The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1884-12-19
couATY.
OLD Ashton Holds the Fort.

The county -seat contest in Sphinx county At
one time assumed a very aerious Look. The
breaking in Of the vault in the courty off . at
Nd Asshton and the taking Of The county
records therefrom BY an armed force rom
siedheld on Saturday morning, Decerbber 18th.
'etore daybreak, had so incensed the citizens
of Sphinx county outside of Red6eld that tbey
armed themselves and gathered In censidera.
ME force. and it was reportyd that an attack
IA c.ty u Rc!h, y A eS.I&.
''e trouble arose out Of the county seat co,i
st hetwern Rrdfield, Ashton AMI Frankfort.
I'd Aaston being the county-seat) tn. retu,,,.
hg board declaring that there had been ,,o
choice, neither OF the contestants receiving
majority. The Redield element claim that the
lection books had been talnpered wtl,-tl,at
Inc votes, II fairly countet, would have given
her majority over all. This led to crimina.
on and recrilninatien, and finally tho Red
held people 'stood not upon their order of 60
ing but went at once" and seized the records,
~lieving in tho wise remark made by one
William Shakespeare, that when thing was
% be done "'twere well done were it done
quickly" The people Of R-dfield, feariug that
The resentment Of the citizens Of the county op-
posed to their action might lead then, to COM
init some act Of voilouce, requested Gov Pierce
10 send trooJ' to protect the city and allow the
aw to take its course. Tho citizens of the
'ounty disclaim any intention to sonmit vio
sence. but are determined that justice shall be
Done
ANuron dispatch Of the llth inst. reports
Rsdfeld a. being invested by 1000 irate Sphinx
county men who are expected to attack the
city should the authorities refuse to surrender
tho REGARDS. The citizens Of Redtied armed
themselves and under the leadership of the
mayor, who is an old soldier, stood ready to.
meet any attsnck made upon the city.
It appears to us that while the citizens of
Sphinx county feel justly outraged by the action
taken by the Redfeld parties still they are
averse to taking the law in their own hands,
and though gaths.ed together iu armed force
preferred awaiting the allotted time for the
diissolving of the injunction placed upon the
sheriff Of Old Ashton, who demanded return CT
the records, to making an assault upon the
city, but were determined to maintain Il bold
front until the matter was satisfactorily settled,
While Rpdfeld claims the county seat upon tie
vote OF 1880, it was most assureaIy an unwise
act upon the part Of her citizens to use force to
secure that which, II they were entitled to, the
law would have put them in possession of.
special telegram from Ashton to the st.
Paul Globe states that the Injunction case was
argued before Judge Smith at Milbank on Sat-
urday, the Judge deciding that Relfirld was
not yet the cOunty-seat and that the books
must go back to Old Ashton.
There is great rejoicing among the people.
Proceedings will be instituted ut once to COM
pei the establishment of the county seat at
Redfeld
Dispatches OF the 14th inst. from Rpdfipld TO
the Argus state that there is no prospect Of vio-
lence, rs the action Of the court has been ac-
eepted, and the detachment sent there from
the companies at Fargo were expected to re-
turn on Monday.
The Fargo Republican of the 18th inst. says
that the Fargo detachment of militia returned
at 2:30 on Wednesday morning by special train
over the Fargo Southern railway. They have
won golden opinions from all Spink county
people and from the Territory in general by
their exemplary conduct. Before leaving Red
field the Fargo boys were called upon to escort
the wagon containing the county records OIL
its way back to Old Ashton. Thus ends the
county scat war rs far as any popular demon
stration is concerned.