The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-07-10
UNEXAMPLED MEANNESS.
The "Post" and the Sheriff of &C.
dar County-How Malice and
Cowardice Unite and Speak
through the Ring Organ.


The following is quoted from the
Cedar Post Of last week, aud formed q
part of aD editorial article concerning
the late attempt to break Jail aud the
trial Of Mrs. Crawford therefor:
The people are settling down to .
| frfn conclusion that there 10 D bigger
niger inthe wood pile than has yet
been found and the question Is how to
get him out. Mrs. Crawford has been
here for weeks, visiting her husband
from one to three times per day just rs
she wanted to. though under protest
of the jailer aud his wife, and would
spend rs much time with him as she
pleased. She had . pass from the
Sheriff. permitting her to go to and
from the Jail at pleasure without any
precautions being taken TO prevent
her from conveying to her husband
any Instruments that might assist him
in making his escape.
1t appearS That since Crawford was
confined in Jail, the Sheriff has OBJ
tainsd new locks for some of the cell
doors; these locks had duplicate keys;
one set was used by the jailer, the
other the Sheriff kept in his Office
with the Auditor. CASTILLO was con-
fined in cell opposite that Of Craw-
ford's, with but narrow passage way
between them, SO that they could
easily communicate with each other
Crawford soon won the confidence of
CASTILLO, and an arrangement was
made to liberate Crawford as soon rs
CASTILLO got out it seems. In order to
a 81, ss,r, A.l
where the sheriff's keys were to be
found, in the Auditors Office where
the skeleton keys were that were ta-
ken from him when he was first arres-
ted also that the Auditor Was not
able to close the vault door, so that he
(Castello), could enter without any
trouble, and stated what window he
would find unfastened. As the seguel
proves, CASTILLO found everything
as had been stated by Crawford; he OBJ
tanned the Jail keys, skeleton keys and
other burglars tools, three cards of
postage stamps worth about nine dol
lars. and started for the jail; no other
damage was done in the Auditors
, office, except pretty thorough over
hauling Of the papers in the vault
The question that il on the lips of all
! is, how did Craw ford ascertain all
| this, lying closely confined i'm jail?'
! The cell locks were but recently Ob-
tanned. the old locks had no duplicate
| keys, and but few aside from the sher-
| if knew he obtained an extra set with
the new locks. Who told Crawford
| this? 1t has been but about three
weeks since the vault door was sprung
so that the Auditor could not lock 1t.
| Who told Crawford that it could not
be locked? There are things in this
brief episode that are shrOuded In
mystery, as there are in the rObberies
| that have been committed here; but
this comes nearer home; we realize 1t
more sensiblv, and 1t is hard for our
people to refrain from believing that
there are those among US whom we
! respect and honor who are guilty OF
dark crimes.
We would quote the above without
word Of comment, feeling that its
inherent malevolence must strike the
mind Of every reader, were it not for
the fact that it contains repeated un-
truths OF tn 9 grossest character, Of
which common fairness claims at
least refutation. It is true that with
Cilhl dCbCllSllC 0Au tWO-I0-
cedness the Post this week disclaims
an intention to animadvert upon any
county officer; but that it was gener-
ally understood by the public to be q
direct attack upon the Sheriff of this
county we have had abundant proof
out of the mouth OF men from many
| different localities. The following
comment on the same extract from the
Post given above is by the Mechanics
willie Press, and shows very plainly
how the Post article has been con-
strued in other parts Of the county:
1--WE are of the opinion that the
| Post man makes fearful mistake
when 1t hints or insinnates that Sher.
| i'll Shearer was cognizant Of the fact
that Crawford was laying his plans to
| break Jail, or the Sheriff was in the
least aware OF the fact. One would
| naturally infer that the Post was in
some measure responsible for such
| broad assertions "a the above. To
come before the people and tell them
that their servant, one who has been
tried and not found wanting. is in
league with thieves and robbers, to set
at defiance the laws as well as those
he has sworn to honor and protect.
"Would it not be well for the Post
| to come square to the point and say
that the Sheriff knew all this. That
he was cognizant of the fact, and knew
all the parties connected with the
different burgiaries committed in and
about Upton, as to say what 1t does ?
1t is the universal belief that the coun-
txyxa al 4, hAtt
more efficient Sheriff than at pres
ent.n
Now we say what we believe and
believe what we say when we assert
that the deliberate intention Of the
Post was undoubtedly to injure and
politically kill John d. Shearer by
that article. By mis-statement OF
facts and adroit insinuation by inter-
rogatory sentences, the editor who as
pires to be ring master upon capt.
tai Of wit which would not serve for
clown, hoped to do the injury In be-
half of himself and his clique and yet
escape all personal responsibility
therefor. He surely has not succeed
ed in the former; whether he will in
the latter or not remains to be seen.
We said nothing about the matter
last week, really supposing the appar-
eut animus of the article was owing
either to the Post mans acknowledged
inability to express himself intelligi-
bly, or else to his well acquired habit
of attempting to espouse both sides of
the same question. But any such
theory was quickly dissipated by his
subsequent course. AS soon as Sheriff
Shearer read the article in question,
he went to Mr.. James for an explana-
ton and received his prompt assur-
ance that he (James) had no idea or
intention Of rejecting upon him
(Shearer) in the least, and that he
(James) would make it all right next
week." The Sheriff rested upon this
for the time being; but, learning how
great the feeling about the article In
other parts of the county, bethought
himself that it would be we'll to have
Mr.. Posts admissions in black and
white. He thereupon prepared ques-
tions, to answer which in the negative
would only have been to bind himself
publicly to the assurance already CIV
-, ~. h