Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-06-30


The long-pending county seat
question has at last been decided in
favor OF HALEY, after as protracted a
struggle and as hard-fought contest
as it was possible for the most persis-
tent antagonists, backed by the
full power of the County Commits
sioners, to make.
On the 18th of last September, an
election was held in this county to
determine the permanent location Of
the county seat. Three towns con-
tested for the prize, to- wit: Rocky
Bar, the old seat, Bellevue and Hal
ley. The two latter being situated
within five miles of each other,
and both aiming to the leader
ship of the Wood River and
Sawtooth section, the contest really
narrowed down to the two last
named towns, and the friends of
each put forth every possible excr-
ton to secure votes.
On the day of election, GIG votes
were polled in Bellevue and ~
votes were polled in Haley, out of a
total number of 27O4 in the county.
HALEY received total of lilo votes,
and Bellevue 1896 votes.
BY some accident the returns from
Indian creek precinct, where HALEY
had received 40 votes and Bellevue
%, failed to reach the Board Of
County Commissioners. They were
afterward traced to the Rocky Bar
postoffice, but no further.
When the Board met to canvass
the returns the Indian Creek returns
were missing, and that body, with
manifest bad faith, declared that
Bellevue had been voted the county
seat by majority Of one vote!
The Board neglected, however,
to order the records removed.
An appeal to the District Court was
taken from the decision of the Board,
and on the 3rd of last November
Judge Prickett ordered the vote at
Indian creek, as asccrtained from the
poll and tally-lists to be counted. and
declared Haley entitled to the county
seat.
The next quarterly meeting of the
Board of County Commissioners was
held in January, 1882, but the Board
took no action in the matter. His
Honor Judge Pickett was again
appealed to, and he granted an or
der or mandamus requiring the Com
missioners to show cause, within a
specified time, why they should not
order the removal of the records to
HALEY. This was sent by mail, but
the Commissioners claimed to have
never received it.
Judge Prickett being again APP
piled to, another Tor the same) man.
damus was issued, and placed in the
hands of Sheriff Gray, who was di-
rected to make personal service of it.
This order required the Commission
ers to show cause, as above stated.
On the Goth of May they appeared
before Judge Prickett by counsel,
and endeavored to file an appeal to
the Supreme Court. Judge Prickett
held that an appeal could not lie.
They thcreupon filed return sworn
to, not by themselves, but by Milton
Kelly, editor of the Statesman,
which, among many allegations,
specifically charged that 247 ballots
had been stuffed" into the box at
the HALEY polls.
Judge Prickett then set the cath
of June as the date for the hearing
on this new allegation, and Haley as
the place. Last Saturday the case
was called. The Bellevue attorneys
asked for a postponmcnt, which was
refused. The case occupied five days,
during which the Bellevue attorneys
occupied nearly all the time of the
Court. the attorneys on Hailey's
side declining to call any witnesses,
and it was closed last evening, the
judge rcserving his decision.
This morning Judge Pickett rem