The producers news., 1927-12-16
THE SHERIFF'S PLAIN DUTY

the strangers coming to Plentywood. That paper
seems to see something perneious In such activity
OF course with most Of these croaSera everything
that officer does Is wrone-he Is damned If he
does and then he is damned If he doesn't The
absolutely hypocrisy Of his critics Is disclosed by
this very attitude.
In view Of the robbery of the county treasurer
last fall Of the brutal murder Of Mike Kennedy
by couple Of fienda, Of the robbery of the Froid
the Flaxville and the Outlook banks during Octo-
ber and The unreasonable criticisms that have been
aimed at that officer II is quite natural that Sher
iff Salisbury should carefully investigate every
stranger who crosses the Threshold Of the coun-
ty, and the county seat. lie Is justified in doing
this in fact IL Is his plain duty to do So It Is his
duty to find out who they are, what they are,
where they come from and what they are doing
here. All will agree with this.
And most people believe that Sheriff Salisbury
is probably a little more efficient in this sort
of work than Dumbell AL, or L. J. Onstod, or Jack
Bennett, or l.. s. Olson though granting that H. S.
once took a mail order course in finger printing
Sheriff Lawrence was well aware Of the fact
that Sheriff Salisbury knew considerable about
the man Mcdonald Why did he not advise with
him then and save himself from the chance Of
becoming the laughing stock Of the state? Be
cause al wanted to make scoop, because he was
so anxious to appear hero and get his picture
in the papers as a real bandit catcher, and be
cause above all things else he desired TO diacredit
SherifS Salisbury, and further because he wanted
to send out n news story over the state to the
effect that the robbers were found In Plentywood
the rendezvous Of robbers. These ambitions rem
dered Lawrence an easy victim to the designs Of
half-baked office seekers and his own vanity.
Sheriff Lawrence has legal right to come to
lanft aI aft. -.
here as Sheriff Salisbury himself but IL IA very
poor tact very foolish policy, TO be always grand
standing for the purpose Of discrediting Sheriff
Salisbury when operating in this county.
The editor Of the Leader whines: "When the
sheriff Of Daniels county arrests a man who Is
pointed out to him as one who helped rob bank
IN this county, he is doing his duty" Very we'll
We would say that much depends upon who Is
doing the pointing, whether the man Is sober and
whether there Is some likelihood that the man
pointed out Is the robber The editor Of this pa
per could point out the editor Of the Leader MS
one Of the bandits, and Sheriff Al dumb as he is,
would hardly arrest him, at least without further
investigation. sheriff in doing his duty should
use ordinary discretion A sheriff Is not God
Almighty" in spite of Jack Benefits opinion to
The contrary, and there is law and constitution
which guarantees citizens certain rights even
against such supreme beings as sheriffs. Suppos-
ing now If Mcdonald should bring suit against
Lawrence, Daniels county and the sweet outfit
responsible for his arrest and the big parade, Just
where would they get off at" There Is a con
stituton in the country that sheriffs are bound TO
respect even though Jack Bennett does say "to
hell with it," and mouth ignorance about officers
rights Jack was born over in England and don't
understand Che laws and customs Of America.
The Daniels County Leader in It's story relative
TO the release Of Mcdonald, says that gentleman
was not "A "diclS"; that his home is in Salt Lake
City, and that he is perfectly respectable citizen;
that business men there vouched for him; that his
real name is actually Mcdonald; that he is a
grandfather, and that he could name his grandson
after certain man in Pentywood and name
him after one Of the bank robbers
Mcdonald was quite a cute and clever fellow
innocent stranger that he was. lie was willing tc
make insnuations about Plentywood in behalf OF
those who arrested him in such a manner OF
course knowing Bowlre as we do we seriously
doubt that Mcdonald said anything Of the sort
Mcdonald did not disclose TO the Leader what
he was in Plentywood for all this way out Of Sal
Lake, or why he travelled with so little baggage
OF why he brought his little stake TO Plentywoot
to deposit in Carl Bulls bank, nor why he lef
home where The climate is much milder to come +,
Plentywood so far way from home just before th
wonderful little grandson was born to him, no
why he hung about Plentywood at all for owe
three weeks with just no object in view at all bu
just to hang about, how it come that MAJ
SO unsophistcated should have inadvertently com,
to Plentywood instead Of going to Scobey wher
the games are larger, and where Charley Huebne
has AIS permit TO operate as official bootlegger
nor how he just innocenty hanging about playn,
rap rum with Tom Kelley and Bob, the printer
could learn 80 much about chat person he cou
name his grandson after and name Il after BAN
robber
All Of this is what might be called "coincdent,
isn't IL, Burley2
Now, Editor Bowler, this man Mcdonald wa
sent 20 Pentywood He was sent here by som
one who was paying him wages He know nj
one here, had never been here before, no one her
knew him, nor had seen him before When he an
rived he deposited a small amount Of money 4
Carl Bulls bank, and wrote small checks upon ii
He took room at the Leland, played cards in
small way drank booze, talked with the girls an
mixed with the boys-would no doubt have attend
ed a cock fight had there been any while he wa
here lie dressed like a bank clerk farmer an
showing The boys how to do II. He didn't just hap
A.