The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-08
'wH|RTER'S ARREST
ASTOUADS SALT LAkERS
Manner Of His Pursuit and Cap
ture Spectacular in the
r. Extreme.

The news of the arrest and imprison-
ment of William McWhirtcr, however
meager as to detail, was sufficient to
cause the profoundest astoni5hmeut TO
large percentage of the city's popula-
tion-men and women who, during the
exciting days of the Sheets investiga-
ton, allowed themselves to believe that
William McWhirter was in reality
high toned gentleman
The friends Of William McWhirter
would doubtless have been amazed had
they witnessed the preparations which
William was engaged in making, Just
before midnight Of Saturday, for
spending the Sabbath. AS the clock
was on the stroke of l2 he slipped
"pal' who has Sot yet been run down
by the police. sailied forth into the
night No one but themselves knows
where they went or what they did dur
ing the first Sabbath houy, but when
something over an hour later, he had
the sum of 500 AZ concealed about his
person.
The manner of McWhirter 8 pursuit
and capture was spectacular in the ex-
treme About 1 clock SUNDAY morn
ing he, in some manner which he does
not explain, became separated from his
friend. Then. according to the story
told By himself, he visited several of
of the tenderloin district. His conduct
in these sinks of sin cannot be de-
scribcd Coming at last TO No. IS
Commercial street. he essayed TO pay
ms respects to "French Kitty one
OF the most notorious women in town,
Whether she knew the man does not
appear. He admits, however, that she
insisted, but she was hru1. She want
ed none Of his kind in her place. In
order to enforce his demands for ad-
mission. he pulled a gun from his hip
pocket and threatened all sorts of dire
things, The woman. fearing for her
life, ran screaming TO the street, fol-
lowed down the stairs by the desperate
man.
As the officers ran up. McWhirter
took TO his heels, running south on
Commercial, pursued by Patrolmen
Carlson and Harris. At Second South
2 belated citizen Joined in the chase,
and the fugitive led the trio a hot race
TO Main street and south on that thor
oughfare TO the middle of the block.
Here he darted into the doorway of the
Summit building and up the stairs
and the officers bringing up the rear.
a radiator stands at the top Of the
stairway, and the citizen saw McWhir-
ter throw something behind 1t and
hurry down the hallway, where he hid
in the darkness.
AS Carlson came up he reached be-
bind the radiator and found McWhir-
ter 5 revolver Following the fugitive s
course down the hallway. the officer
man in hiding TO come forth and sur
render Shamefacedly McWhirter
sneaked out, and when his captors led
. him into the light they nearly dropped
dead with astouishmenS, for up to that
moment they had had no idea who the
man was.
AZ the prison McWhirter threw the
mask completely off. as one who had
made up his mind that further attempt
at concealment would be worse than
useless, There was even something OF
swagger In bis manner as Jailer
| Ripley led him TO the dungeon. He had
| little 70 say. however, and was soon
sleeping sonndly in his prison bunk.
The prisoner was astonlshlngly
bright and clipper when called for
breakfast Sunday morning, He stood
| son, Jim Hamilton. Tom Moore, Ed
Murty and the rest. and gulped his
beans and black coffee like a hungry
harvest hand In conversation with
.Jailcr Wilkinson he said:
This break Of mine will certainly
nut the bakery on the bum, and
Brother Alcck will he all broke up
He left the Jail at 10 o'clock, leaving
s25 as a guarantee of his appearance
in the Police court this afternoon.