| Show T i NEPHI M SHEETS IS I SHOT DOWN BY ROBBE i Killed I by Highwayman as He J n f t Gate av n i Body Is Found on Sidewalk by Passerby Skull M Ma S H y Crushed by Bl Blow w as Well A Aas as Bullet j LAIN by an unknown robber Nephi SLAIN S M Sheets was found in a pool of his own blood in front of the home of his J D H McAllis McAllister ter East FIfth South street about 9 last night Death came from behind and proba probably bl bly without warning Visible evidence is to the effect that he was shot and possibly that his skull was crushed by bya I Ia a blow from tile the revolver or some Bome other heavy we weapon Just above the base of the skull and about an inch to the right of the meridian line is a ragged hole through which three fingers may be thrust The skull is shattered In sev several severa eral era directions and indications are that Ute life left the body in an instant A superficial examination of the body last nIght failed to disclose the loca location tion of the bullet but it will edly be found at the post mortem to tob tobe b be conducted today A distinct smell of powder about the head and the fact that residents in the neighborhood of the killing heard a sound like a shot make it practically certain that a ball was fired Into the brain The shattered skull leads to a belief that a blow was delivered in connection with the shot although men familiar with the effects of gunshot wounds assert that the skull might readily be fractured as in inthis inthis this case by the discharge of a heavy revolver held against the head Many Caught in Dragnet There is no evIdence as yet to indi indicate cate who fired the shot The police nf P h fn it took place but had little to work upon The dragnet process was in yoked and every suspicious character seen on the streets was taken into cue cus custody tody The list included d gamblers known crooks bums of all descriptions and wandering strangers who were unable to give satisfactory accounts of themselves The shot was fired a few minutes be before fore 9 Many persons of the I neighborhood heard it among them members of the family of Mr McAllis McAllister ter the but little atten attention attention tion was given to It until the bod body was as discovered by John Foote who is em employed employed at the City and County build building lug ing Mr Foote at once gave the alarm and a small crowd gathered soon In response to a telephone message from Mr Foote to the police station Officer John Corless and Patrol Driver Wil liam Armstrong hurried to the scene Detective George Chase Sergeant John Hempel and Fire Chief W H Bywater followed soon Killed at the Gate The body lay on Its back diagonally across the sidewalk almost directly in front of t the e McAllister gate Mr Sheets had evidently been in the Mt act of entering Into the gate to visit the fam family lly ily of his when he was killed The head was close beside a small stake driven In the earth to sup support support port wire placed there to protect a bit bitof ot of lawn between the fence and the sidewalk The feet lay to the south southwest west est The arms were extended and relaxed that there was no struggle Blood surrounded the body The head la lay in hi a mass mash of blood and alid brains that had escaped through the gaping wound The trousers pockets were turned inside out and were empty A handsome gold watch that was worn always by Mr Sheets was mIssing The pockets in the upper garments had hadnot hadnot not been disturbed apparently as 70 cents was found in a vest pocket His pipe lay In the snow beside hIm as If it had fallen from his mouth or his hand The body was warm when he officers arrived The body wa was removed to the taking house of Joseph E Taylor where a superficial examination was made by County Physician E W Whitney The hole was found to ex cx extend tend upwards into the head While re rese reserving se serving his decision until after a m mOre re thorough examination Dr Whitney joined with others in the belief that the wound was caused by a shot uI al although though he admitted the po that it had been accompanied by a heavy blow Justice Dana T Smith was sum Bum money and he will oHer an Inquest today McAllister Hears Shot Mr McAllister was in the act of re 10 retiring tiring when his children n told him th they had heard a sound like a shot Some suggestion about sandbaggers was made half jestingly but Mr MeAl lister paid little heed to it and contin continued ned his preparations for bed una unaware ware that his sisters husband lay dead in L front ot of the house houseA A few ew mInutes s later John Foote en route rout to his home South Third East street from the city and county build buildIng building Ing came by and encountered the bOdy lying across the sidewalk Mr Ir Foote believed he had found an intoxicated L man and struck a match to observe tile form more closely By the light ot oi the match he saw the pool ot of blood and I brains while the glassy stare of the thES eyes told him the man was dead He Hc S hurried back to the city and county r bull building ding and telephoned to the pollee station Returning toward his home he met two young men neither of ol whom