Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-09-28
A STRANGE FREAK.-We think Sher-

| A STRANGE FREAK.-We think Sher-
if Van Orsdol has made serious mis-
take and very imperfectly comprehend
ed the responsibilities attached to his
office, in refusing to divulge to Mr.. Lo-
sure the whereabouts Of his stolen
horse, unless he is paid 500 in advance
for the information. It will be remem-
bered that Mr.. Losure's horse was sto-
len by Frank Smith, one of the gang
of thieves who escaped from the jail
some weeks since. When Sheriff Van
Orsdol went to Missouri after Smith,
he obtained word OF Losure's horse. eli
Their from Smith himself or the local Of
ficers. When the Sheriff returned, To-
sure went to him, confident that he
would receive information that would
enable HIM to recover. his horse, which
he sorely needs, being poor man. He
was met, however, by the Sheriff, with
a demand for $25 finally reduced to
$2O-in hand before he would impart to
him single inkling Of the whereabouts
of the animal Mr.. Losure expostulat-
ed, saying that he was poor man and
that without the 500 it would cost him
all that the horse was worth to get him
back; but finally told Mr.. Van Orsdol
that if he could tell him where he could
find the animal, and he succeeded in re-
covering him, he would pay the $40 on
his return. Mr.. Van Orsdol positively
refuses to give single clue to the sto-
len property unless 500 in cash is paid
into his hands, and thus the matter
stands at present.
But Mr.. Van Orsdol has some sort of
defense or apology for this rather
singular conduct, and has entrusted the
making of it to the editor of the paper
of intermittent politics across the way.
This defense is that Mr.. Van Orsdol
promised the officers in the locality
where the horse is concealed "a liberal
fee" for hunting him up, that they found
the horse, and have written to Van Ors-
dol that they have been to some trouble
and expense, and that they would charge
$40 for the information; furthermore,
that Mr. Van Orsdol has spent some So
in telegraphing and postal cards which
no generously () proposes to lose. From
this it appears that Mr. Van Orsdol is
acting merely as the agent of the for
eign officers, and that to enforce their
demand he is willing to practically be-
come party to the concealment of sto-
len property. OF course he does not
view it in that light, but that is substan-
TALLY what it is. Putting it on his own
ground, he has no right to obstruct the
recovery Of stolen goods from mere sell
fish regard for his own pocket He is
the best paid officer in the county, and
he should not have suffered the paltry
consideration Of 500 to induce him to
defeat Or delay Mr.. Losure in the recov-
cry of his property. He is derelict in
his duty when he makes information of
this nature a secret, only to be extract
ed from him by the payment of a fee
He should at least have given Mr.. Lo-
sure the names and address of the par
ties in whose interest he makes the de-
mand for money, so that he might then
have went to them and made the best
terms he could.
Again, if Mr. Van Orsdol did make
contract with the officers in another
State and promise them this money, it
is no more than justice that he should
pay it out of his own pocket If he had
acted upon the suggestion of the Board
and locked his prisoners in the cells at
night, they would not have escaped, and
Mr.. Losure's horse would not have been
stolen in consequence. His negligence
cost Mr.. Losure over 500, for which
the information he possesses would be
cheap recompense without the demand
of fee for it.
The above facts are obtained from
Mr.. Losure.