Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-07-10

II Inc RepUDllcan is unable TO treat
the Weippe celebration as it should
be, it is not because the editor did not
intend to do so. Just as the program
was starting after noon on the Fourth
Sheriff Harper arrested us on war;
rants sworn out by j. D. and Patrick
Blake, both charging criminal libel,
and said: 'Leeper will take charge
of you, and will take you at once to
Orofino. We asked the sheriff to be
permitted to remain till after the pro-
gram; that we were on the program;
that the Weippe people were expecting
us to help in the ball game, and
that the Orofino team We're depending
on US to pitch the game. 1t looked
like the sheriff was not even going to
permit enough delay to allow US to
confer with anyone, but finally gave
us permission to have short private
conference with Attorney John Becker,
who happened to be near at the time.
The news of the arrest spread rap
idly, and in a few minutes number
of the best citizens of Weippe and
other sections of the county were dis
cussing it, and any kind Of a bond
was offered. The ball team urged the
sheriff to permit US to play the game,
as did others, but Sheriff Harper
said:
II must do my duty
Duty to who? The laws of the
state? The people of Clearwater
county? Or to Pat Blake and the
gang? And why were we permitted
to run at large, endangering the lives
or regulations of men, women and
children in Weippe for half day,
right under the noses of the sheriff
and two of his deputies and then,
just as the program started, and when
we were about to take part, quickly
arrested and hustled off the grounds to
Orofino twenty miles away?
Sheriff Harper, SO he said, received
the warrant at o'clock the evening
before the Fourth, and in company
with Deputy Sheriff Roy Leeper left
Orofino at II o'clock at night, drove
all night, and at a. m. arrived at
Weippe. The object of their search
arose at that hour, ate breakfast at the
same table with Deputy Sheriff Leep-
er, and later saw Sheriff Harper in
the door at Simmons store. With
the exception of two hours, when we
drove into the country and right
back, we were at all times near one
or more of the officers, unconscious of
the fact that we were dangerous
criminal for whom the entire force of
the sheriff's Office was seeking. And
how these brave officers must have
tore around doing official duty" as
Sheriff Harper put it. They must
have looked under beds, stuck their
heads into empty barrels in the back
alleys, poked their official noses into
gopher holes out in Nat Browns cali
pasture, strained their official eyes
peering into keyholes, soiled theil
clothes crawling under the sidewalks
at Erb's store, melted the butter ir
the refrigerator at Simmons estab.
lishment in their efforts to locate
and arrest us, and then, in higl
state of nervous anxiety lest the OBJ
ject of their search had taken to thu
tall timber and escaped in Bonney'.
balloon, have crawled under the livery
stable and held consultation, mapped
out plan of campaign, and in du'
course of time essayed forth to d.
their duty or die. Brave men! Wal
till Carnegie hears about it, and put
them on the waiting list of eligible
for hero medals.
All the morning the rain fell, max
ing things wet, and of course this in
terferred with ''dry'' sheriff, an,
''dry" deputies, but at II o'clocl
things cleared up and an hour late
the capture was effected. Sheriff
Harper had 'done his official duty. ;
He had carried the warrant in hi
pocket seven hours after arriving II
Weippe, and served it just in time t.
permit Deputy Sheriff Leeper to &c
us to Orofino Saturday night whel
the entire population of the town wa
gone, with little chance for their pris
oner to get bond, and with beau
tiful chance and fair excuse t
throw US in Jail till Monday morning
If this were not the plan, why tn
most unusual and spectacular proceed
ure? Sheriff Harper knew that al
the warrants in the county could nc
drive the editor of the Republican OF
of the county. If escape from tn
county had been remote possibility
If there were any possibility that "
would skip out, does anyone imagir
this gang would have imposed Dor
and hindered us from getting out {
: the county? The one thing Il
gang has hoped and prayed ar
schemed and lost sleep over is to g
us out of Clearwater county.