The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-15
THE DENIALS MADE HERETOFORE
ARE PROVED ABSOLUTELY FALSE
Turning the Self Confessed Bunko and Confidence
Man Loose Was Shock to the Community
and Revelation in Official
Criminaity

the action Of the court until after II
clock. and then the information came
from a newspaper man.
1t was not until several hours after
the order bad been entered that his
Office received official notice of the or
der Of the court. The minutes of the
court containing the order for the re-
Whitaker before the sheriff was Off
cially notified of the order.
Hanson's Defiance.
County Attorney Willard Hanson was
seen about an hour after the order had
been made and asked fora statement.
He had nothing to say further than
that he had made the motion and it
had been granted by the court.
What about Parrent2' was asked
of the distinguished county attorney.
"Well, what about Parrent?' he re-
piled,
''Is he going to be allowed 10 leave
the city With three grave charges
against him?
"Parrent will be here when ne is
wanted.' was the only answer.
"The motion which YOU made be-
fore Judge Whitaker this morning and
which was granted releases Parent on
the charges of grand larceny aud rob
berry; what about the conspiracy
cbarge?"
"That charge was brought before
Justice T. NJ, Bishop; no bail has ever
been fixed in that case, ] shall move
Jrstice Bihsop to make an order IN
that case similar TO thai. made by Judge
Whitaker t hismorniug.' Mr., Hanson
was asked if he had any reason TO give
for his action. lie had none that he
cared to make.
The Motive Revealed.
in view of the oft.repeated state
ments of Mr. Hanson that there was
no deal to turn Parent loose and tho
sworn testimony of Parent that no
expected no immunity from prosecu"
ton, it would be interesting to know,
what magnaminous motive actuated the
County Attorney to make the motion
which he made by which he turned
self confessed criminal loose on his OWE
recognizance,
Notwithstanding the repeated state
ments of Willard Hanson and the sworn
testimony of the crook Parent, there
has never been any question In the
minds of those who have watched the
case, but what there was an under
standing as to what was to be done
with Parent Thu only surprise is
that MI Willard Hanson did not wait
at least q few days before he kept his
part of the bargain which is believed
to have been made before Parent left
Denver for Salt Lake. II there was
bargain, and there is little question
that there was, what was itl Mr.. Han
son might throw light of a decidedly
interesting nature on this point.
The Facts in the Case,
Briefly, the facts in the case are
these: During the latter part of Sep
tember, 1906, Alexander and William
McWhirter complained to tho County
Attorney, then Farley p. Christensen,
with Willard Hanson as his chief as
sistant, that they had been heeced ont
of over $4,000 in card game in this
city on September l9. The card game
was alleged TO have been pulled OFF at
the Antlers rooming house on West
Second South street. As the result of
the story the two Scotchmcn5 warrants
Of arrest on the charge of robbery and
grand larceny were issued against
James Donaldson. w. II, Parent. q man
named Bell. and two men named
O 'Brien. The warrants were placed in
the hands OF Sheriff Emery for service.
Before any of the men were arrested,
a complaint was soorn to by one Of
the McWhirtcrs charging Chief of Po-
lice George A. Sheets with compound
ing felony, it beng alleged in the
complaint that he knew of the alleged
robbery and took mt steps TO arrest the.
guilty parties. Counsel for Chief Sheets
was had before Judge George G. Arm
strong Evidently the County Attor-
ncy did not feel capable of conducting
the case alone, and the late Arthur
Brown was engaged us special counsel
for the State, service for which tho
county Of Salt Lake paid Mr.. Brown
$3.50. The case resulted in the acquit
tai of the chief, there being absolutely
no evidence TO show that he had in
any way been connected with the al
legged robbery or the shielding Of the
alleged robbers, TIE arrest, trial and
acquittal of Chief Sheets was just
prior 10 the last election, and AT that
time and ever since, has been looked
upon as political job pure and SIM
pie.
Some time after the acquittal of
Chief Sheets, James Donaldson was ar
rested at Hot Springs, Ark, by Deputy
Sheriff Joe Sharp. Donaldson was
brought back 10 Salt Lake and tried
before Justice F. NJ. Bishop on the
charge of robbery and grand larceny.
Practically all Of the testimony given
against Donaldson was that given by
the two Scotchmen
Justice Bishop held there there was
reason to believe that the defendant
was guilty, and bound him over to the