Show CITY GITY REPUDIATES REPUDIATES' fA FAUS US MURDER REWARD Attorn Attorney y ly I Rules ul s Mayor Nor Commission Have Right to Make Appropriation At Atthe the recommendation of Corn Com mis mis- Herman Heman Green Geen the city c com commission cam cam- m mission today d denied nied Levi Lev L. L Peder- Peder sons son's claim for fo the he city reward eward of that was offered for information l leading lead ad ading ing to the arrest and nd conviction of the peso persons s responsible for fo the murder of Charles A. A Faus Th The denial was based on the opinion of City Attorney W W. 1 H. H Folland that a aI I formal offer of reward had not been I made and that paying money for fo re rewards rewards rewards re- re wards was not an avenue in which city funds could be spent Salt Lake City cannot pay a a reward to any claimant for lor information that led to the arrest of ot the murderers of 01 Charles A A. Fa Fads Faus s City Attorney W VT II H. Folland yesterday In a written written written writ writ- ten opinion A reward of was of offered offered offered of- of a few da days acter after the shooting by Mayor C. C Clarence who stated th that t he was a acting h in behalf of or the I commissioners and this under the opinion of the city attorney cannot be paid It was during a meeting of the city commission that the offer of ot a reward b by the the city city was announced Mayor Nesben from the head of ot the I I commission table beckoned to newspaper newspaper newspaper per men at the commission and de declared de- de dared We Ve have just offered a reward for tho the arrest of the Faus murderers NOT ON RECORD Several days later when the police pollee were informed by Levi L. L Pedersen that Gilbert L. L Brighton was one of the murder gang a search earch was was made for forthe the he formal offer of reward to determine the exact wording of ot the offer CIt City Recorder W. W A. A Leatham and Deputy Recorder H. H Warren Smith were yere positive positive tive that such an offer had been made but were unable to find It In the records records rec rec- of commission meetings Mayor was next approached and he declared that the offer had been Informal Informal In formal and that details would have to be be as ascertained from the city ney j C The opinion from th city attorney yesterday was given in answer to a a. petition addressed to the commission I by Levi L. L Pedersen who claimed a portion of the reward because of In Information information information in- in formation he lie gave t the e police pollee As a re reI result re- re I sult suIt of the decision it is expected that Commissioner Herman H. H Green I head of the finance and affairs department department depart depart- ment will recommend denial of Pedersen's Pedersen's Pedersen's Peder- Peder I sens sen's claim MAYOR BLAMED I I The city attorneys attorney's y opinion holds that Mayor exceeded his authority by offering the reward If It the city attorney rules that a reward may not be paid there is nothing to do but deny the claim Mayor said yester yester- day The opinion of ot the city attorney was as follows I return here with petition No I by Frank B. B Scott attorney asking that Mr Levi L. L Pedersen be paid I reward offered by the city for Information I tion leading to the arrest of the principals principals principals prin prin- In connection with the Faus I murder The facts with regard to the offer of ot this reward are about as folOn follows fol fob f lows i On or about the day of February February February ary 1922 the mayor stated to tp the newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper reporters that the city would of offer fer a Reward eward of ot In this case and this statement was published in the newspapers of February 5 However no proclamation was Issued by the mayor npr npr was any formal action taken by the board of commissioners so that there is nothing to indicate the terms and nd conditions of 01 this offer ex except except ox- ox the newspaper statement that the city would offer a reward This Is al altogether altogether al- al together too indefinite and informal to bind the tho city I have no doubt that the board of commissioners would willIngly willingly willingly will will- back up and make good the mayors mayor's statement if it has the tho power so to do The serious question Is has the board of ot commissioners or the mayor power to app appropriate funds from the public treasury for this purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose In our opinion they have not since the purpose Is not a municipal or corporate one |