The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-07-09

READ, REFL ECT IND DETER
NINE.
In another Column will he found partia!
statement of the cost to the tax payers Of
Deer Lodge county of administering the
criminal law therein for the las. eighteen
months. The preparation of the statement
has cost US great labor, having to be COM
piled from the records of the Beard of
County Commissioners, intcrsperscd with
the record of all other proceedings OF the
Board, during that time. 1t speaks for it.
self, and to it VIC invite the careful a:ten-
ton of every tax payer in the county.
The statement does not include the Fees
and mileage Of the Petit Jurors while en-
gagged in the trial of the criminal cases,
which would probably amount; to a. least
three thousand dollars more; nor the cost
of criminal prosecutions in Justices Courts,
Except in those cases where the prisoners
committed to prison have subsequently es-
capped from the custody Of the sheriff, or
where the fees have gone directly into the
pocket Ut the Sheriff or his deputies,l the
cost of which prosecutions outside those
mentioned in the statement would amount
to, 1t least, two thousand dollars more. Nor
does it include the cost of keeping prisoners
in the county Jail after conviction at the cx-
pcnse Of the Territory-which prisoners
have escaped from the Jail, and for whose
keeping the TerEitaEg. as we "re- 'nforrncsi,
has paid the sum Of $4,000. Exclusive Of
the items la above mentioned it will By
scc,, thu, TIN SI'H''"ai
EHw In this county for the last eighteen
months has cost - D $es. O3O. rs.
Add cost of prosecutions before Justi- os
ccs Courts other than those M ntiOned,
Fees and mileage Of fc,ii juror. while 1''
trying Criminals. festimatcG, ,.........S 100000
Total. $50 Oh. 70,
Here then is a total of ss,OS0,75 to be
paid by the county during that time, for the
enforcement of the criminal law alone, leav-
ing the thousand and one other items Of
county expenditure still to he provided for.
Some idea may b. formed of the condition
of the county finances, from the above cx.
hiJit, taking into connection the fact that
the total amount of taxes collected for
County purposes. all told, for the year 1868
did not exceed 5000, the gross amount
Of revenue for carrying on the county
government, while as shown above the
cost of criminal prosecutions and ex-
penscs alone are at the rate Of Ss2, 020, so per
annum. With continuance Of the present
county officers, most of whom are now can
dids.cs before the People for reelection on
the "Regular Democratic Ticket [whose
claims to regularity we shall hereafter have
occasion to review how long can irrctriev-
able bankruptcy be avoided, even with ex-
cessive taxationi ..,.e5 .r,,.st..
It will be seen from the statement that for
the eighteen months that Mr.. Phil McGovern
has been sheriff, the county has paid tho
enormous sum Of $12, 4l0,35, for feeding and
guarding prisoners alone. At least two
thirds Of this expense was incurred in feed
ing and guarding Ryan, Sullivan, Mullen,
Simpson, Bagg. and Brown. Ryan was
convicted Of murder in tue second degree
and sentenced 10 ten years imprisonment in
the County Jail-but after. conviction was
kept 20 carclessly that he was accustomed
10 leave the jail withouta guard, COME TO
town TO get his drinks when wanted, for
permitting which Phil AcCoycrn, Sheriff,
was indicted by the Grand Jury.
Sullivan, Mullen, and Bagg, were con-
victcd Of - cold blooded and dastardly a
murder q ever crimsoned tho annals Of
crime, and sentenced 70 be hung hut es-
capped from the jail, prior 70 their execution
and arc still q large. ei;H Es, s
Simpson was indicted for resisting an Of
Acer, bps pending he trial escaped from
jail, and wss subsequently, recaptured III
Brown was indicted for, murder in, the
nss degree. and escaped from jaila few day.
ago and = stilk q large F5o
u may not b amiss . cal attention q
she fsct that ~ eflRs edssspsr4As 'ssepec
~ sdisiaS oss a1sssgt ~ der II sjn1 +.
Ne eAo3 80 made 70 recaptnre Sullivan,
NaiGa, and Baeg -,he Sheriff giving = I
rtaaan the Ceqply Commissioners would
not illo1 HIN anything for HE services ane
expsasee for % doing, and thu despite TIL
fscs thas tlelr o., 'pfsoeeeS Ion md keep
| ~, III llzsldt @ ~ peaty nesri,
Il: isoJysss j; nov !; ! siois IL rsopls 10,
ssIs1bbi1u i 1suta.s y = sxtsssa
- = ~ & g ~ -
e. Fl ~ ~ IL - ~ isslGiii,l
/: ga 90. = Ia Ill iaor Ia -.