The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-07
POLICE OFFICERS
NARROW ESCAPE
GuIbransen aud Lyon Face
Death in Making an
Arrest.
DAVE LATHAM THE MAN
THAT CAUSES TROUBLE
Threatens TO Shoot Any and
Everybody: Gulbranseu Gets
a Wound.


II. D. Lyon narrowly escaped being shot
during an exciting gun play at tho home
of .Johu Sucdden. 5il Bridgeport ave
nuc. Thursday night at about lo;5o
o clock The two Officers had respond
cd to tho call Of Thomas Holt, proba-
tion officer. who had observed through
the window of the Sncddcu home
man holding Mr.. aud Mrs. Sncddcn ht
bay with revolver. and. from his Scs-
lures, threatening thcir lives. After
twice shooting at the approaching of
ficers and threatening TO shoot any one
within range of his gun, Dave Latham;
wanted hv the police for forgery ana
otherwise a bad man, was oNcrpoWcred
and captured.
Because his ovcrturcs Of love had
been rejected by Miss Grace Dickson,
sister OF Mrs. Sncddcn. and because the
Snoddcns refused 10 diyulge tho where
abouls of the young lady. Latham.
those people arc assured. was about
to take their lives when the police IN
tcrfcred
While responding 10 Il call OF The
Sneddens, who feared that friends OF
Latham might return and do them
narn; f3ITolIlldu Hulpi" "u9'u
shot In the calf Of Inc leg by
the accidental explosion OF his own
revolver, which. after the shooting at
the Sneddcn house. lie had probably re-
placed in his pocket cooked.
Mrs. Snedden S Story.
Following is the story OF Mrs. John
Sncdden; 1--WE know Latham 10 be a
bad man who would not stop at any
thing. and VIC have been IN mortal fear
lest he might kill us since Grace re-
fused TO sec him. He told her last
Wednesday that he would give her un-
til next Saturday in which TO decide
whether or not she would marry him,
and that if not he would XIII her. Torrl-
fled at the threats and fearing that he
might take her life. my sister has been
in hiding with q neighbor. and left
word with us TO tell Latham that she
had left the city. He came here to-
night about o'clock and talked pleas
aptly for q time, when he suddenly de-
manded that VIC tell him where Grace
WAS. We refused. Then he said that
he was going TO kill both of US. lie
showed us that he had on three shirts
and two pairs Of trousers IN prep1ra'
tion for making "A quick departure from
tho city. We became more and more
terrified He said if anybody Informed
= =
and come back and kill US. My huS-
band was standing In one corner OF the
kitchen and | in the other, and he WAS
between us, with his revolver pointing
at us in turns Finally he said that he
would give Us just about n minute 10
say where Grace was, and If VIC moYed
in the meantime be would shoot us.
Then there was knock on the door.
| asked who il WAS. A voice replied,
. II, I al
aud as he ran for the front door he
fired through the back door. A mo-
mcnt later we heard a shot from the
front of the house. and We ran out the
back door.
John Holt s story is almost as in
tense. lie sald that be was late In
rounding up the boys of the neighbor-
hood when his attention was called TO
the Sncddcn house by the sound of loud
voices. Looking through the window
he saw Latham covering the SDeddens
and threatening TO kill them. He ran
TO a neighboring house aud called
through the window, fearing that the
killing would take place before the po-
lice arrived.
Officers Narrow Escape.
patrolmau Lyon stood almost directly
in front OF the kitchen door, which was
Of glass, and raped. Then pistol
shot rang out. the bullet piercing the
door. missing the officer 5 abdomen by
the fraction of an inch. Lyon called
TO Gulbransen to hold the front door,
AS that officer came around the cor
ner OF the house he met Latham es-
Gaping through the front door, Not a
| word was exchanged. Latham raised
his gun and fired point blank at the
! officer head. narrowly missing him,
Latham then ran back into tha house
and into front room, which was not
| lighted. Lyon. who had entered through
the rear door, commanded him TO come
| out and give himself up. The trapped
man in reply stuck his revolver out OF
the darkness and sand that before he
gave himself up there would be few
dead Officers around Lyon told him
that he would Immediately shoot him
if he did not take down the gun aud
throw il out of the door. After con.
sidering the proposition for a moment
he threw the gun out of the room and
was handcuffed and taken to the po-
lice station. No charge was preferred,
but two or three will be fled against
HIM today. lie is Salt Lake boy, and
the police know no good of him and
much bad He is but 22 years old aud
| was sought by the department for the
| forgery of check for $45, which he
casbed at the National saloon n few
| days ago.
In Fear of Latham.
The Sneddens, fearing that Latham
might make good his threat of return
! ing and doing them harm, requested
| of the police that au officer be allowed
| 10 remain at the house during the night.
! Sergeant Bcckstead, on his way to tho
house, picked up Patrolnian Gulbransen
at the Orpbeum alley corner. Arriving
| al thr corner Of Commercial aud Sec
| ond South streets, Gulbrausen, in or
der 10 change places with Lyon. who
had been assigned the duty of watch
ing the Snedden home. jumped from
the buggy. AS he hit the ground his
| revolver exploded and he fell to the
pavement. He was taken 10 the emer.
gency hospital at tho police station,
where his wound was dressed by DR.. F.
B. Steele The doctor said that he
could not ascertain the extent of the
! injury done. but that the bullet had
entered the calf of the leg and pene-
trated downward through ankle and
| foot