Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1892-07-21
A PIECE OF vILLAINY.
The Dastmrdly Attempt of towards -
Injure the Peoples Cause.

A short time since the press of CAPT.
talism, and especially those sheets which
are supporters of the Republican party,
published lie sent out from Iowa with
the set purpose of damaging the reputa-
ton of an honorable man and through
him the Peoples cause. A fair sample
of the heading given the article by the
editors of the money kings press is IAN
Alliance Man Arrested for Stealing"
The Iowa Farmers Tribune gives the
facts in the case as follows:
One 81 the lowest, most unprincipled,
contemplate 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 lar
ceny of stuff washed down the Missouri
by the recent food that did such dam
age to Sioux City. The charge is utter
ly without foundation, save that Mr..
Westfall and his neighbors did all in
their power to rescue property that was
taking free trip to the Gulf of Mexico,
and were so successful in their efforts
as to be able to return many dollars
worth to the owners.
The arrest had it's inception in the in
tinitesmal 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 col
ored reports prepared and 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 boodlel
and a rich English landowner of Wood
bury county, who is also protege OF
the Sioux City Journal, and who was
a Republican candidate for mayor of
Sioux City 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, fear
ing big damage suit, got worthless
fellow and employee 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 d species Of blackmail. Mr.
Westfall appeared and found only The
Journal reporter waiting to write up the
case in the interest of the vilifers.
A subpoena was sworn out by Mr..
Westfall and the arrested farmers for
the scapegoat complainant, but 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 re-
cent flood had swept hundreds of dollars
worth Of property onto the sand bars of
the Missouri river south of Sioux City. |
Mr.. Westfalfs farm lies four miles south |
of the city and he and his hired men
joined with the neighboring farmers in
removing the property to their farms /
along the banks of the river, where it
was identified and claimed by the right
full owners. Mr.. Westfall turned over
what property he had rescued to the city
government, the Sioux City and North
ern railroad, and the lumber companies
of Sioux City. who were the principal
losers in the flood, and are we'll satisfied
with their treatment by Mr.. Westfall
and the rest of the farmers, and had /
nothing whatever to do with the arrests. !;
but regard them as an outrage upon the
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 a
total loss. The whole transaction shows
to What depth the old party journals
will stoop in the coming contest. The
Sioux City Journals a great newspaper
and claims to make $50. 900
year; its editor, George d. Perkins, whom
Mr.. Westfall came so near defeating for
is drawing $1,000 a year now
rom the government, and yet when a