The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-07
DONALDSON SAYS
J SHEETS GRATED
"Dr.' Jim Oranges Front and
Gives Spicy Testimony
Against Ex-Chief.
INVOLVES M. E. MULVEY
SAYS HE TOLD COUNCILMAN ALL
ABOUT M'WHIRTER AFFAIR.

SAYS he TOLD COUNCILMAN ALL
ABOUT M'WHIRTER AFFAIR.
DIR" James Donaldson, the lothario of
the gambling fraternity, and recently
convicted of grand larceny in connection
with the McWhirter swindle, turned
states evidence in the Sheets preliminary
hearing yesterday morning; fatty contra
dicted the testimony he gave in his own
behalf at his recent trial, and implicated
the chief of police in a series of CRAFTS
and attempted swindles dating from the
confirmation Of Sheets appointment at
the head Of the police department.
The testimony given by Donaldson was
not altogether unexpected, although the
scope of it was not fully known. The ex-
pOsures of Donaldson. who proved the
state s. star witness yesterday, also in
NOlVe Councilman Martin z. MulVey. who
mas always been a friend of Donaldson
While DOnaldsOn's evidence is not posi-
i've IN its nature as against Sheets on
the bribery charge, which is now being
heard, it cOrrOborates the testimony Bell
and Parent are expected to give as to
actual acceptance of a bride, and. if true,
SHOWS that the chief had knowledge Of
the commissiol of the McWhirter robbery
and knew who the robbers were soon
after its completion.
It's All Right, Said Sheets.
Donaldson swears that he himself never
gave Sheets any bride money, but that
o Brien. had told him he had given the
chief % per cent Of the money taken from
the McWhirters. The exact amount, he
said. S1,SSS. After O'Brien had said
Sheets had been paid, Donaldson said. he
met the chief at the American" party
convention and asked him If he had re
eeived the money. The chief replied that
n fnIf oil rio u
Immediately after the robbery Donald
son sweara, he net Sheets on the street
and told him all of the details OF the af-
fair and later met him at the Knutsford
hotel corner and agreed to repay to the
McN hlrterS $l,00O of the money that he
sull maintains he won honestly in the
poker game with Alexander McWhirteS
L pom the return OF the New hirterS to
Salt Lake the witness said he again met
Sheets and was told that he had better
get under cover"
To Mr.. Mulvey Donaldson said he told
all the details of the robbery on the day
following its commission He did not
however, tell him of Sheets alleged con-
nection with the affair until after he
was arrested and the rOtund councilman
mad visited him in Jail
Nice System of Graft.
At the opening of the Sheets admins
tratiOn early IN January, 1890, AJOnaldSOn
said that through another party, whose
name he did not give, it was arranged
that ne should collect the graft for the
police department from the gamblers and
iilmfiammers about town. Arrangements
were begun, but were afterward dropped
because of the Interference by George
Raleigh, who had been appointed chief de-
detectives.
DOnaldsOns testimony differed material
~ from what he gave at his own trial
He explained the discrepancies by saying
that at his trial he had testified to what
, has lawyer told MIN t. and that at the
I al. L..
ruth in order to clear his conscience and
incidentally to settle some scores he han
with Chief Sheets. He admitted that
much OF what he had originally testified
TO was false. Some of these falsehOods
he accounted for by a lapse of memory
que, he said, to eczema.
Objection Is OverruIed.
The preliminary hearing of former
CnIef o. Ponce George \. Sheets was be-
gun in earnest yesterday morning at 8
clock before Justice of the Peace +. NJ.
Bishop, who occupied the bench in Judge
" mtaker's court in the city and county
building Scarcely spectator was pres
ent The defendant and his attorneys,
S. r. Thurman, +. A. NedgwOOd and
SOren Y. Christensen, arrived early. The
state was represented by District AttOr
hey Fred c. LCOfbOurOw and County At
lorney Willard Hanson.
Judge Thurman objected to the jurls-
OictiOn OF the court on the ground that
JuuSG <AEuiSAlOllE Alcttl iultu Oh Il SINH At
proceeding in the district court against
Sheets and had dismissed the action,
thereby setting up permanent bar
against any proceeding arising from this
transaction. After short argument the
contention was Overruled.
William New hlrter was called to the
stand tor the state, but was withdrawn
and James Donaldson was cal ed. The
calling of Donaldson was sOmeU hat of a
sensation, as it was thought that he would
be reserved to testify in the district court
After a few preliminary questions Dom
aldsOn told briefly of the McWnirter rob
berry and the part he played in ii, always
maintaining that ne was innocent of any
intentional swindllnS. When McWhirter
complained that he had been robbed and
Parent and Bell had taken their money,
Donaldson said he made up his mind TO
let the chief know all about it. Sheets
was not in his office, but he met him on
the Knutsford hotel corner.
Advised to Lie Low.
Il told the chief" said Donaldson, AN
about the card game and the entrance
of the bogus policemen He said ne
knew the O'Briens ana then I described
Parent and St Clair, or Bell as he is
known to him. He said that he knew
them, too. l told him that / thought the
money had been secured in rough way
and that il ought TO be returned to the
McWhirters. He said that he would take
care of it, He advised me to keep under
cover and to change clothes. He said L
mad better 90 TO my sister 5 TOT dWNlle-
Il went out to my sisters house with
the two O Briens and Parent. After
wards Bell and Parents brother drove
out there. Parents brother drove back
TO town and we all walked back At the
salt Lake hotel I called up No 10 and
talked to Chief Sheets. l made an APP
pointment TO meet him at the KnutsfOrd
hotel corner We met him on the cor
ner diagCnally across the street from
the Knutsford The chief said | would
have TO give back $1,000 to the McWhir
ters end 1 said that was a lot OF money
to give up The chief suggested that l
get a bill changed and maybe 1 could get
off for less. Casey of the Turf Exchange
changed a S100G bill for me and l turned
the money over to Bell following him I'M
Ill the McWhirters went away on the
train.
Donaldson's Short End.
The next day I met the O'Briens by
appointment in my room at the I'm
perjal hotel and we divided up the money.
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