A Missing Man, a Secret Silver Oath, and a Sheriff's Certainty

The sheriff has seen fit to disclose something that may be interesting reading, and we now publish for the first time what has been in our possession for some time. The reason we did not publish it before was this: First, we did not desire to publish that which would further excite Mr. Gloystein's neighbors; neither did we have the party's permission to do so. Since Mr. Gloystein's disappearance we have regarded everything in the hands of the sheriff, and did not wish to publish anything that could in any way embarrass him, knowing that officer would give to the public whatever news he deemed best.

A gentleman living near Waverly was informed by Mr. Gloystein on the 23d of June the following: He had been invited to join the Silver Federation, being assured the object of the federation was for the sole purpose of assisting in the urging of free coinage of silver, and also to assist each other. Mr. Gloystein told this friend that he did become initiated into the order; that he reluctantly took the oath, probably the one contained in the ritual found in another column; that afterward he was asked to take another obligation about as follows: To repudiate all debts to corporate institutions and money loaners; to assist in destroying railroad and other corporate property; to resist the execution of decrees of courts foreclosing mortgages for money loaned, and if necessary to assist in tarring and feathering, or lynching, any constable, sheriff or deputy sheriff who attempts to execute the mandates of any court for such foreclosure. This obligation Mr. Gloystein refused to take, and left the lodge room.

Next day he said he was visited by a man who told him he had been appointed a committee of one by the Silver Federation to see him and insist on his coming back into the federation. Mr. Gloystein declined and was told that he must come. If not he would be treated the same as Morgan was. Mr. Gloystein's reply was: "Then Morgan goes; but I will have nothing more to do with the outfit." Whereupon the committee changed its tactics and tried to persuade him to see that it would be to his political interests to join the order, saying that Oregon would soon go Populist, and that then Washington would surely go; and that he might as well be with the strongest party; and this is the reason given by Gloystein to his friends for putting up the board about the news from Oregon.

Sheriff Pugh said: "There is not the slightest doubt in my mind but that Gloystein was murdered by his political enemies. The large majority of the farmers near Mica believe that he is dead, but are afraid to talk. The Populists are very hot in that vicinity and Gloystein is not the only man that they have threatened. It is one of the deepest laid and most diabolical plots ever perpetrated. I don't know that he was killed at the mandate of the Free Men's Protective Silver Federation, but he was certainly murdered by certain members of that order. Gloystein was a personal friend of mine; I had known him for ten years, and can say that he was a peaceable, Christian man, and has always been highly respected. At Mica he was surrounded by a certain class who held that all who did not agree with them were traitors and not worthy of life. I propose to ferret out this crime if it takes a whole year's work."