Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-01-15
DOUGLAS COUNTY.

pl6CeO O0IOr0 0lmSf I.%s 'srA'
DOUGLAS covMrv.
The Old and New Organization.
Grand View Enterprise.
At 6 meeting of the board Of county
commissioner Of Douglas. oounty.
held January 6. 1888 the following reeo.i
luton was adopted, and the county clark
was instructed to furnish certified CODY
of the same to tho legislative body Of the
territory at its next sessions 74iaal.;H.f
WHEREAS, in the month Of -Februarys|
1881. false and fraudulent petition,
praying for the Organization of Douglas
county, purp0fting = to be signed BY
tifty.six voters ,oe saidt county wAsl pfe.'
sented to the executive Of this .tsritosy.I
and on said petition Waltsr q. Brown,
3. B. Hoyt and @. H. Stilwell, non.re6i.
dents of said county, wete@ @tppoiutedi| Il
commissioner. Andit' sPpsnsib ~ . tASI
record Of their prpceedineav tthatn sd
Brown and Hoyt perfected the organize
tion Of said county BY the appointment Of
. register Of deeds, superintendent Of edu.
cation, sheriff, proba1e Judge sd tseas.
urer. That it appeers from the t1sti.
mony OF witnesses, that At the time said
commissioners were appointed, there WAS
not to exceed twelve voters ii the coun.
ty. That none Of said voters knew of
said petition or organization NATL
months after the appointment Of said
commissioners; that after the organize
ton and when the taxable property
would not exceed $4,000, to.Wit: BE-
tween the first day OF July and the
first day OF September. 1881, as shown
by said record, said commissioners au.
thorized the issue Of warrants OF indebt-
edness to the amount ef q little Jese than
one Thousand two hundred dollara for
books Of record, salaries, services, &c.
It is also shown that forged. warrants,
apparently bearing the signatures Of
the chairman Of the board Of
commissioners, /, and Of tho county
clerk, and seal Of the county, to, the
amount of thirty thousand dollars, were
negotiated or offered for sale. and "
reason of the publioatioa ;of the fraud
through suits plogecltsd, akaiuot itDaa<
thors and otherwise said WaE7onts Vore
redeemed or their redemption secured:
that . writ Of pEohibiti6Ae W. Issued
against said deomaaissipnRs inJ - l0ek
commanding than to reflaiAr IRON sEe.
cutting official scts or Grating any debt
against said county, whlch was renewed
in September following and h btill Ia
force; that writs BY quo tses
commenced and arc now pending against
said commissioners, treasurer, probate
judge, register OF deeds, TO-; that said
fraudulent organization could not by
law be, and has not beeoy soka aGdebS
said suits; that, in MAY. 1854 % body
of men, supposed to be comprised OF re-.
idents OF said county, visited the settle
ment of Brownsdale, where said commits
sioners had located the county iseat and
carried off the county records, seals, &c,
since which time said organization has
been in public operation; that in July
following q petition OF fifty or more
voters of said county, showing sircum-
stances tending to prove that said Hoyt
never acted as commissioner, the execu-
tive of this territory appointed Charles
E. Huston. Ferdinand Doist istarhaupt, and
Charles A. Houlton, commissioner OF
said county, who, % suoh!comu,iauiooan
appointed the other county officers, and
the organization thus created has oontin.
ued its existence thenceforth; and that
at the November election a 1004 the 10.
gal voters of said county elected county
officers under said Organisation; and
whereas grave doubts have arisen q b
the power Of said executive 10 re6fRan:
ize said county and ~ 70 tte e1ninptior
of the taxpayers frum th6 psymefit %
the bogus debt created " the hrst or
ganization, which are fetafdinR ths set
tlement of the county and otherwise
operating injafious5yi SRafnas it, ont
whereas under. .thc4 y6tgsnixSttcn, ! deb,
of $3.50 for books Of fecoFdJ S6hfieg Tx
other expenses has been incurred. which
owing to the date Of said reofKsnixatiol
there was no Law authorizing the levy o1
q tax to pay during the scnxyent year
Therefore be Il rcsoJvea, YhAt The lsgisla
lature Of the Territory be, and it il here
by, requested to legali1e sid reorganixa
tion and to provide that al acts Of il
officers and the election held .thoreundel
shall be as valid and binding - thpugl
said reorganization were unquestionablS
legal in its inception; that no debt d
pretended debt created by said frat q
ganization shall ever be paid or in an
manner recognized BY the officers of, sal
county or any of them, in their officil
capacity, except ON the mandate Of
court of competent jurisdiction, after or
!, portunity givenlto the county authofi
ties to resist the same, or in-case of thei
failure 80 to do, to any taxpayer OF sai
county; and that the .0ommissi0ners. d
said county be authorized, Aesleyy alta
, Of one per cent for the year 1883 tss th
purpose of paying the debt created Or
der said reorganization.