Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-10-05
A Word to the Public.

am satisfied, after more full and thorough
investigation, that the Sheriff, Van Orsdol, act
ed in full faith, and to the best interests of all
parties concerned, in regard to the matter of
my stolen horse.
And Furthermore state, that did not a,l-
thorize the editor of the BULLETIN to publish
anything in regard to the matter, neither did
ever state one word to MIR. TOman in regard to
the matter in question:. And it was wholly
without my consent and knowledge.
C. H. LosURE.
The above is handed us for publication
by Mr. Van Orsdol. 1t is the result of
his Sabbath days journey to the Losure
mansion, south of the Hospital, made in
hot haste after reading the BULLETIN of
last week. Let us dispose of the embel-
ishments before entering the heart of
the subject. The last paragraph is in
tended to convict the BULLETIN of false
hood, by placing an unwarranted con-
struction upon it's language, and has
been heralded in advance as certain to
have that effect. The imputation is a
man of straw" set up to be knocked
down. The BULLETIN said nothing
about being authorized" to publish
Losure's statement, nor did it pretend
to have had "one word" with Losuree.
Its language was as follows The
above facts are obtained from Mr..
Losure" That the same identical facts
accre obtained from Losure, or rather
that he voluntarily related them to a
score OF persons, we are prepared to
establish beyond question more than
that, We are ready to prove, if necessa-
ry, at moments notice, by testimony
that will not be disputed, that Losure
has admitted the truth of the essential
statement in our last weeks article,
since he signed the obore paper.
Now for the main issue. The public
will bear in mind that the gist of Lo-
sure's accusation was that Van Orsdol,
having knowledge. as an officer, of the
whereabouts of his Uosure's) stolen
horse, refused to divulg it or disclose
any clue to it unless he was first paid
$50. The people have no other interest
in the matter than to know if this
charge is true or false. Now what light
does Losure throw on that question in
the above document? Does he retract
or explain away his previous charge
against the Sheriff, volunteered freely
to parties on the street, at time when
he had no inducement to tell anything
but the truth? Does he say that Van
Orsdol did not try to make traffic of his
information? Not a word of it. He
merely gives Van sort of certificate of
character with the vague statement that
after thorough investigation'(D he is
satisfied that Sheriff Van Orsdol acted
in full faith and to the best interests of
all parties concerned" The only effect
this will have will be to excite public
curiosity to know just the process by
which Losure became satisfied" In
the meantime there is room for difference
of opinion as to whether VanOrsdol ac-
ted for the best interests of all parties
concerned, himself included
This is the vindication that Mr.. Van
Orsdol has been heralding on the street
for the past few days. If it cost him
any money-the facts brought out in
the Bodell matter, as well as indications
within itself, warrant us in assuming
that 1t did-it is the most improbable
piece of property he ever invested in.
Unless it contained positive and square
recantation of what Losure had told
scores of people, at time when he had
no motive for lying, Van Orsdol would
have done better not to have published
any card from Losure. As it is, it CON
firms the charge against him by failing
to deny it directly or by implication.
In fact, the charge stands without pub
lie contradiction of any kind, if we ex-
cept the mercenary paper across the
street, which, the best members of it's
own party tell us, is unreliable and I'M
worthy of confidence.