Salt Lake Telegram | 1939-01-27 | Page 28 | Dismissal of Bribery Indictment Against Lauren W. Gibbs Looms

Dismissal of Bribery Indictment Against Lauren W. Gibbs Looms Dismissal on Saturday In Third district court of an Indictment charging Lauren W. Gtbb. investment invest-ment broker of Salt Lake City, with bribing a former public official loomed Friday after a pronouncement pronounce-ment of Attorney General Joseph Che. "Wo have no more evidence to present against Mr. Gibb than w had la the Fisher trial," said Mr. Che. The Fisher case resulted in dismissal, so it would be a wast of money to push the Gibba Indictment." Indict-ment." Reference to th "Fisher case" recalled a similar chart against Georg A. Fisher, former secretary and member of th stale land board. whs was Indicted at th same time a Mr. Glbb on a charge of receiving receiv-ing a bribe. Th charge against Mr. Fisher was dismissed January 23 by District Dis-trict Judge M. J. Bronson after the prosecution failed to assertedly connect con-nect up a chain of circumstantial documentary evidence to support the charge. The indictments, returned July IS. 13S, alleged Mr. Gibbs gave and Mr. Fisher received a 1300 bribe on September S, 1934, under a purported pur-ported agreement that Mr. Fisher's official acts would be influenced In favor of the Gibb company on bond transaction. Among other things shown by i evidence adduced at the Fisher trial waa that the sum Is listed on Gibbs company hooka as an "account receivable" re-ceivable" and that It was closely related to another transaction Involving In-volving th receipt of 11000 by Mr. Fisher as a loan on property at Keetley, Utah, wher Mr. Fisher re-aides. re-aides. Dismissal of th so-called, Glbb oas will leave only a dosen or more case based on the grand Jury probe of alleged police graft on the district dis-trict court trial calendar. Trial of these cases. District Attorney At-torney Calvin W. Rawllngs said, will probably be delayed for three or four weeks du to absence of som of th defense attorneys. One attorney is In California on business, busi-ness, another is confined to his home by an injured shoulder, it was reported. Out of nearly a acor of grand Jury Indictment charges not a single sin-gle conviction hsa thus far been obtained by the state. Approximste-ly Approximste-ly one-third of the cases have been disposed of, It was disclosed by district dis-trict court records. Trial of th remaining so-called police graft cases will start, It was indicated by Mr. Rawllngs, with a criminal conspiracy charge pending against former Mayor E. B. Erwin, former Chief of Police Harry L. Finch, former Captain of Police Frank A. Thacker and R. O. Pearce. an attorney. It I th first cas at issue on the calendar. The defendants defend-ants are alleged to have conspired to allow gambling and disorderly bouse to operate contrary to law. A price fixing charge pending against Jack H. Conner, business agent of the International Brothee-hood Brothee-hood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs. Stablemen and Helpers, local No. 222, is not yet at issue on the trial calendar, it was revealed. Mr. Conner Con-ner la alleged to have participated in an agreement to fix prices of bakery products.