White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-03-11
otto MEEK ACQUITTED BY OGDEN
JURY UNDER COURT INSTRUCTIONS

the uedth Oh Helen Bass, the BAKER
rancher was acquitted of the statu-
tory offense for which he was tried
Tuesday at Ogden. The verdict was
directed one delivered to the fury
by Judge James N. Kimball and the
jury had no alternative but to find
Meek not guilty.
The court had previously ruled
that the dying statement Of the 20
year-old girl was not admissible as
evidence against the accused 1t
held that while the statement ac-
cused Meek of the crime for which
he was charged. it did not explicitly
charge him with the direct or imme-
diate cause of her suicide.
When the verdict was returned the
court ordered the dismissal of the
defendant and released his cash bond
of $4,000.
Helen Bass shot herself in the Of
fee of the Ogden Paint, Oil and Glass
Company in the evening of November
II. After firing the shot she claimed
TO have spent an hour walking the
floor and called a taxi to take her to
the Dee hospital after she had be-
come weak from the loss of blood.
When the taxi arrived she went out
or the office, locked the door and told
the driver to make haste. She paid
him at the hospital entrance and
went in, where she called for a doc
tor. 1t was then about 8 O clock and
the police were notified. Sergeant
George B. Wardlaw interviewed her.
She said she had shot herself with an
automatic pistol but would give no
reason.
When she was about to die she
made further statement in the pres
ence of District Attorney Joseph E.
Evans, Sergeant Wardlaw and Ey-
erett Noble, which was taken down
In writing. In 1t she charged that
Meek was responsible for her trouble
and she said that DR.. George w. Ba-
ker. a practicing physician of Ogden,
had performed an illegal operation.
nr. Baker was arrested on 4 war
rant and Meek, who had retained an
attorney named II. II. Henderson.
went to Ogden from Baker. New. vol
unfairly to answer the charge. At
Ogden he failed to appear in the po-
lice court as agreed and was arrested
by motorcycle policeman, VINO act
ed under instructions from Chief OF
Police Curtis l.. Allison. Meek was
held in the Jail building until his bail
could be fixed but not locked up. He
was released after he had deposited
$4,000 in cash.
This is the third time Meek has
gotten out of trouble of like char
acter All of these troubles occurred
In Ogden and in one of the cases he
was shown to have paid the girl ST.
00c. which caused his acquittal
His wife about that time obtained
a divorce from him and he was again
married. The wife he brought to Ba-
ker left him several months ago. Her
parents were at Baker with her.
Meek went to Ogden originally in
1914 TO buy horses for the French.
British and Belgian governments
after the opening of the war. From
that he branched out into various
ranch deals of speculative nature
and 1t was less than a year and a half
ago that he appeared In this part of
the country as tho visible head of a
new concern that had taken over a
portion of the old Baker Livestock
Company, which was in financial dis.
tress during the latter period of the
management of Guy Saval. He has
been running the big Baker ranch
since that time but did not get the
sheep and the upper ranch, which
went TO different company under
the management of d. C. Gemmell.
The Meek ranch is incorporated un-
der the name of the Utah-Nevada
Land and Livestock Company
Late last summer Meek leaped into
the public eye by promoting the great
scheme to film Emerson Hough's
story, THE Covered Wagon on an
immense scale by the Famous Play
ers-Laska Film Corporation on the
hiCoa anu III Aut SOutn Vi
rison. A special dam was built,
large fort on the east mesa, n tent
city was erected and several thous-
and people as actors and employees
were there for more than two
months. It was like finding money
for the people of Baker and Garrison
and hundreds of others. most of them
owners OF teams. to take part In the
performance and to transport bag
gage and supplies. with employment
for automobiles and trucks. Fabu-
louc wages were paid and men with
four and six horse teams are known
to have accumulated from $4,000 to
$4,000. Few events In western his
tory have matched II and in a ma.
terial way It resembled the manner In
which the ravens carried bread and
flesh TO Elijah at the brook Cherith