The advocate., 1892-06-15
REPUBLICAN vILLAINY.


arrest on charge of larceny Of Hon
A. j. Westfall, of Iowa, but we have
not had the facts to enable us to give
a true statement of the case. These
facts now obtained show the low
down villainy Of these stool pigeons
of monopoly. The IOaUa Farmers
Tribune publishes full account OF
the whole affair, and if the Republi-
can party can get any glory out of it
we extend congratulations. We only
hope the party will continueto pursue
the same methods to the end. "Whom
the gods would destroy they first
make mad"
The following are the facts as pub
lished by the Farmers Tribune:
One of the lowest, most unprincipled, con-
temptble acts ever stopped to by mortal man
was the arrest of Hon. A. j. Westfall and few
other farmers near Sergeant Bluffs, on the
charge of larceny of stuff washed down the
Missouri by the recent flood that did such dam
age TO Sioux City. The charge is utterly without
foundation, save that Mr.. Westfal and his
nelghbOrs did do all In their power to rescue
property that was taking free trip to the Gulf
Of Mexico and were so successful Inthelr efforts
as to be able to return many dollars worth TO the
owners.
The arrest had It's inception In the infnitismal
brains of political opponents, and was made
with no other end in view than the publication
by every old party paper In the country OF the
highly colOred reports prepared aud sent out for
the purpose OF multiplying Mr.. Westfall and the
reform movement, and the real facts in the case
are as follows
Walter Strange, drunken bOOder and rich
English land owner Of Woodbury. county, who is
also protege Of the Sioux City Journal, and
who was Republican candidate for mayor OF
Sioux CRY last spring, but was defeated by the
citizens candidate through the efforts Of the
citizens of both parties, was the man chosen by
the Journal to arrest Mr.. Westfall. But Strange,
fearing big damage suit, got worthless fellow
and emplOye of his to file the Information
against Mr. Westfall, and then tried to get Mr.
Westfall not to appear in the case, but fearing
that the matter was species of blackmall, Mr.
Westfall appeared and found only the Journal
reporter waiting to write up the case In the in
terest Of the vllllfeTs.
A subpoena was sworn out by Mr.. Westfall
and the arrested farmers for the scapegoat COM
plainant, and he could not be found until the
hour for the trial had expired and the case was
dismissed.
The facts In the case are that the recent flood
had swept hundreds Of dollars worth of property
onto the sand bars Of the Missouri river south
of Sioux City, Mr.. Westiall's farm lies four
miles south Of the city and he and his hired men
Joined with the nelghbOrlng farmers In remOv-
Ing the property to their farms along the banks
Of the river wnere it was Identified and claimed
by the rlghtful owners. Mr.. Westfall turned
over what property he had rescued to the city
government, the Sioux City & Northern railroad,
and the lumber companies of Sioux City, who
were the principal losers In the flood, and are
well satisfied with their treatment by Mr. West
fall and the rest of the farmers, and had nothing
whatever to do with the arrests, but regard it as
an outrage upon the community, for the arrests
stopped the work of rescue and the June rise
has now come and swept fully one-half Of the
property down the river, which is total loss.
The whole transaction shows to what depth the
old party journals will stOop In the coming con-
test. The Sioux City Journal Is great newspa-
per corporation and claims to make $4,000 a
year; itsedit or, Geo. d. Perkins, who Mr.. West
fall came so near defeating for congress, is
drawing $1,000 year now from the government,
and yet when a subscription is passed around in
Sioux City, the Journal subscribes S25 and sells,
on account Of the lJOd 1000 extra copies; yet it
has time and money to spare to destroy the
reputation Of private citizen like Mr.. Westfall,
simply because they fear his influence in the
coming contest, when Editor Perkins win again
be candidate for congress. But Mr.. Westfall