The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1879-02-01
Gross PURPOSES IN aIONEaDALE

hONESDALht Id.i Jdii' Slt Ill 1910
the county seat of Wayne County, Pa,
was changed from Bethany to Homes
dale. The Court Houss that was con-
structed then did duty as such until 1877.
Under the laws of Pennsylvania no new
county buildings can be constructed un-
til three successive Grand Juries have
recommended the work. Then the
County Court can order the County
Commissioners to build. Three Grand
Juries declared that the Wayne County
Court House was inadequate to the wants
of the county. In 1876 Judge Waller
and his associates ordered the COmmis-
sioners to build new edjice. The
move was opposed in all parts Of the
county. A number of politicians in the
county organized an anti. Court House
party. Lawyers were hired to take
legal measures to stop the work on the
Court House. Bonds to the amount OF
100000 were put forth by the Com
missioners but the anti. Court House
party captured the Associate Judges of
the county, and they refused to approve
the bonds. The Commissi Jners, how
ever, kept on with the work, borrowing
money at the banks. In 1877 the anti.
Court House party nominated an entire
county ticket in opposition to the regu-
lar Democratic and Republican tickets,
and beat the combined vote of the regu.
lar tickets by 1900 votes, and then the
County Commissioners, whose term OF
Office did not expire until 1879, we're
harassed by all sorts of legal proceed
ings.
An act of the Board that intensified
the popular feeling against the Court
House movement, was the dPmolishing
of the old Court House. The feeling
throughout the county became so Bit
ter that the county officers were threat
ened with personal violence. Farmers
refused to trade with business men, and
drove through the Town aud ten miles
further on to Hawley. Jndge Waller,
the presiding Judge of the district, uni
formly decided all questions of law in
the Court House case adversely to the
opponents of the movement. The anti
Court House leaders petitiOaed the
Legislature to impeach the Judge, but
the Legislative Committee examined in
to the case and dismissed the charges
as frivolous.
The work on the Court House pro.
gressed until the winter of 1873. The
death of Thomas Brown had disheart.
ening effect on his survivors in the
Board. An anti Court House man was
appointed in his place. The Court
House was about half done when work
ceased for the season in 1873. 1t had
cost $50, 600. The people declared that
they would resist with force the efforts
of the tax collectors to raise money for
the Court House. The county auditors
refused to allow most OF the bills con-
tracted by the Commissioners for the
work, and instituted suit against the
County Treasurer and the Commission
erS to recover moneys expended for the
work. This being the situation, and II
being hoped that political capital might
be made by the cause, the attorney OF
the commissioners, who was D candidate
tor Congress, advised then to toGnnOunce
that they could not go on with thewOrk
until times vera better. Last fall the
anti Court House party elected new
Board of commissioners. two WembeTs
of Assembly, state Senator, and all
the county officers but one, and now the
/ ohoio bA tttS ShbHty ebO az Ah 'ASiA
hands.
After the old Court House was de
stroyed Liberty Hall, the public hall OF
the place, was hired for court room.
This the new Board of Commissioners
considered too expensive. They rented
hall in a German hotel in an Out-of-
the, way part of the village, the rent to
be 500 year. They ordered the fur,
niture to be moved from Liberty Hall to
the new room on Thursday last. A
load or so of furniture was taken out,
but Judge Waller ordered the janitOr to
close the hall and permit no further re-
moval OF the furniture. ~ will hold
court where pleased" lie exclaimed F;
"andl intend TO hold it in Liberty Hall. "
The Commissioners say that unless the
court, are held in the room they have
rented they will not pay any OF the
court expenses. The next court meets
IN February. The Van Alstine murd r
case anu the case OF the llOllisteTYille
burglars are to be tried. The county
uewspa per has the proclamation OF the
court calling jurors and Others to meet
in Liberty llall. Another newspaper
has 1t calling them together in Weaver's 5
Hall.