Show CHIEF SHEETS STEPS DOWN BURBIDGE IS IN COMMAND Resignation Is Filed With City Recorder and Police Captain Is in Charge of Department Series of Criminal Proceedings Following McWhirter RObbery Finally Forces the Chiefs Honorable Mayor and City Council or of Salt lAke I herewIth tender my resignation of the oUke otilee of chief of police of Salt Sail Lake City to t ke kC effect Immediately Yours re Salt City Utah July n 31 1907 GEORGE A SHEETS George Geurge A Sheets Is now a private cit citIzen citizen Izen His resignation as chief of police pollee was sent to the city recorder late yesterday esterday afternoon and became at once Without waiting for the mayor or the elt city council to take any action in the matter he turned over oyer the office to Cap Captain talim tain John B Burbidge who will he be acting actins chIef or of police until a successor or orto to Sheets is appointed The decision of Chief Sheets to re resign resign sign yesterday was made Tuesday aft afternoon afternoon after a consultation wIth his at attorney torne torney S Soren ren X Christensen The rf re Is of course the culmination of nearly a year of adverse criticism following the McWhirter robbery of Sept 19 1906 Immediately after atter the robbery his resignation was requested by many because of the charge that he was implicated in it The Amor Amer American lean ican party leaders however insisted that the chief was Innocent and that his resignation would be in the nature or of an admission of guilt TIme The chief himself said that he would follow what ever eyer course his party deemed wise Series of Complaints Chief Sheets was arrested shortly after the expose of the case on tile the charge of being an accessory after the fact to the robbery robber On Oil this he was freed by JUdge Arm Armstrong Armstrong strong after a preliminary hearing last November Following the arrest and confession conCessIon of W r one of the bunco men who robbed the Mc Ic Sheets was gain again arrested This time lIe he was ch charged with inal y yAt At a preliminary hearIng In Judge court W Yo n IL who had turned states evidence gave time the thep p positive I ive t testimony conn th the chief with the robber robbery H said that t he amu am W W v Bell his parth r In crime had enjoyed police pollee protection while carry Ingon lug bunro games game and had paid th thI the I chief a week for this protection As the result of this evidence the chIef was held to the district court for trial Case Is Dismissed Once mor th there re was a demand for forthe forthe the resignation of the chief and this Um time from some of the members of his own party part In the district court how hov ever eer tile the complaint and information against the chief were adjudged Im Imperfect imperfect perfect and the case dismissed The demand for Sheets r was natural naturally diminished The chief ho how however ever eyer d to take advantage or of the decision as a vindication and to resign while there was no charge against him This time many of those who had for formerly merl merly requested his resignation op opposed opposed posed It Before any was wae taken In the however another charge was med filed against Sheets The complaint agaIn alleged crIminal conspiracy and was drawn In tile the precise language of the one which was dismissed in the dis district court The case went before Jus Justice Justice tice Nephi Timpson of the Forest Dale precinct who alter after much delay held the chief to the district court for trial on the charge charte Within a few da days rs after aCter the chief I had been bound over oyer on the conspiracy I charge a new complaint against hIm I charging bribery was 88 In Bishops court Simultaneously with ith the arrest of the chief for the fourth time In connection with tile the robbery robber came the confession of W V W V Bell who had been arrested by the sheriffs department nt for his connection with the Time rhe publication of this confes confession lon cx c cited much comment and caused a dp de for the of the by American leaders leader B lr statement was even more positive that of He said that on tw t different occasions he had bad paid th chief bribe mone money In addition to thi th the pro prosecution js Is In possession of th confession of James Donaldson an another other oilier of the bunco gang recently con convicted of grand graml larcen larceny because of hf hs part In the tue affair His statement though not as as Bells lor cor corroborates It in a measure Plan Is Changed Several b between tween the rh ft and his counselors wore held and it i iwas was wa decided that the chief resign when the ease reached the district court This did not satisfy time the majority of heads of the party however said salol that time the defeat of the American county ticket last laet fall was Wag partially dw to the charges a against the chief and amI that In case the chief remaIned In of f flee fice the city campaign would be in fun progress before the case re reached bt d th district court and that the chief agaIn be made an Is issue ue Throughout the entire trouble frn fr I 1 Ithe the time of his first t arre arrest t She ts has expressed a wIllingness to 0 resign in case cage hl his party desired it Thi fact that he Ii has bas not resigned Is due chiefly to the obstinacy of Mayor Ezra Thompson who 00 has always r posed such a move moye even eve to the of hinting that In case Sheets resigned he to retire The resignation of the chief was writ written ten teim yesterday esterday afternoon by Attorn Sor Soren n X N n after a king Jong talk with Mayor Thompson It wall wa b by the chief and sent lent shortly 1 j to Pity Recorder J B MOT toll who will present It ft to the council coun I at Its next meeting Chief Sheets Statement On behalf ot of the chief Attorney So Soren ren remi X Christensen gave out the fol following lowing lowins statement nt yesterday Mr Ir Sheets being Ing asked his rea on for resigning his office cube of chief of P 11 lice stated that his principal rEason was the difficulty of maintaining pm ethl elent police while w hile he himself is time the subject or of prosecutions for divers alleged crimes and misdemeanors that every possible effort had been ma made le leand and Is now continually being made t to discredit him and his administration or of orthe the office that rooks creaks thieves and holdups of the same class as those thoe to tJ whom favor and Immunity are being bling extended by the state officials feel li Ii licensed censed to carryon on their depredations knowing that the police pollee of the city art are artIn In a measure discredited by a portion of the community and are without the moral support necessary to an efficient administration of the department Mr Sheets further stated that no considerations other than those above aboe Continued on Page 2 BURBIDGE IS IN COMMAND I tat d could coul n e h to r as l t j I ert him that thai AS It ts Is er ert t to under fire lie he ld consIder I t if i f c c to hilow such sucha I a c 1 to th him against doing what ho he considers hIs I duty under the cIrcumstances Being asked as to whether his res resignation I ignation had been demanded by the American party part Mr Sheets said he had not made his cas case at any time a party question He had never asked the party for support or assistance and had ne never cr received any from that r rs As s to the t pios c l pending bending him hith M l s ed sUpreme cd hi the o t only i asked a qUare d 1 lie stated that h wa ly ot of any In malfeasance In office of any whatever that he had endeavored I ored to do illS duty to the best of hiS ability and It If he had failed In any particular It was due to some over oversight Sight or and not to an any II willful or Intentional omission or wrong against any person or persons I whatever |