Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-10
SHERIFF LANDS
TWO BOLD MEN
Deputies Make Capture in Rob-
berS' Stronghold With
Drawn Weapons.
PRISONERS ARE IDENTIFIED
Holdup Victims Say the Pair Arc the
Long and Short Dcspcrndocs Who
Have Created Reign of Terror.

After successfully eluding the police
and city detectives for two months
during which time they are alleged 10
have committed more than 20 daring
hold-ups and robberies. the long and
short men," the most notorious pair OF
criminals that ever terrorized Salt Lake
City, were captured by Sheriff Joseph
Eddington. John corless and Samuel
NOVEL;, late Thursday afternoon. ac-
cording TO the claims of these officers.
The capture was sensational In dra-
matte features, as the hishwaymen
turned out to be old "cowpunchers" and
bad men" of the worst description, and
they grabbed their revolverS which were
swinging at the head OF the bed in
which they had been sleeping, and put
up desperate fight. but were over
powered by the sheriff's men.
The short man" gave the name OF
j. B. Fisk, and the long man" said
he was w. S. Jacobson. Both men were
speedily and positively identified by
numerous victims OF their various
crimes, including Charles A. Birtcn
proprietor of the George Bess saloon
at Twelfth South and West Temple
streets, j. A. Shaffer of 1850 south West
Temple, j. III. Schwartz of 21O0 south
West Temple. and many others
Jacobson and Fisk were lodged in
the county jail. and the victims oil
about 20 other hold-ups and robberies
will be taken before them today to
identify the two men.
The CaDturp of fhpce 6penprof fo ofiD,-
inals. who have held Salt Lake City in
a reign OF terror for two months is
triumph of Sheriff Joseph c. Sharp
over Chief of Police Barlow
Barlow has tried in vain for eight
weeks TO get some line on the long
and short men," But his methods have
always resulted in merely tipping off"
the crooks.
GREAT ON HOBO CATCHING.
Chief of Detectives George Sheets
has spent the last two months In herd
ing every poor. meanly dressed hobo
that he could find in Commercial street
and Plum alley into the city prison.
where they were held as vngs,' in an
effort to sift the flotsam and jetsam
of the lower strata through a close
screen. with the hope of finally coming
across the "long and short men" Sheets
has sprung numerous Surprises" in
the way of alleged captures of the
highwaymen, but, as usual, the sup
posed robbers turned out to be nothing
but tramps or frlendless workingmen
out of jobs. and after these fake ar
rests the police heads were strangely
silent regarding the identification of the
men held in detlnue by the score
Sheriff Sharp and Deputy Sheriffs Ed
n nd 70
work last Tuesday night when the
George Bess saloon was held up Rich
ard w. Head was captured within 10
after the crime had been COM
mitted, as he was attempting to make
his escape and ride into the city on a
street car. The police lodged RESPONSE
bility for finding the hold-ups and
claimed that the robbery had been COM
mltted outside the city limits. and that
on this ground the sheriff's office was
Sheriff Sharp took up the
challenge of Chief of Police Barlow and
Chief OF Detectives Sheets and within
less than three days had effected the
capture OF hlghwaymen who had given
the city detectives and police the slip
for more than two months.
But unlike Sheets and Barlow, Sheriff
Sharp did not sit in his office all day
long and look out of the windows and
drenm plots to catch the "long and
short men" Sheriff Sharp got right
out and worked. and his deputies work
ed, night and day. in the neighborhood
Of each crime. looking for the slightest
clues, and keeping close lockout for
suspicious characters
LAYS PLAN FOR CAPTURE.
The sheriff evolved clever scheme.
Various clues convinced him that the
men who had held up the saloon either
lived in that vicinity or were driven
nto hiding place in that neighbor-
lood Accordingly. he called all of the
victims of the various recent crimes
With which he believed the long and
short men" were connected. and put
ing their various descriptions of the
criminals together. he formed prnc-
.IcaIlv perfect picture of each OF
he men Then the sheriff gave this
in the finest details to his
and sent them forth to follow
he trail to the finish. Deputy Sherirts
-orlcss, Eddlngton. and NOVEL; got
,old of J. A. Shaffer. one of the victims
,f the hold-up i'm the George Bess sa-
oon last Tuesday night Shaffer said |
hat he would know the hold-ups the |
Instant he could put his eyes on them. |
together with Shaffer. the deputies be- |
ran a quiet canvass OF the neighbor-
rood around the George Bess saloon |
were closely questioned as |
@ whether they had seen men of the |
tated description. All day long. the |
deputies, with Shaffer by their side.
worked on. and the trail kept getting |
,otter. until on Wednesday night. after
o hours of ceaseless pursuit they |
ound the clue that absolutely clinched |
he case and led to tho house where
risk and jacobson We're hiding. 1t
gns learned that two suspicious look
ng men. answering the descriptions OF
he 'long and short men," had been
wing In n broom, white-brick house,
n Culley avenue and Gordon street,
wing between Fifth and Sixth East
trcets and Eleventh and Twelfth
outh streets. These mon. II was
earned from several people who had
oticed their peculiar mode of life,
,ould leave the house every evening"
tay out all night. return In the early
ours of the morning. and sleep all day.
hey never showed themselves outside
( the house in the day time.
THE HOUSE SURROUNDED.
The sheriff and his deputies surround
d this house. Thursday afternoon. AMI
ne OF them knocked at the door. A
ltcrior, asking who was there and
ne door and rushed into the house to-
ether. Two men were sleeping in
bed. at the head of which hung two
olsters. holding Colts revolvers. and
elts full of cartridges. Beside the
od on affhar aide fxvo loaded rinpS |