of doing busl-
ness, but we are OF the opinion that it
must be somewhat humiiating 10 him
that those men employed under him and
who would naturally be more confident
OF his guilt or innocence than any other
person, and yet not one OF his men will
be quoted either for or against him.
This speaks volumes TO us and has
more weight than Parents testimony or
any OF the circumstantia1 evidence 80 far
given. II his men were convinced thai
MS sklrts were clean. every one would
sladiy be so quoted. and no discipline"
would restrain their desire TO shield their
chief; but no. they can't do it, so they
must close up their mouths with The
plea of discipline and cover their ideas
with mantle OF diplomacy mean
while fastening the already growing opin-
Ion or his guilt into an absolute certainty
Those officers that are freed from an
obligation of secrecy such as C 10
Davies. Charley Sperry and others, are
open IN tneir personal opinions of his
prove their position. Stlll they are sure
he is all or more than is charged at his
door.
Even Captain Burbidse has 10 cover his
guilty. ! do not know" He can not come
out with positive declaration of belief
i'll Sheetss innocence
Both Are Mormons,
Charles Spery, one of the men quot
ed in the foregoing "editorial.D - is a
county jailer under Sheriff c.. Frank
Emery, who has been active in the con
spirary against the chief. Sperry is a
radical Mormon-so radical. In fact.
that he even observes the word of wis
DOM TO the letter He was on the
Chief Sheets came into office, and Chief
Sheets removed him. Sheriff Emery
gave BAN the first vacancy at the coun-
ty jail. Sperry was formerly on a mis-
sion in the Southern States.
Ed Davies, another man alluded to
IN the editorial, left Friday night on a
mission to England. He is q rabid Nor
mon. He was bicycle policeman when
Chef Sheets came into Office, and Chief
Sheets removed him from Office. Such
is the record of TWO of the men who are
thus quoted as expressing their belief in
the chiefs guilt
Captain Burbidge Loyal.
Captain Burbidge, also alluded to in
the editorial, was in Ogden yesterday
and until late last evening, and could
not be interviewed, II is Unknown
fact, however that he is loyal TO Chief
Sheets, and that he does not believe
his superior guilty of the charges which
the conspirators have made against him.
Chief Sheets himself said yesterday that
he regarded Captain Burbidge to be his
loyal friend.
" am satisfied in The main with the
loyalty of this force SAID Chief
Sheets. "Of course, a few Mormons
have been permitted to remain on the
force by sufferance. and their loyalty
may be open to question, but bv far the
major portion of the force are as loyal
and trnc men as you will find any
where. -
1t is a notorious fact that partici-
pants in the conspiracy against the
chief have approached members of the
police force and sought by cajolery and
other methods to induce them to assist
in securing evidence against the chief.
but so far they have been unsuccessful.