OCR Text |
Show I 1 : : -: - : I' A ' t v - - " , v j rr0 " v . .T .... - C:z: Will D: Tested in Court Wfcen Auditor Is Aslied to Draw Salary . Yfcrrant; Burbidc Rc-Vmains-as Captain; ,-'Qeorge A. Sheets, whose appointment as Chief of Police was confirmed last sight by the City Council by a vote of 7 to 6, was formally Installed in his office by Mayor Ezra Thompson at 10:45 o'clock thi3 morning. -. The formal seating of the new Chief Occurred at the police station. Chief Sheets, accompanied by Mayor Thompson, Thomp-son, City Recorder Nystrom, City Attorney Attor-ney Nye, Councilmen A. J. Davis and Daveler and a Telegram reporter, entered en-tered the office at that hour. Eurbidge Is Notified. Mayor Thompson approached Acting Chief Burbidge and said: "Captain Burbidge. Mr. Sheets has been appointed Chief of Police, and his appointment has been confirmed by the City Council. You will please turn the office and its responsibilities over to-him. to-him. I desire to thank you for the able manner in which you have conducted the office during your incumbency , and congratulate you upon your successful management of affairs." Aye, A-yo, Sir, Burbidga Says. "All right, sir," Captain Burbidge replied re-plied as he arose from the easy chair at the desk and conducted Chief Sheet to his new seat. Captain Burbidge was the first to congratulate Chief Sheets and extend him the good will of the department. "You will remain with us. Captain," the new Chler said. Congratulations followed from Mayor Thompson, City Judge Diehl, City Re- orcif r Nystrom, Assistant City Attor-rsT. Attor-rsT. Schulder, Councilmen Sharp, Dav-' Dav-' ner.1 A. J. Davis, Virus and former County Attorney P. P. Chrlstensen, who witnessed the installation. Everyone was in high spirits and expressed ex-pressed pleasure that the Mayor had finally scored a victory. xhe Il-iyor's View. " " " Mayor Thompson expressed himself as follows: "Right will prevail. It has been a long and arduous contest, but we have . won because we were in the right." After conversing for a few moments with the Mayor and Captain Burbidge, Chief Sheets went into the desk sergeant's ser-geant's office and shook bands with all the patrolmen who were there. He then held a reception of half an hour's duration. . Thirteen In the Tcast. Judge C. B. Diehl proposed a toast to the successful performance of duty and long life of the Chief. As the toast was about to be partaken of It was noticed that there were thirteen participants. This was considered an Inauspicious omen, and the fourteenth man was quickly found. After the hand-shaking and congratulating congrat-ulating by the Chiefs friends, he made the following statement to The Telegram: Tele-gram: .... No Changes on Force. "There will be no changes on the force, save for cause. Everything will go along as it has in the-past. There will be no removals." The friends of Chief Sheets declare, however, that he will make his hand felt among the criminal element and that he will risridly enforce every law when occasion is presented. .Conference Held. yllfcf of Police Sheets was in consul-tyoa consul-tyoa with Mayor Thompson, City At-""toifney At-""toifney Nye, City Recorder Nystrom and Councilman Daveler for nearly two hours before the installation. 11 City Attorney Nye was asked for an opinion as to the legality of seating Mr. Sheets on a majority vote of the Council Coun-cil members present at the Council session ses-sion la?t night. City Attorney Nye was unable to render ren-der a decision at once and went to his office to consult some authorities. During his absence Mr. Sheets and Mayor Thompson decided that it would be the best policy for Mr. Sheets to assume as-sume the office at once, and in case there was a contest, to fight the matter out in the courts, and have it settled once and for all. He Decides for Sheets. City Attorney Nye returned with his decision, which was in favor of Mr. Sheets taking the office. The party then left the Mayor's office of-fice and went to the office of City Recorder Re-corder Nystrom. where the official bond for J'000 wan filed. The bond was signed by Frank Knox, president of the National Na-tional Bank of the Republic, and J. C. Lynch. Mayor Thompson's business partner. As soon as the bond had been filed the Recorder was asked for an acknowledgment acknowl-edgment of the filing of the bond. "When this was given to Mr. Sheets he and the other officials went to the city hall, where the formal Installation occurred. oc-curred. . . Test Case "Will Come. It Is understood that when the City Auditor Is asked to issue a warrant for Chief Sheets' salary he will decline to do so.