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Show Off SCERS DO NOT BELIEVE HOEVEN i Man in Chicago Confessor He Robbed an Ogden Rooming House and an Innocent Person is in Prison for tho Crime History I of the Robbery. j CHICAGO, Dec. 29. A former clerk In a hotel In Ogden, I'tah, is now Mrving e.'ght years In the I'tah penitentiary peni-tentiary for a crime he never committed, commit-ted, if tho story told ere tonigtbya man calling himself Edward Hoeven proves true. Uneven even stopped a mounted policeman and gave himself up. "I held up the clerk of a hotel in Ogden a year ago." ho said, "and stole tl0 from him. Ho made a game fight and fired two shots at me, later I lead the clerk was convicted of stealing steal-ing the money and sentenced to serve eight years in prison. Now my con- arrest and taken to tho station, soon J to be released, because the officers could plainly tee that he was not tho holdup. When he returned to tho hotel. Lang stated. Smith took him upstairs aud, In his presence, took the money from uuder the carpet of one of tho rooms and, accompanied by Lang, went across the street and hlj tho money back of billboards that were standing there at the time. The money was never recovered, though, as it was impossible for Lang to state tho exact spot where it was left. A careful 6rarch was made, but the certificates cer-tificates were not In evidence. Morris Kohn, confined in ihc county .t.ll- C..l.l ... jmi num.- cujun was mere, lesu-iled lesu-iled that Smith confessed the entlro affair aud told him practically tho same story that Lang told ou tho witness wit-ness stand. -Jfo and Smith at first wero chummy in the Jail, Smith confiding con-fiding his secrets to him. They afterwards af-terwards had a falling out and Smith abused Kohn. It was then that Kohn unveiled the secret to the officer, and ho was called to testify acainst Smith. History of the Case. A brief history of tho case is that I on January S, 10S. a man by the name of Miller took up lodging nt tho Ogden rooming bouse on Twenty-fifth Twenty-fifth street, a few doors west of Lincoln Lin-coln avenue, and left eighteen $5 clearing house certificates with .tho clerk. Joseph Smith, brother of George H. Smith who had leased the place from William Lucos, the proprietor of the house. The certificates were placed In the safe in the office. During Dur-ing that night George Smith report- science is bothering me." Hoeven will bo hold while the police communicate with Ogden. Rnd if the rtory is corroborated, Hoeven will be taken to Utah. Story of the Local Officers. On. lea officers are strongly of the pinion that Hoeven Is telling a cock ; . 1 bull story to the Chicago pyllc tor some purpose best known to hjm-l'!f. hjm-l'!f. They state that there Is no i!i:'il(in in their ndmls thai Smith i'.ili"r;iti ly planned to bent Miller out ! I he ?ii in clearing horse rerllfl- ;1hS deposited at the Ogd- n hotel, lie succeeded In doing so, for the money has never been recovered. It ' is more than likely that young Jo-Sfph Jo-Sfph Smith, brother of George, and "Ili-d,'' gambled the in-mcy at f;cro. Detective Pender states that George Smith asknowlodpc I to him that he took the money from the saf and deliberately frame 1 up the alleged holdup, Smith idling the officer Just how ho accomplished it. Deputy Sheriff John Murphy, who pceoinpar.lcd Smith to tho penitentiary, peniten-tiary, states that while on the way to the pen, Smith told him that he was puilty and he explained how the trick wps turned. All the officers who had anything t do with tho case say It Is a certainty cer-tainty thiit Smith Is not wrongfully In the penitentiary. Tho transcript of testimony in tho raes discloses the fact that Josepli lnng whs a witness to the alleged holdup and that he also wa a witness wit-ness to the "frameup" that Smith prepared to get the money. While ho did not see Smith take the money from tho safe, he siw h!m open the safe ami take something from it on tho night of the alleged robberv. ea to tne police station that his place had been held up by a highwayman and the safe robbed of the clearing house certificates and a gold watch. The officers made a careful investigation investiga-tion of the affair and finally camo to (he conclusion that Smith had not been held up, but had faked a holdup and himself had stolen the- money. He was charged with gTand larceny and was given a trial In tho district court in the latter part of March, a verdict of guilty having boon rendered rend-ered by a Jury. He was sentenced to serve S years in tho penitentiary and is now serving that time. Others Implicated. Joseph Smith, a brother of George, received the certificates from Miller, ho halng been at the office when ler came In, and, it is believed by those who have kept close track of tho affair, that the voune man ns- soclated with "Red", a fellow well known to the police officers, knew where the cache was made behin I the bill boards and that he plaved the money at the faro table In eome of the gambling houses. Both oung Smith and "Red" made their "hasty exit from tho city at the tlmo and have not been seen since. May b "Red." Some are inclined to think 'Red-1 'Red-1 the fellow "who is making tho "stall" with the Chicago officers, his purjKise being, perhaps, to get free transportation to Utah and create a small sensation. Wll'lum Lucas of the Ogden hotel states that George Smith told him that his brother .Too, was responsible for the loss of the certificates and rather than see him go to the penitentiary peni-tentiary he would assume the responsibility. Robbery Is Planned. Mr. Lang stated that he was drinking drink-ing beer with George Smith at the Ogden beer hall, across the street from the Osdcn bouse, on tho evcuiug of the occurrence when hla brother. Jo-cph Sralih. came rufhlnc; in and told Oeorgo that there wa $90 iu the safe. Lang said that nftor the younger Smith hud returned to the hotel, George said to him; "We will Pet into that sefc tonight, U will be like taklug candv from a KlU. Lang akej him how he would arrange ar-range it, to which Smith replied that everybody would be ordered nut of the house and the place would be held up. Tho men afterwords returned to the hotel After bring there a short time. Smith told Lang to get his broom nnd becln sweeping L.mg was em-ployed em-ployed as Janitor. LanR eal ,hat he be?nn the sweeping operation but hit Smith stepped outside, rcturn-le rcturn-le mmedlatoly. however, and con-mended. con-mended. -Breryb.Kiy out " rvn?,". VlTl Fa,d thnt "'eryln.lv r ove, hurriedly and cft tnp ' ,ar that Smith then walked behind the t it th fC? lh3J: h K anything f shot. ahodfd?elhTw" across the street in 1 .Ji V advised I the o Place had been robbed. LanJ Aid that Smith offered him 5 r Part la the affair it IooWp.i k Lang Wag Arrested. Officers were soon on ,he RrPlind Larigi.aH, and he wagjdjiced under |
