The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-12-15
COUNCIL GIVES
CHIEF PITT HIS
FINAL QUIETUS
Continued From Page /.

Dec. Z, Mayor Bransford called at my
office to discuss the question of removing
the prostitutes of this city to the So
called west side red light district In the
course of the conversation he insisted that
should remove the fallen women at
once and / as Stringently insisted that |
would not do so. | told him that l thought
that he was making a mistake but he
said that he had thought the matter out
very carefully and that he was making
no mistake, and / stated that / would not
be a party to any such contemplated re-
moval, and that if an attempt was made
TO place prostitution in that district, l
would arrest the first offender j found
there The mayor then asked me to re-
sign and / stated that 1 would not resign
for that cause, and he then said he would
remove me from office The next time /
heard about the matter was that a COM
munication had been sent to the city
council. removing me from office, and
that the matter had gone over for one
week, TO again come up for consideration
Dec IA
In order that there may be no mistake
about my position in the matter, l beg
leave to set forth in this official commu-
nicaticn the reasons that moved me to
act I did.
Il have the very highest respect for
the mayor of this city and for your hon
always held myself while in office,
amenable to the wishes and orders of my
superiors. and in saying to the mayor
what l did on the afternoon of Dec 7 I
meant no diSreSpect to him, nor did /
wish my conduct to be considered as
desire on my part to disobey the orders
and mandates of those higher in author
ity than myself.
Pitt Quotes the Law.
When took the oath of office as chief
of police of this city swore that I
would enforce the laws as | found them
in the statutes and in the city ordinances
| found under section 206 of the Compiled
Laws of Utah, under paragraph 40. that
the city council had the power:
To suppress and prohibit the keeping
of bawdy and other disorderly houses,
houses of iH-fame or designation, or
houses kept by. maintained for or re-
sorted to or used by one or more females
for lewdneSs or prostitution within the
limits of the city, and within three miles
OF the outer boundaries thereof. and TO
prohibit the resOrtiag thereto for any of
the purposes aforesaid
Il found in the Revised Ordinances of
salt Lake City, under section 40, the fol-
lowing:
1T shall be unlawful for any person
within the limits of Salt Lake City to:
i. Keep a house of nl-fame resorted
to for the purpose of prostitution or Iewd-
ness; or wilfnIlys RESIDE in such house;
or resort thereto for lewdness; or,
2 Be the owner of any building or
which is used for any of the purposes
mentioned in the first subdivision of this
section; or to have control of such buhl-
ing or tenement as agent, guardian or'i
such guardian or lessee after notice of
such improper use of such building or
tenement, to fail TO suppress the same
by removing therefrom the occupants
thereof: or,
80 To let any building or tenement.
knowing that the lessee intends using
the same, or any part thereof, for any
of the purposes mentioned in the first |
subdivision of this section; or to harbor |
or keep about his or her private premises
any whoremaSter. Strumpet, or whOca |
knowing such person to be guilty of fol- |
lowing lewd course of life
Il further found, under section 219 Of |
the Compiled Laws of Utah, the follow.
ing:
In case the mayor or any municipal
officer shall. at any time, wilfullv omit |
the performance of any duty. or wilfully /
and corruptly be guilty of oppression |
m2lcOnduct. or miSfeaSance in office, he |
shall be liable to Indictment, and, on con-
victiOn thereof. fined in a sum not ex-
ceeding $1,000, and the court under which /
such conviction shall be had shall enter |
an order removing such officer from Of |
flee; nor shall he be eligible to any mu-
nicipal office thereafter
II also found that section of chapter /
of the Revised Ordinances provided as /
follows:
when the provisions of an ordinance |
prohibit the commission or omission of /
an act. not only the persons actually do /
ing the prohibited thing, or emitting the |
all other persons concerned, or aiding or /
abetting therein. shall be guilty of the /
offense described, and liable TO the pen
atty prescribed for the offense.'
His Conception of Duty.
"As I understood nv duties as chief Of /
police. they were 10 see that the ordi- /
N rr-Gr cr7<n fsa7