The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-31

OGDEN OFFICIALS ALSO
DECLARE STORY UNTRUE
Junction City Authorities Say
That Convict Acknowledged
His Guilt TO Them.

Fridays developments in the strange
case in which Edward Hocven i'll Chi
cago Friday confessed to having com
mitted a crime for which George Smith
is now serving time in the Utah pen1-
tentiary, indicate that Hoeven was try
ing to work game which the prison
officials describe as "coarse.
Hoeven and Smith were convict part
ners in the Utah prison. Smith s term
for grand larceny began March 23, 1908.
Hoeven came into the prison August
IL, 1909, to serve twoyear sentence
for burglary Smith was working In
The hospital where Hoeven was sent for
treatment of his eyes, 1t was here the
two became acquainted and grew TO be
friends Hoeven was pardoned May
23 of this year because Of his defective
eyesight and Smith furnished him the
money to go to Chicago, according 10
statements of the prison officials.
Deputy Warden Ure said that he had
talked the case over with Warden
Pratt and that the story of Hoeven 5
confession was not regarded of sufficient
importance to Justify giving it any at
tenti0n whatever.
'tTherc is no question about Smith S
being guilty of the crime for which he
was convicted in Ogden, the robbery
of the hotel of which he was clerk, -
said Deputy IRE so far az / know
he has never protested his innocence.
No official action will be taken here re-
gartling the alleged confession of Hoe
ven.
What Ogden Officers Say.
Ogden officers declare the story fab
ric;Ition pure and simple. In statements
made by Captain OF Detectives James
Pender and Deputy Sheriff John Murphy.
both officers say that Smith made full
confession OF the crime 10 them prior to
larceny. The transcript OF the testimony
taken al the trial shows that Joseph
Lang, "nunky" employed at the hotel
gave away the whole scheme OF Smith
the safe in the hotel office III which a
lodger, Thomas Miller, had deposited
eighteen 81 clearing house certificates.
Lang, they say. testified that he and
George Smith were in saloon drinking
The afternoon of che robbery when Joseph
Smith came in and told his brother that
in the hotel safe, After Joseph Smith
had left George Smith said TO the wit
ness: I'VE will get into the safe tonight:
II will be like taking candy from kid"
After Lang began sweeping up the office
George Smith ordered every one to leave
the lobby, then opened the safe and took
out the money according 10 Lang, Smith
then ran into the street and fired his re-
volver several times in the air after hid.
ing the certificates under q carpet in an
UPSTAIRS room.
Declare He Confessed
When the officers arrived and began TO
investigate the supposed holdup they
were convinced that Smith had robbed
the safe. He was later arrested and told
the officers that me had taken the money
across the street and hid il behind bill
board While in the county jail he be-
came Intimate with another prisoner
Morris kohn. and told him the same
story kohn testified to their conversa-
tion at the trial. While on the way TO
The penitentlary with his prisoner Deputy
Sheriff Murphy says tina; Smith told him
That he had robbed the safe and hid
the money behind the billboard. but that
when he went TO the cache he found that
the money had been stolen,
Joseph Smith. his brother. and a man
known only as Red" left Ogden imme-
diately after the robbery of the safe.
Tho officers believe that Red" is the
man who told the Chicago officer the
story yesterday for the purpose OF get
ting transportation TO Utah or from some
other sensational motive.