The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-30
Edward Hoeven Declares He Com
mitted Crime for Which Smith
Is Being Punished.
CONSCIENCE TROUBLES HIM
Inmate of the State Penitentiary
ProL ably Will Be Freed
by Pardon Board.

The conscience OF highwayman.
which prompted him 10 confess to
crime for which another Is serving an
eight-year prison sentence. Will probably
open the doors OF the Utah state prison
and free George Smith. former clerk at
the Ogden house Of Ogden. after he has
served two years for an ofGense which
he probably did not commit
4 telegram received from Chicago
Thursday night announces that Edward
Hoeven. a self confessed highwayman.
walked up to a mounted policeman on the
streets of Chicago Thursday afternoon
and told him he was the criminal and
that an innocent man was serving u
prison term. Hoeven said:
II held up the clerk OF a hotel in Og-
den a year ago and stole 500 from him
He made game fight and fired two
shots at me. Later. ] read that the clerk
WAS convicted of stealing the money and
sentenced to serve eight years In prison.
Now my conscience Is botherinE me-
Two years ago George Smith was
Twenty fifth street in Ogden. One night
pedestrians heard two shots fired in the
lobby OF the hotel Whom the police
rived Smith declared that he had been
held up by A highwayman, who had
riOed the safe and stole $50 and a gold
watch He said that he had fired two
shots at the nfGH"SN1ndn as ne lclt.
Outside of the door OF the hotel watch
fob was found.
Story Is Disbelieved,
Smiths story failed To convince the
police and he was arrested by Detective
James Pender and Patrolman John Rus
sell and charged with grand larceny
They believed that Smith had stolen the
money and had concoctcd the story of
the holdup in order to free himself from
blame, placing the fob outside of the
to 10, t..Ea
Smith was tried and convicted of
grand larceny and on January II. 1908,
was sentenced to serve eight years In
the state penitentiary. The evidence was
entirely circumstantal. bat the Jury was
convinced that there were strong grounds
10 believe Smith guilty. AT the time of
his conviction Smith was only Il years
old.
The sheriff of Weber county. Thursday
night. received word of IIoevcns confess
sion 10 the Chicago police department.
would be held TO await confirmation OF
his story, The confirmation was wired
Immediately by the sheriff. and an officer
Will probably leave for Chicago today for
the conscience stricken hehwayman, 1t
ls probable that he will express n willing
ness to come back to Utah without cX-
tradition ana that he VIII plead guilty
TO the crime for which Smith is now in
prison,
Smith to Be Released.
II Hoeven's story Is true. a special ses-
sion OF the pardon board Will probably
be- called as soon as possible and the in
nuccnt prisoner released.
Since smith has been in the peniten-
tiary he has been model prisoner. The
only complaint that has been lodged
against him is that he has been persist
ent in trying 10 declare his innocence of
The crime for which he was convicted. He
has tried 10 tell the guards his story: but
the guards have orders not to discuss the
! cases OF convcts with them. and honce
Smith was unable To secure a hearing
from them. When he first went To The
prison he served as hospital steward. At
| the present be is working In the shop
where the prisoners clothing is made,
Warden Arthur Pratt was some whn l.
| skeptical Thursday night when Informed
| Of the dispatches from Chicago concern
| Ing IIocvcns confession. He Was in
cIined 10 doubt the authenticity oil the
| confession.