Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-06-02
StaIWart of Billie Club Squad AS
Sumes Air Of lmperious
Import.
KEEPS ALL THE NEWS SECRET
With True Dime Novel, Detective
Like Mysteriousness, lie Tries 10
Hide Every Reported Crime.

Much has been written and said about
Chief OF Police Tom d. Pitt suppressing
matters OF public interest, but in this
respect, when compared to Sergeant
John Hempel he Is only in the primary
class, The reasons for this assertion
will follow.
Also, yesterday there were at least
three acting chiefs of police. in theory
II not in practices. They were Detective
Shannon, in charge of Chief Pitts Of
fee, Detective Sheets, in charge of the
detective force, and John Hempel. I'm
charge of the patrolmen. This arrange
ment was the result of specific instrlc-
lions left by Chief Pitt before he took
the train for Detroit to attend the an
nual convention of chiefs of police
which Is now in session.
Today there is but one acting chief
of police. and that man is Hempel He
Is apparently making the most of his
Dflef authority. whether IL suits Shan
non and Sheets. or not Hempel has
assumed supreme charge of the de-
partment and as a result there Is an
air of deep and profound mystery per-
Nading the department. Also. there are
some sore spots which viii only heal
when Pitt returns.
POLITICAL PRESSURE.
There is also some political signif-
canoe 10 the change which has come so
suddenly. Some one of Hemnel's
American political bosses has prob
ably put flea in his ear and told him
To take charge of the department in the
absence of Chief Pitt. This he has done
against the instructions of Chief PITT
and much to the discomforture of COM
petent and energetic members of the
force
Shannon is in charge of chief Pitts
othco but only in theory The detec-
tfves' sergeants and patrolmen will re-
ceiNe, In fact have aleady received. in
structions from Big Chief Hempel. and
nothing Will be given to the public
about the workings of the department
unless sanctioned by Hempel
Since Chief Pitt adopted the system
requiring each and every officer to send
in report of his doings while on duty.
those reports have been given TO the
public through the press. OF course
there were some matters that were sup
pressed, but Hempel now proposes to
! suppress all of them
| HBMPEL's IMPERIAL. WHY.
This morning the News" asked to
| see the reports
Why should you see the reports %
demanded Hempel
Because ] want the news from this
department; the reports we're never
withheld before"
We'll you won't get them snapped
the all important Hempel as he strobe
majestically into another room to give
whispered orders TO shiverinE sub
ordinate.
Later he was seen to go into secret
gTk Il tas is,,, s.t 4
and patrolmen and after that every
body officially connected with the
police department closed up like n
clam.
What about that hold UP about IL
o'clock last night Heinple was asked.
Hold up? Why / don't know any
thing about holdup" replied Hempel.
But Hempel did know about IL be-
cause he had seen the reports and had
also seen an entry on the "squeal book
giving brief account Of the holdup
and robbery OF T. y. Naylor of $40.
South Main street Last night three
robbers stopped Mr., Naylor on Third
South between Second and Third east
street and robbed him OF the fabulous
| sum Of 20 cents. The robbery was re-
ported to the police and duly entered
upon the "squal book which Hempel
so jealousy guards.
This is one OF the matters OF pub
lie interest that Hempel declined to
give out. How many more cases of
the kind he is suppressing Is a matter
of conjecture, because he has clearly
Indicated that he proposes To make the
most of the little brief authority he
now enjoys The chair Of chief OF
police no doubt looks good to Hemper
and he can certainly an it--physically
at least. He was kind enough to say
that when the chief comes back YOU
can have all the news you want" but
IN the meantime he proposes to keen
matters OF interest hidden from the
public because il would never do to
that he Cthe robber) had robbed a
house. held up citizen or cracked a
safe.
sergt. John Hempel, not Chief Hem
pei, IL the man who was prone to boast
that nothing ever happened on ms
shift. Yes the crooks were afraid OF
Hempel and would attempt no crimes
while he was on duty. II anything dld
happen he took particular pains To see
that the public heard nothing Of IL but
sometimes things leaked out In spite or
his efforts TO suppress them, just Ike
the hold-up that occurred AT II o'clock
last night, and which Hcmpel said he
knew nothing about.
II was on Hempels SHIFT that a 500
typewriter was recently stolen from al
most under his very nose. The machine
was taken from the police station about
the tine the big sergeant was Boosting
that nothing happened on his SHIFT. The
TIVE writer IS stlll missing.