Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-11
SWORN STATEMENTS IN
POLICE DIAMOND CASE
Affidavits Tell Whether or Not The News Published a
False Story-Barlow Will Give Xander the Jewels
When He Calls for Them-How Woman, Little
Girl and Little Boy Were Bullied by the Police

and also said that he would produce d
jeweler who had examined the stones,
he went to tho office of County Atty
Job Lyon Wednesday afternoon and
swore to a complaint charging the boy
Lon Whatcott. with the theft OF the
stones. Later IN the day the parents
of the boy called at the police station
and released tho gems. When shown
The Deseret News containing the story
both the mother and daughter said
that they were shocked at the story
and said that their alleged statements
N print were ridiculous
Chief George Sheets OF the detective
department branded the story appear
Ing In The News as a malicious attack
on the department, and said that it was
a tissue of lies.
The following statement is false. and
The Tribune knew it was false when Il
printed the article: when shown The
Dcseret News containing the story.
both the mother and daughter said that
they were shocked at the story. and
said that their alleged statements iii
print were ridiculous"
On the contrary. both my daughter
and myself told Chief of Police Barlow
and the representative of The Tribune
whom he brought out to my home with
him. Wednesday night, Dec. s. that the
story printed in The News that eve
ming was true and that the
quoted interviews were correct
in detail. Chief Barlow and The Trio
une representative tried to persuade
me to make and sign a written state
ment denying the story in The News.
This fatty refused to do. Neither my
daughter nor myself said that we We're
shocked by the story In The News. nor
did we say that our alleged statements
-. x-sI lose rlfrI
une claims.
The Tribune was given the facts in
this case not only by us but by our
attorney Mr.. Moses Davis, and by sew
eral of our friends in the business
world. including such reputable, we'll
known and prominent gentlemen as Mr..
George f. Lloyd and his brother. MI.
E 7. Lloyd. of the Cache knitting
company. The Tribune utterly Ignored
our side of the story, although our
friends went to the trouble OF going to
the office of that paper and making
statements concerning the case The
Tribune distorted the details In its
story of Dec. s. giving the version Of
the police and treating me and my son
very unfairly The story printed by The
Tribune on Dec. 3 was even worse than
that of the previous day.
The News has published the whole
| truth and nothing but the truth regard
| ing this case. to the best of my knowl-
| edge and belief
Chief of Police Barlow, as quoted In
| The Tribune, said. when Mrs. What
| colt was assured that we intended to
| protect her interests. after we had en-
| planned matters to her. she read. y
| turned over the diamonds. After they
| have been identified they will be re-
turned to their rightful owner The
story about the boy being placed In q
| cell was entirely false. There was not
| a man in this Office or connected III
| any way with the department who
| wished to put the child in Jail" This
| statement is false. Chief Barlow never
| assured me that he would protect my
! interests. On the contrary, he threat
| ened to arrest my little boy on a
charge of grand larceny and send him
| to prison unless 1 would turn the dia-
monds over to him. Chief Barlow never
| explained matters TO me. as he says.
AS a matter of fact. he did all In his
power to coerce and frlghten me Into
| giving up the stones to him. l did noI
| turn the diamonds over, readily, OF
otherwise. The police bulldozed and
scared my little girl. Ermina. until sne
| was so faint and weak that she could
hardly stand up. and 1t was because
thew Threatened to send her brother
to prison and arrest me that the
| moor child, without my knowledge
or consent, begged Mr.. Lloyd to take
4 the diamonds out of his safe and give
them to her, and then she turned them
over to Chief Barlow himself. Cniel
Barlow and his brutal DULLES never
would have gotten possession OF those
diamonds from me. They tried to
frighten me for two days into giving
them up. but stood fast and refused
to comply with their demands, because
1 knew that had the law on my Side
and that was in the right. And
know lust as we'll that Chief Barlow
was in the wrong and tina. ne Knew ~
Tho police stopped to the cowardlS
means of inumidating my little son
and young daughter. They did not dare
to deal fair and square with my law
yer and myself and the grown men
interested In the case,
The history of this case, which Is one
OF the most shameful blots that ever
discraced Salt Lake City, is as follows:
my little boy. Alonzo Whatcott
went down town early oil the morn
ing of Monday. Dec. 6. to sell papers
Ho came back soon afterwards with
an armful OF papers and box contain,
ing two diamonds. He said to me:
picked this box up with these dia-
monds, a stick-pIn and a ring. i saw
them and so did another newsboy, but
reached them first. A man by tho
name of Abe Stcubeck. who sells pa
pers to the newsboys, saw me pick uE
| the box and came right up to me and
! asked me to sell them Hc took them
from my hands and examined them
The sight of the diamonds made him
very excited and he put his hand into
his pocket and drew out handful OF
money. and said: Lon, I'll give YOU
| this for this box When refused, ne
said: I'll give you more money. and
I'll go to tho bank and get you $75.
/ said, No I'll take them home to my
mother But Steubeck said. Come on
and let's talk about 1t FIRST I refused
again and got on the first street cal
| and came home. Mother. there'll bt
| O big reward offered for these dia-
monds. and you can have the money
so YOU keep them
"Then Lon went back down town e
sell the rest OF his papers. In TIL,
| afternoon an advertisement appeared
| as follows: T<ost-Diamond ring anC
/ stickpin between Sixth South and In
termountain Packing company; partie!
finding same return to Telegram
C169' When my son saw this ad, h,
told me at once. Why. mother. wei
get no reward That's suspicious Steu
beck put IL in. and I know It, He Will
get $40 or $50 ont of IT, or else hc'l
get the diamonds themselves and vel
he cheated ont Of the reward
Lon went to Steubeck and asked hin
why he had put In the ad wthou
telling him about II beforehand. an.
Steubeck said; What are you worry
ing about? You'll get your little bi
out OF II. It's none of your d-n busi
| ness anyway. When Lon went b9cl