- Mandamus proceedings will at once be Instituted and a test case will po to the courts for decision as to the I legality of the Council's action. . Chief of Police George A. Sheets was Vrn here thirty-nine years ago, and was, educated In the public schools of the city. He followed various occupations until (Continued on page 8.) i Sheets Installed. (Continued from page 1.) March." 1890, when he was appointed a patrolman. In 1S92 he was promoted to the grade of sergeant and, after six months' service, was made a detective, in 1S93. He served in that capacity until un-til February 4, 1902, when he was removed re-moved by Chief of Police Hilton. Since that time he has conducted a private detective agency, and four months ago entered into partnership with former Deputy Sheriff Joseph Raleigh. Ra-leigh. Mr. Sheets is known as a detective of wonderful ability. He . knows every criminal in the Western country, and great things are expected of him by his friends. CONFIRMATION VOTE IN THE COUNCIL . STOOD JUST T TO 6 By a vote of 7 to 6, two members being be-ing absent the City Council last night confirmed Mayor Thompson's appointment appoint-ment of George A. Sheets as Chief of Police. In the minds of President Cot-treli Cot-treli and five other Councllmen who voted in the negative on the question of confirmation, Mr. Sheets needed S votes, a majority of the entire Council, to make his election effective. Sheets' friends and leading attorneys who have been consulted hold the opinion opin-ion that a majority of the quorum of the Council present had legal authority to Confirm the Mayor's appointment Statute in the Case, It is contended that the statute governing gov-erning the powers of City Councils makes only two exceptions where a quorum quo-rum cannot transact business; that is, when ordinances are passed or the city assumes liabilities. Upon the specific question of appointments appoint-ments the statute la silent hence it appears ap-pears that the confirmation of his api pointment by a majority of the quorum present cannot be successfully contested. contest-ed. It Is asserted that last .night's developments devel-opments were attained by Sheets' friends by means of a very clever scheme which they have had under consideration con-sideration for a long time. The story goes that Hewlett and Sharp were Induced In-duced to vote for Sheets under the impression im-pression that 8 votes would be required to confirm the nomination, with the understanding un-derstanding that Sheets would receive but 7. The Mayor's Letter. The matter came before the Council last night in the following communication communica-tion from the Mayor: To the Honorable Members of the City Council: Gentlemen: I hereby, with your consent appoint George A. Sheets to the position of Chief of Police of Bait Lake City, to till the vacancy caused by iha resignation of Samuel Paul as Chief of-Police. of-Police. 1 am, very respectfully, EZRA THOMPSON. Mayor. The communication was read by City Recorder Nystrom soon after the Council Coun-cil convened and Councilman A. J. Da-vis Da-vis at once moved that the appointment be confirmed. . The motion was seconded second-ed by Daveler and the roll was called, resulting as follows: Ayes Black. Daveler, Dav-eler, Davis, A. J. Hewlett, 8harp, Thomas, Thom-as, ,Vigus 7. Nays Arnold.. Davis. E. H. Eardley, S pence, Tuddenham, Cot-trell-45. Cottrell Says "Motion Is Lost" President Cottrell evidently considered consid-ered that 8 votes were required to confirm con-firm and announced: "The motion seems to be lost" Then without any further discussion of the matter the Council took up other business. The friends and supporters of Sheets proceeded to file the necessary bond which Mayor Thompson approved and made all preparation for the installation of Mr. Sheets as Chief of Police today. |