OCR Text |
Show OGDEN'S ONLY LYNCHING RECALLED IN LETTER TO MAYOR; APPOINTMENT OF TWO WOMEN SLEUTHS RECOMMENDED Following an inspection of vice conditions con-ditions in Ogden, Gilbert R. Belnap, former Wober county sheriff, has written writ-ten Mayor Frank Francis a letter In which he declares he finds conditions excellent. He urges the appointment of two 'women detectives to scrutinize conditions condi-tions in rooming houses. As an introduction to tho report Mr. Belnap tolls of the first and only lynching in' the history of Ogden. His letter: "It hus been my privilege to be Intimately In-timately acquainted with Ogden City and its officers since the year 1S50, when the provisional form of government govern-ment was first Introduced, and to see Ogden grow and progress steadily from that time on until now we seem to be at the threshold of a greater growth than ever before. "I remember vividly the completion of the Broom Hotel, the erection of which took place while I was away for two years. Upon my return, however, I remember what an Improvement it was to Ogden to have such a struc-I struc-I ture. "It was about 3 a. ni. when I arrived over the Union Pacific and upon walk-1 walk-1 Ing out of the station I found that a I tow board walk had been laid from he depot to Washington avenue. It eing rather dark at that hour In the nornlng and just as still as death I .valked rather slowly eastward toward Washington avenue. I soon caught sight of the new building, however, towering above all of the other buildings build-ings around it. Dangling of Body "While standing there admiring the new hotel I was attracted by a peculiar pec-uliar crocking sound much like the sound oi a rope of a swing huug over i rafter makes when the children are swinging back and forth in it. 1 went in ihe direction of the sound and could se1 Ihe form of a body dangling from n rafter of the old belfry which was . located near the police station and iscd as a curfew and also to turn In a fire alarm. "As ii got lighter and lighter I could see that it was the form of a man. I looked around and on seeing a light in the police station window, I called to :h jailor, who opened the window and risked what was the msMor. I pointed to the limp form of the man dangling j .rom the noose of a new rope fastened I lightly around his neck and the jailer 1 immediately came out. "By that lime we could see that it ns a Jap. and later Charlie Nelson, ho ran a livery stable on the east i--ide of Washington avenue, came out, and seeing the Jailor and myself gazing gaz-ing at the horrible spectacle, came over Immediately as surprised and astonished as-tonished as we were, bringing with him his neighbor, James Burrup. "Charlie recognized the form Immediately Im-mediately as that of a well known Japanese Jap-anese cook who had been emplyed in different places in Ogden. "We could hardly wait until the paper pa-per came out to sec an account of the lynching. When wc did read tho account ac-count It told of somo trouble the Jap had had the night before with a white woman over some money, and how he had become enraged a"t her and drawing a pistol shot her to death A mob gathered immediately on hearing the news and captured the Jap, bought a rope and hung him to the rafters of the old belfry. "This is the only lynching I have eveV heard of in Ogden's history. "By telling this story. Mayor Francis, Fran-cis, I have wandered somewhat from the purpose of my letter to you, for which departure I hope you will pardon par-don me. i "Tho real purpose of my' letter to you Is to give you a written account of my findings after visiting the bus-i iness district of Ogden, to ascertain the general condition of rooming 'houses, pool halls, restaurants, and icard houses to find out how and under j 'what conditions they were being run. "I am very pleased to report, that although some of the pool rooms and) card houses were crowded to over flowing with from fifty to one hundred! and twenty-five men. still, a very or-j derly condition prevailed and thore j seemed to be little need for anything . but an occasional glance by an officer i of the law. "My visits to the rooming houses j and restaurants convinced me that !two lady' detectives could better get a true report of their actual condition, and the same lady detectives could i search the lady prisoners "brought to j the station and could be called upon to do a great many things in detective , work that a man could not accomplish and for these reasons would be an in-: valuable asset to the city. "I beg to report further that by reas-: on of the orderly conditions found In j and about the numerous pool halls j and card houses of the city I believe that it would take but one half of the I present police force to properly police J thf city. Of course in special cases like that which prevailed last summer i any adequate number might be ap-! pointed during the crisis. J "I therefore beg to submit the above, report for your consideration.'" |