Salt Lake Telegram | 1924-01-29 | Page 1 | Court Denies Retrial of Youths Convicted for Pierce Murder

Court Denies Retrial i Of Youths Convicted S F For or- or Pierce Murder Judge Ritchie Calls Consultation of Attorneys Attorneys' When Jurys Jury's Finding S Is Misplaced S Hett HeU was sentenced to death and the date c of f exe execution ul on f fixed S ed for March l 21 when court resumed at 3 Hayes was sentenced to life imp imprisonment c. c v- v t I Hett elc el elected ted to be shot 1 A AN N atmosphere her o of mystery pervaded th the courtroom courtroom of Ju Judge ge M. M ir L. L Ritchie at noon today when after alter denying motions for new trial to both Henry HenryO G Hett Ilett alias George Georgc Allen Alien and Arthur Hays convicted of the murder of Police Sergeant N N. P. P Pierce the court announced that he desired desire to consult 1 j I for lot the state and defendants In chambers and court would be In ln I II recess I I A half haIt hour later the cause of the Sudden Budden break in proceedings proceeding developed devel deve- when the V verdict of the Jury as to both Hett lett and Hays was found In th the clerks clerk's officer office where It was being copied into the minutes of the court BLANK SHEET FOUND It appears that when the court d denied nied the motions for new trial and turned to the files tiles of the case caseto caseto caseto to refer to the verdict of the jury In passing sentence the Judge suddenly suddenly sud sud- d denly discovered there was no verdict ver ye- dict diet there In place of the signed verdict of ot the twelve men was an Unsigned blank verdict form which had been discarded by tie the jury when it decided the case I. I The court Immediately called the for a consultation and an anno anno announced an- an I no a recess for a few minutes Hett and Hays sat chatting and l laughing with each other while the thC I conference was being held In the I court chambers A few moments and the Judge returned to the bench and announced a recess until 3 o'clock The cause for this was not announced d but was explained ned later when the court Informed inform d newspaper newspapermen men that the pr properly perly signed ver- ver I diet had been found and placed In Inthe InI Inthe I the files The wrong wrong verdict form had by S I mistake been inserted In the flies files of ot the case as but this was quickly remedied when the proper verdict I was found I ATTACKS CONFESSIONS S Attorney E. E F. F Allen of ot counse counsel for the convicted slayers opened the arguments at 10 o'clock this mornIng mornIng morn- morn Ing lag and continued until 1130 His ns I principal contention was that error errorS S had been e C J In admitting to evidence before the Jury certain portions of ot an alleged confession by bythe bythe the themen men said saido to o have been made to the police following their arrest At conclusion of the arguments of Attorney Allen Alien the court took a brief recess and Attorney James Hamilton then began arguments on the motion for tor new trial Hett Ilett was convicted of murder in inthe Inthe inthe the first firs degree without recommendation recommendation dation for mercy and Hays was convIcted convicted convicted con con- con con- I on the same count but with witha I a recommendation for life I I Hett Iett and Hays are alleged to have I r shot Sergeant Pierce when the lat I lat latter latter ter tel and Patrolman George F. F Watson WatI Watson Wat Wat- I son accosted them hem early In the i morning on n lower Main street andI and I Inquired where they were going