The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-21

A party of Salt Lake business men.
whose probity and integrity cannot be
questioned, was invited to the city jail
yesterday to hear DTiskell repeat his con-
fession and DriskeI did So Just why
Sam Barlow. in his capacity of mes
senger boy for George Sheets, should en-
deaVOr to give the impression that Dris-
kell was a free agent, and that the tor
lures of the third degree could not be
applied to him as well after this inter
view as before. it IS difficult to under
stand.
Bulletins are still given out at police
headquarters that a search is being made
for the negro Neither Nebeker. the vic
tim of the holduD, nor any one of the
witnesses who saw the running men, rec
ognized either of them as a negro and
the police search al! the time has been
made for two white men.
Third Degree Methods.
DriskeH was forced into a confession
on the statement of George Sheets that
he had evidence enough to hang him.
Judge Marshall Of the federal court will
not permit that sort of a confession to
be introduced into evidence before him.
The law provides that a confession shall
not be eXtorted by fear of punishment
or hope of ieniency. and few judges in the
United states will accept confession ex-
torted in that manner.
The murder of Officer Riley was cold
FLOODED and the assassin is guilty of first
degree murder. A plea of seIf-defense or
plea Of guilty of second degree muir
DER which Sheets has promised DriSkelI
VIII not hold water in the district court
A neutrality-suspicious. reporter put this
question to Driskell in the county Jail
last night:
Have you confessed to the murder of
OFFICER c. c. Riley on the night of Oct
Il have confessed to a certain extent
and for certain purposes"
what is that purpose?"
Driskell declined to answer.
II you were innocent of that crime
and faced the same situation as that
which confronted YOU at the city jail i'm
confessed to the crime, end for the same
''Yes-er-that is, it all depends"
. By your statement that you have par
TALLY confessed for certain reasons. do
you mean that you have entered into an
agreement with George Sheets BY which
you We're to be charged with q lesser
crime than first degree MURDER"
Second Degree Murder.
II expect to plead guilty to a second
degree murder charge, with no create.
sentence. than life Imprisonment / also
plead self-defense.
Why did you kill Riley?"
nave not told you that I killed Ri
a. 4
TO the police is not sincere? p
For answer Driskell rolled a cigarette
ana blew smoke clouds at the ceiling
grlnning the while
Dld you sit on a six-inch stone bench
WIN your hands chained to the wall fo-
we've H9lirs while members of the de-
tecllNe EorCe slammed the heavy iron
uoor at intervals and called Remember
zouI yl2tlIn' Riley. in his grave, you muir
Again Drisken refused to answer the
question.
Are you afraid to answer that cues
III olon .L LOT lear the police would go back
on their agreement with you?''
Il am not"
Were you threatened with being rail
roaded TO the gallows, innocent or guilty.
II you did not confess ?'
grinned 1i0 Oi4iS
Did n J. Ocksrieder. whom the no.
lice are holding as an embezzler at the
city jail, come TO YOU and represent him
sen as an attorney and advise you to
confess 10 the pOlice?'
Yes
Did you confess to him?"
No; L told him to go to hell"
81. 1Jid you Know that he came to you
from the detectives
Why else would be come? ''
Did you buy Kennedy's freedom with
your confession, and was the negro STORY,
inserted to fill the gap caused by the
clearing of Kennedy"
Refuses to Answer.
Again the grin and the refusal to an
swer.
DO you think that if you had not con-
-essed. you would hang?"
Il have every reason to believe so
And yet YOU say that. even If you
were innocent and in the same situation
as that forced upon you by the police.
you could have confessed to a crime you
had never cOmmitted?'
That is what / said"
Then the police did force the confess
zion out of you?"
No answer.
Drisken entered a plea of not guilty to
he charge of murder in the first degree.
n the police court yesterday morning
several minutes after ne had repeated
is confession in Chief Sheets office i'm