Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-12-14
AN ATTACK
UNWARRANTED.
A Wise Nan Attempts TO Hold up Our
Citizens as BIOOdihirsty.
where WAS he SATURDAY?

where WAS he SATURDAY?
In the Topeka Daily Herald of
Dec. 18th appeared a signed letter
from this city as a special to that
publication, over the signature of
|. j. Mcdonald. This letter goes
so far in its attempts to discredit
the officers of this city and county,
and the people generally. that we
feel some reply should be made.
The article attempts to hold
up to scorn some of the best
people of the city, some of the
people connected with the bank,
some of the city officers. and some
of those who we're doing what
they thought was for the interests
of the community. If the gentle
man who wrote the above letter
was in the city on the dsy the
bank robbery occurred, he
showed his poor citizenship by
not taking the lead, or at least
advising with those who were at
tempting to make the capture.
If he was accustomed to such oc.
curences, he should have been
Johnny on the spot. If he was
not accustomed to this class of
work. or did not know the best
thing to do, his hindsight is just
like that of other people, better
than his foresight. His fippant
remarks about Frank Brinkman
signing" with the bank or
deDositors. the cashier of the bank
coming across stronger, not a lull
in the farce" when a man was
killed, an alderman" hiding be-
hind a telegraph pole, a feshy
lady coming down the stairs six
steps at a time, the idiots" car
rying weapons, and other phrases
used in the article, the entire pur.
port of which is TO glorify the
criminal, and belittle the citizens
of the town, who are far above
either the robber or the writer,
both seemingly of small caliber.
1t is true that since the thing is
all over, people can see where the
capture of the man wanted could
probably have been executed
easier. Also it can be seen how
easy it would have been for Others
to have been killed, or how easy
i { would have been for no one moi
connected with the city or county
in an official position to have kept
away and not run any risk. Had
the writer of the article been
looking into the..muzzle of a CUR
as did some people in the deal, he
Nigh feel differently. True there
has been no inquest held over the
body of Westfall, something that
many people believe should have
been done. True, the robber did
not commit crime to justify {
mob or an officer shooting him
down on sight. True also, thai
be was a criminal, no one knew
how much of of a one, and what
he might do before he gave him.
self up, owing to crimes he might
have committed in the past
Westfall was shot by a stray bull
let. 1t is a terrible thing
Everything is being done to assis
the bereaved one that can be done
Everybody was excited, and a.
Mcdonald says, this WAS the frs
bank robbery we experienced
Had our people been hardened t.
occurrences of that kind as som
people seem to be the efforts Il
capture might have been different
This man Mcdonald, living i
a civilized community, making hi
living in the emnloy, as We arr
told. of a concern operating il
direct violation of our crimina
statutes, with we believe not a
iota of an interest in common witt
our people, except to max