The Cairo bulletin., 1914-06-17
What's the Matter With Vermilli0'
County,

lnb SecOuu ulsd ppcdFaNtt vi ltV
Rev. Louis r. Patmont, dy worker
who alleged be had been kidnapped
and kept in hidiag for a matter e
two months beginning last Mares,
will surprise no one who has FOLLOWED
the case and who has sufficient intel
ligence to realize the significance Of
what he reads.
After a disappearance that SIT red
the country, Patmont was found a
few weeks ago in the cellar of an
abandoned farm house, starving aud
coated with dirt. He said he had been
kept in confinement a. result Of
his activity in the anti saloon fight st
Westville, III, and that preparaticn-
were being made to take his life by
burning the building in which he wa
found.
Following Patmonrs discovery she
papers were filled with news of seHsa-
lions that would come as a result OF
his story to the grand jury a story
that was to link the names oil pcfsons
prominent in the business and social
life of Nerm'llion county with the al
legged kidnapping
Weak by his long confinement.
his alleged i'll treatment ana he han
starved condition IN which he WA
said to have been kept, .'stmput was
only just able to begin his story. Tn,
strained nerves would stand no more.
1t was given out that he would hay,
to have rest and recuperatc before
tho grand jury learned all the facts il
the case. He was seat 10 Michigan lc
regain his health, which was iurtkti
threatened by the fact that he was al
legged to have been Swallowed all the
time he was in DanvilIe following his
rescue.
Now he has disappeared again. n
he is ever fouud it ia extremely I'M
likely that he win ever be able % u
the story that was to rouse tho WI ole
country. II Is hardly to be supp, sed
that he will ever be able to in. urm
the grand jury of the real facts in the |
case.
OF what these facts consist the |
world may never know. But of the
worse than criminal negligence tina
made it possible Tor him to disappear
a second time, what shall we say2 |
Patmont's life was desired from tn |
first, if we are TO believe the state, |
attorney and other prosecuting Of |
ticials of VermiIion county. Yet, if il |
was thought necessary to put him OH |
of the way before, how much mo-
essential il must have been to get rio |
OF him now that his disclosures were |
likely to damn their regulations and |
possibly send to the penitentiary per-
sons of wealth!
Yet he was permitted to go unpro
tected to another state. OF course 1t /
was natural to suppose that persons
who had gone to the trouble to carry
him about from place to place for n
couple of months aud who were APP
parentiy arranging to take his life,
would not go to the trouble 10 follow
him clear to Detroit Detroit, which,
in the biographies OF Nermlllion /
county must be out of the world en- 1
tlrely. 1t was beyond the range of the
Intelligence OF the officials Of th.tl.
county to think OF such a prepos,er- 1
Gus thing as that persons who would |.
follow a strange automoJHa ali ia,
way to Cleveland, Ohio, am back.
merely because its occupants mt.h,
be looking for Patmont. would 40 IL.
the length Of following Patmont him
self all the way to Detroit.
If there was any thread of truth in
he ministers story he ought never
to have been allowed out OF sight of |
an armed guard IAN armed guard |
large and strong enough to repel any |
attack or second attempt at kidnap-
ing. ct ne was permitted to go |
about, apparently at will and without
any protection. 1t was necessary for
him to walk two miles alone to
church, but the Vermillion county
grand jury's interest in him was of
minor importance. After this fashion
are the laws of this country upheld
and the ends of Justice served
All the bonehead plays are not con-
fined to the baseball diamond. All the
cement domes are not to be found
among the athletes who take part in
the great American pastime. If the
supply of elephant tusks ever runs
short the billiard bali and piano key
manufacturers need not worry. They
ought to get enough ivory in Vermil-
lion county to last for years to come