Salt Lake Telegram | 1941-02-13 | Page 6 | Murder in an Armed Robbery

Murder in An Armed Robbery BLOODED COLD murder by an armed thug A of an Ogden police pollee of officer fleer as he entered a Safeway store in answer to a police call but not knowing that a holdup was In progress proves again again ll if any proof is necessary that necessary that armed robbery is always potential murder and that all armed robbers when caught should be treated as the potential killers they are In the Ogden case the armed robbery resulted resulted re re- re- re suited in murder because the holdup man happened to be surprised in the act by a police officer Because of that unfortunate circumstance circumstance circumstance circum circum- stance the robber will unquestionably receive the maximum punishment under the law as ashe ashe ashe he should But suppose he had gotten away with the robbery without killing anybody and later been captured Or suppose that his aim hadn't been quite so good and he hadn't murdered D Detective Gates of Ogden Then it would have been a different story Past experience proves the robber would have been sent ent to prison for a few years ears and then paroled for another chance Another chance at what To commit murder murder mur mur- der That's the potential goal of every thug who uses a deadly weapon to commit a crime That's what they're threatening That's what they have in their heart That's what they'll do given the right set of circumstances Detective Gates Is dead Nothing can restore restore restore re re- re- re store him to life lie Nothing can avenge his death or compensate his family or society for his dastardly murder Even if U his slayer pays the extreme penalty that Isn't fair exchange surely surely the life of a notorious criminal and murderer isn't worth as much to society as the life of a good police officer a good husband and father and a good citizen Yet Detective Gates' Gates death may not be e entirely entirely en en- in vain if U It influences courts and penal authorities in Utah to recognize all aU armed robbers r rob bers bert for what they are potential are potential murderers and to deal eal out to them the certain and drastic punishment that they deserve It might be in that event the death of Detective Detective De De- Gates would serve to save the life of ot some other police officer or of some citizen citizen- because as the result of more drastic punishment punishment punish punish- ment of armed robbers these potential murderers murderers murderers mur mur- would not be lightly sentenced and lightly released for another chance chance chance-at at murder