The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-11-11
Slayer of Arthur F. Sheppard
on July 10 Hears Happy
Words mot Guilty" From
the Arhiters of His Fate
WRITTEN LAW OF UTAH
Is CLAIMED BY DEFENSE
Tidal RepIete With Dramatic
ClimaxeS and Incidents of a
Ruined Home Ends With AC-
QuittaI for John A, Jones,
FIRST BALLOT FIXES FATE

Ut took Just fifteen minutes yester-
day 20 gcquif John & Jones.
charged with the murder Of Arthur
=. sheppard, whom he killed ca July
~ scarcely Had the twelve Jurors ieft
the c0urt room with the fate 90 the ac-
SuSeh man la their hands than they re-
tnrned, and each answered, mot
guilty" ..-...
The uuicI, verdict. reached upon the
a'rst ballot, brought to "a dramatic close
one OF the most rapidly tried murder
cases in Utah. At no time did Jones
sicnY the murder Of sheppard. He told
IA dramatic sequence the facts which
had torn his heart strings and had
forced him 20 the kiiiinE of sheppard.
whose attentions 60 his wife had he
cofae notorious.
The trial unusual in tire rapidity oil
it's action and the dramatic recitals of
the events and incidents Of the trag-
EDDY that claimed the life OF the despoIl-
being taken 10 determine the iustifica-
ton Jones was given his freedom I'M
der the "unWritten law of other states,
but which is written into the statutes
of Utah.
Although the woman. Mrs Velmav
Goodwin Jones whose submission 10 the
Turing destinations of Sheppard. the
scenic artist brought about his death
sat In The court room "Wednesday and
yesterday afternoon. an eager listener
20 Aer mus panas story of their LIES
ffAseiN, she was not present during the
afternoon when the jurys verdict was
given.
Thanks Each in Turn.
As the words. mot guilty. fell from
the lips of Foreman II. b. Elder, Jones
lnyoluntarily sprang. from his chair
with ferVant thank YOU" and would
have continued had he not been pulled
back into his seat by his counsel. After
IL was an over and thc jurors were fill
ing out of the court room. Jones
i ID "A
he mad ANYTHING 10 say, Jones replied
10 a reporter
only that / ann thankful. and I APP
preciate an that the people have done
Tor me. OF coarse. ms wife and ] are
estranged now. but ] can never forget
her nor the tragedy, although I would
like 10 blot 10 out of my memory
The evidence in the case was com
pleted yesterday forenoon with the con-
clusiou of Jones recital of the incl
dents ot the actual shooting. cOnIinu-
alton OF his story on the witness stand
of the dav before. Following Jones.
the state in rebuttal called both Mrs.
Jones and her sister Ceciile COwdin.
Mrs. Jones was not permitted Go testify.
the defeuse oulecting on the ground
that a wife may not testify against her
usaand. The sisters testimony was
10 the effect that on the night OF July
Is, the night preceding the morning
Of the shooting, she had seen Jones in
front OF the MetrOpOle hotel. The ef-
feet of the testimony was 90 show that
Jones had been following Sheppard and
Mrs. Jones. and the latter would have
testified 20 the same effect The pur-
pose OF the state was TO show premedi-
tati0n on the part of Jones in the kill
ing of sheppard.
shot Down at sight
In concluding the testimony. Jones
said that shortly before I o'clock on
July 19, restless and unable 10 sleep
under the tOrturing thought of his
wife's intimacy with Sheppard, he had
been walking the streets, and as he
neared the Wellington hotel he saw a
couple who resembled his wife and her
paramOur. enter the lobby He fol-
lowed them and as he entered they were
leaning over the hotel desk and heard
Continued on Page SiN.)