The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-03
RIPPING THE CITY.

commission by the Governor Of this
State, for Salt Lake City, throw Il
strong Gmelight upon certain events
not unknown in the annals OF church
conspiracy.
Last fall. when church rule through
its political quorums, was endangered
in this community, two foxy lambs ap-
pearcd and made claim that the Salt
Lake police chief had joined with bunko
men in robbing them Of $4,000. In Il
trial before an honest Judge, the charge
made against the chief of police was
dismissed; the court stating in emphatic
terms that nothing in the evidence CON
: nectcd the chief with the crime. II any
had been committed. 1t was noticeable
then that the men who claimed TO have
been victimized, seemed far less anxious
! TO secure the person who had taken
their money than they seemed anxious
( To attach some connection in the case
to the chief OF police, il was remarked
by more than one observer that the
so-called victims aud their lawyer had
deliberately rejected the opportunity TO
arrest the presumed bogus police olli-
Ger who had presumably carried off
$4,000 of their cash-thc man who, If
! he existed at all, would bc likely to
escape-while they devoted all their
energies to arresting and holding the
chief of police of Salt Lake, who, ac-
cording to their own testimony, had not
in any connection taken their money
and who was most unlikely TO leave
/ Utah. The animus of the proceedings
was made additionally manifest In the
political campaign Immediately follow
ing The purpose in bringing the pro-
ceedings into activity at that particular
hour was so clear that no man, even a
wayfarer or a fool, had need to err.
The church used the McWhirter case
against Sheets 10 the last limit, in an
effort to carry Salt Lake City against
the American party. The effect was
fruitless, for the city by larger ma
jority, voted its confidence in the
American party's city administration
and in the chief of police.
One fact which overthrew all the
theories, all the scandals, all the men
daclties, and all the conspiracies, made
its effective appeal to the citizenship
of this municipality. The city was bet
ter governed it was a more orderly
and prosperous city. and it was attract
i've 10 men and women of the highest
character who were seeking homes; the
records indubitably proved that the
4 RI ,ctr
opposed to crime that it was Furnishing
criminals and driving away from its
community the criminal classes-except
that criminal class who claim divine
license TO offend against law and de-
ceucy.
If there IS one citizen sufficiently in
terested IN this question TO make an
examination, and who has any doubt,
let him examine the records for any
month or for the whole term of admin
istration of the police department by
George Sheets, and examine the records
for the same periods, in detail and in
general, under the administration Of
the same department by the eccleslas-
tico-political combine; and he Will dis
cover that what The Tribune SAYS is
true: George Sheets cleaned up this
town after the church rule had so de-
morallzed it that it was an open refuge
for thugs, thieves. tin-horns, burglars
and murderers.' Life and property had
not been safe under church rule; George
Sheets had made safety for the life and
property of citizens.
1t was evident that a political pur
pose had actuated some of the conspira
tors Any who doubted the fact then
may rest assured now when conclusive
proof is afforded. A Ripper bill was
introduced into the Legislature TO take
from Salt Lake City the control of her
own fire and police departments and to
place the same in the hands Of the hie-
rarchs of the church, actino through
their emissary, Governor Cutler, As the
bill Jagged and as opposition was eX
pressed thereto by legislators who
knew, first, that it was unconstitption-
al; and, second, that it was invasive of
the rights of government belonging
to this municipality-the county ad-
minstration found an ostensible acces.
sorry to the old bunko crime in which
the McWhirters had figured, and
brought him TO Salt Lake; where again
the attack is renewed upon the police
department, and Chief Sheets and De-
tective Raleigh, two men who have
been noticeably effective in suppress
| ing crime here, are arrested; one of
/ the church organs gives out "A pretended
confession from the alleged accessory
| to the robbery of the MGWhirters, i'm
plicating the chief and the detective;
then the Ripper bill is rushed through
the House of Representatives, of the
State Legislature before a judicial de
! termination can be had-lest it shall
be demonstrated that the whole thing
is game from beginning to end to cast
false aspersions on the police depart
ment so that political results can be
gained
AS stated, the debates in the House