Editorial

Editorial

A heckuva job

In interviews with numerous law enforcement officials during the past few days, a common thread runs throughout. Each man, whether a detective captain in Trumbull, Conn., an FBI agent from Richmond, or Rappahannock’s Sheriff John Henry Woodward, expressed his appreciation to the other agencies involved in the kidnapping investigation. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” was the way one FBI agent expressed his feelings.

To those thanks to the other law enforcement agencies were added expressions of “exceptional appreciation,” in Sheriff Woodward’s words, to the volunteer fire department and rescue squad members who gave up most of their weekend to wait on standby in case their services were needed. They also provided a command post at the Sperryville fire hall and, along with several merchants who donated food, kept the task force fed and supplied with hot coffee through the long hostage negotiations.

Appreciation w as also extended to the residents of Old Hollow, Sperryville and the rest of the county for their cooperation and understanding during the long investigation. Leaf and the hostages might not have been located as soon as they were if it w ere not for the alert residents who spotted him Thursday night and immediately telephoned the Sheriffs Department.

To that list, we’d like to add our thanks. We breathe a sigh of relief that the long weekend is over. The investigation was marked by cooperation among all the agencies involved, from the county’s Sheriffs Department to the FBI. The investigators handled themselves professionally and seemed concerned that they disturb the residents of the area as little as possible, while making them aware of the dangers which the situation posed.

We appreciate their work, and thank them all. We hope, however, and think they would understand, that we’d rather never have another occasion to require their services.