Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-03-01
MAYOR TOUCHES
OFF FIRST BOMB
Four Official Heads Drop Into the
Basket by Way Of a
Preliminary.
POLICE DEPARTMENT is HIT
Ugly Rumors Of Graft Reach Ears Of
Head Of Municipality and Big
Shakcup T. Predicted.

tn an effort 90 smoke out the IMAM
higher up" in the iuiquity Of the police
department, four policemen were sum
marily discharged yesterday afternoon
Boy chief OF Police sam Barlow. az "A
result OF an investigation started by
Mayor John s. Bransford Behind the
simple words OF the communication
dismissing e. w Price. mounted;
George Harris mounted. w h.
Clough patrolman. and r. r. Rhodes.
patrolman. lies mass OF evidence, il
is alleged, 60 prove the collection Of
tribute from women. diyekcepers. gam
blers and other drcgs OF humanity on
the part of p1trolmen, detectives and
their stool pigeons"
So far only the crust Of the corrup-
ton which is said TO iufest certain parts
Of salt Lake has been removed by
Mayor BausfOrd. who is now the man
az the lever Go police affairs There is
no doubt Il is said. that an exploration
OF she inner workings will show a we'll
oiled machine which Is said % reach out
lu mysterious way and bring in huge
sums OF ill-Eotten gains.
who viii be neXt2" was the ques-
tou that flashed through the police de-
partment last night The effect OF the
discharge Of these men last night upon
police circles was akin to an electric
shock Even the men themselves did
not know IL until Lieut. Richard L.
shannon called them by telephone last
night after the action was taken By
the city council confirming the recon-
mendation OF Chief Barlow
HOW FAR DARE HE co?
How far dare Mr.. Bransford go into
this thing" was on the tongue Of sew
eral officials last night after the council
meet ting adjourned. Mayor Bransford
started his Invests cation some time ago
and. IL Is alleged he has az hand
some Information that reaches high
into police circles
WELL KNOWN OFFICERS.
The four men who were discharged
last night are perhaps the best known
quartet of bIuecoats on The police de-
partment r. r. Rhodes. who rs
famllarly known as Dusty" Rhodes,
and son of the late Detective Matt
Rhodes. has been on the force two
years ". IL Ciough has been con-
nected with the department for six
years and took an active part in regis
tering the men and women OF the
tenderloin district last election. George
Harris. who was In charge of the chain
gang until recently. has been with the
department four years T.. W. Price.
also a mounted officer, has been EN-
ployed for six years on the force.
Mayor Bausford's ire was stirred
10 action when he received a report
from some new men who have recently
been employed on the force Patrol
men We're sent out as "sleuths" 10
check up ON The rooming houses where
reports had come from that liquor was
being sold in large quantities on sun
days at retail prices In rooms provided
with a bar
when the patrolmen. who were
dressed On plain clothes. secured the
evidence they showed their badges and
began to make preparations to OBJ
tain complaints against them.
In three places. the landladics de-
clared that they were paying money for
protection and gave the names OF the
police officers who had been collecting
the money.
As soon as this reached Mayor
Bransford's ears he began his inveetI-
cation in earnest The result OF this
investigation led 90 the discharge OF
two of the officers. Clough and Rhodes
II is stated that the laudladics claim
they paid 81 a day for the privilege OF
selling liquor without being molested.
There are three OF these houses on the
State street beat
Rhodes is also charged with attend
ing a ball In one OF these disreputable
houses in State street. He changed his
uniform and allowed one OF the women
TO dance while wearing IL IN the ball
room while he took quiet nap on the
third floor away from the noise ana
hustle OF his beat until the wee small
hours OF the morning
There is some mystery about th"
charges preferred against Price and
Harris Price seldom showed up ut
the station at AN, IL U.s. reported. and
several charges have been placed
against Harris from time to time.
The accumulation OF charges has
been growing against other members
OF the force. The investigation is tak-
ing ON a wide scope and further de-
velopments are expected al any time.
About six weeks ago Mayor Bransford
called every member OF the police force
together at . o'clock in the morning and
delivered an uitImatum 60 them. He
declared az that time that petty graft
ing must stop" He openly declared
that patrclmen We're taking money from
women who walked the streets The
proprietors Of rooming houses he de-
clared. were intImidated. and many
other things which looked suspicious
were charged up 90 the police depart
ment
A good many men In the police de-
partment were much exercised over
the talk given hy Mayor Bansford,
and pleaded mot guilty 90 the charg
es. I'm his talk, however Mayor
Bransford made mo- exception and the
police department stood for a.
CALLS IN THE CHIEF
From, an appearanccs. Mayor Brans
ford's tank accomplished very little.
He called chief Barlow into consulta-
ton Monday and later had the police
and prison committee meet and con-
slider his recommendation The com-
mitteo agreed 20 vote for the dismissal
Of the four men and Chief Barlow was
ordered 20 send IN r. communication
discharging them for the good ~ the
service.
MORE DISM1SSAI.s.
Mayor Bransford has several other
things under investigation and more
designations or dismissals VIII be- de-
manded in the course ~ "a few days.
For some time. Mayor Bransford has
been contemplating the reorganization
OF the police department chief Bar
u .HU mn. HHr ont 80