The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-10
SALT LAKE FUG|TNES
IN JAIL IN MEXICO
Continued From Page One.

Scotcbmen had been heeced Of $4,000 In
the game, Parent and Bell supposedly
police officers. entered and took the
other $4,000 away from the Scotchmen,
That evening the McWhirters, after
telling the story of the swlndle to the
police, compromised for $1,000, and
went TO Los Angeles.
week later they returned and took
the case up with the county attorney
and the sheriff The result was the
arrest of several persons, including
George A. Sheets, then chief of police.
on charges Of completely in the swindle.
Parent and Bell. the pseudo police Of
ficers. were arrested and brought back
to Salt Lake 10 testify against Sheets.
They did so and as reward for turn
ing state S evidence were released. The
evidence against Chief Sheets was prac-
tically only the unsupported confes-
sions of Parent and Bell. and the jury
acquitted him OF any guilt jim Don
aldson was convicted of grand larceny
for his part in the robbery and SEN
fenced TO ten years in the penitentlary.
After serving three years he was pa
rolled and is still in Salt Lake.
o'Briens Make Getaway,
Larry and Jack o 'Brien. always be.
ieved TO have been the principal swim
dlers in the case, were the only ones
accused of completely IN the affair who
were not arrested soon after the swim
die occurred. They went TO Denver
shortly after the swindle and when the
McWhirters returned to Salt Lake to
prosecute the case they left Denver,
They were traced to Council Bluffs.
where brother resides. Farley p.
Christensen, then county attorney, and
G.. Frank Emery. then sheriff, went to
-
tives. The o 'Brens learned of the
coming of the officers and went to Chi
cago. Then all trace of them was lost
for couple of years.
Two years ago Sheriff Sharp received
letter from Mexico asking for de-
tails In connection with the McWhirter
case. The sheriff suspected that Jack
O 'Brien was the author Of the letter,
and on comparing the handwriting with
that which he had of Jack o O'Brien' s
his suspicious were confirmed. He i'm
meditely wired to the American EN-
bassy al Mexico City asking that the
O Briens be arrested. Some months
later he received a letter from the
American ambassador suggesting that
the matter be taken up through the
state department at Washington.
Wrote to ambassador.
bassador Wilson in detail, telling him
that warrants for the arrest of the
o 'Bricns were held by him and giving
his reasons for lis belief that the
O 'Briens were to he found in Mexico.
The reply to this letter came from the
ambassador Yesterday, setting forth
the fact that the o 'Briens were in jail
in Mexico.
In case the O'Briens are brought
back TO Salt Lake, the famous McWhir-
ter case will he reopened. Sheriff Sharp
says that William McWhirter is now
in Garfield working in a smelter. and
that Alexander McWhirter is operating
bakery In Seattle.
After leaving Salt Lake Bell was ar
rested in Colorado Springs on the
charge Of fleeing an unsophisticated
countryman and served eighteen months
in the Canyon City peniteutiary. Par.
rent operated as confidence man in
Kansas City for "A short time after leav.
ing here After serving bis sentence
in Colorado Bell joined Parent in
Chicago They are now said to be
together in Canada.