he knew They told him they r had seen the bOdy and added that they r rhad had o observed served a tuft of hair on the I stake near rr Sheets he hed Later In Investigation instigation failed faile l to reveal hair on tin the i stake as described Mr Foote con contin ned to his home sickened by bythe the gha t St 1 1 ly sight and did not visit tI again Meanwhile James B McKee hooe part of the edd had dIscovered the bo body y Mf t informed DIr Mr McAllister and theY went to the body together B By that mat time the patrol wagon officers and several other persons had arrived S Mr McAllister was shocked to le rp that the dead man was his law He informed relatives and the remaIns to the ker er Mrs Sheets and Hyrum r n other of the dead dood man came quickly to the Sheets grief griet was great She was n permitted to view the body Had No Appointment Mr McAllister s says ys he had no ape ap with Mr tor te l night although the le man mn wa r a occasional caller at the t home Mr McAllister thinks r Mr Sheets had been property in the neighborhood oWned l by the estate of Mr Sheets rather father the late Bishop Elijah F Sheets and i to visit his relatives while walt waTh inS ing for a Waterloo car to bent beat hh t his home 1307 Fifth Is merely speculatIon None of the relatives had been baen with Ir Sheets after he left home in n tJ v n Ing and they do not know the ot the business that called him Circumstances favored the man wh did the killing kUling The aIr was frosty at an atmospheric condItion that the he s sound of a shot and Dr In McAllister family to r indoors Instead of rushing out when 3 a glimpse of the d 4 man nn n mIght have been se The took place near the of ef thi th light was comparatively dl so that several persons hI hii passed the body giving it no h further titan than a reflection that an man had fallen down It Is bh bi indeed that many did tilts r 4 the time was waz early In the the bo body lay Jay for somE minutes Mr Foote discovered it The th one much used by pedestrians ig it Impossible to gather any y from footprInts The fact that the man who killing took time to rifle hi his y pockets Is taken to indica t th t fhe fh robber daring possessed unu unusual ul Colnes 4 1 Not a Private Quarrel i Mr Sheets relatives and not attach any weight to a suggestion that his death might have been th result of a private quarrel ang and th t the bOdy was robbed to divert sU He lad had no enemies they h y but was a man ot of quiet genial n much loved loyed by those who knew hith l Mr Ir Sheets was 50 0 years ot of agean age an I 1 would have celebrated the anniversary of his marriage to Ellen McAllister had he Jan 1 He was a son ron ot of th the it Bishop Elijah F Sheets and SU nn Musser Sheets was born In Luko l e and lived here all his Ute life H Re ducted a feed stable In Salt Lak Lake tot fot many years and at the time Of f his death was employed as a sOll the Utah Independent Telephone corn pany He leaves a wIdow anCi an children the youngest a girl r 10 years The children are Roy fIa Irene Louise Don Scott K U lC Florence the last bein WI of Police Officer Charles J Leak r The family is a 8 pioneer one ane of t tf the state Among the brothers and sl t of Mr Sheets are EdwIn E L Jos Joseph ph H S Elijah Ray Samuel Milton MUton tin and Frederick Sheets rs T R It Wilson and Mrs Frank Davis He was wa a member of Eagle Gate lOdge No 10 A O 0 U W Mr Sheets is spoken ot of as a a man ott of excellent habits and the grIef amon amon F his relatives and friends is sincere He H was almost worshiped in his home hom Mr Sheets was in the prime ot of Ute life so far as physical condition was con concerned concerned He was about five feet teet ten inches in height weighed about aboul pounds and was an unusually strong and active man manSo manSo So far as members of the faintly y know Mr Sheets had little of value on his person except the watch T This ls was a gold watch of the hunting caIe type and had been in his possession for many years The cash in his was inconsiderable the relatives bo be consisting merely of n a few fes dol do t lars In pocket money STORY TOLD BY JOH JOHN N FO FOOTE TE TEMan Man Who Discovered Body It Was Drunken Drunk 11 Man ManI i iI I was on my way to my 13 home at South Third East from th the City n county building when I st tp bled over the motionless body 06 ofia a man mah stretched diagonally s the ild e f walk in froat of Mr MI borne m e on FIfth South said John Foote Foate W who Q found the bOdy W wa I and 9 p m Thinking the man was in intoxicated Intoxicated I a match to see lee lIs face more clearly and discovered a pool of blood under the head I ned Ined the face closely and knew by tJ the f glassy stare in the mans eyes t p was dead Horrified at my rr t I 1 retraced my steps to t the e county building where I dt police On my way home I t two young youns men bath to tome me who claimed they at ft of hair on the HIe stake near noor wieh Eans head l lay Y I cUd turn to the t 1 h however wever b but t went to n bo J believing the man had been sandbagged and In falling to the ground had struck the back ot of his head against the stake with such force that death resulted |
