The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1888-11-29
REPORT OF THE GRAND JURY.

OF the District Court of the Fourth Ju-
dicial District of the Territory of Mon
tana, in and for Cascade county,
In your charge Of the 9th inst. to the
Grand Jury on that day empannelled, we
',cg g leave TO submit the following:
We have diligently inquired into all
maj tiers and evils referred to by the court,
and a number of indictments have been
found against parties charged with the
commission of crime, brought to our no.
tice by the county attorney.
On examination Of the records we find
that one or two butchers doing business
in Cascade county, have failed to comply
with the law regarding the filing of rec
ords Of the brands Of animals slaughtered,
with the county recorder. Believing the
parties ignorant of the law in the premi-
ses we have instructed the county attor-
ney to notify the parties and bring action
if he deems necessary, against them.
According to the specific charge Of the
court we have inquired into the selling of
spirituous liquors to soldiers in Cascade
county. Acting upon these instructions
we have made inquiry which resulted in
returning four true bills for indictment.
We find on examination of the county
offices and records, that, to the best of our
knowledge, they are kept in neat, care
full and satisfactory manner, and that the
tax errors can be directly traced to infer
ior blanks furnished the assessor, but
would recommend the county commits
sioners at their next regular meeting to
appoint one Or more experts-and would
name j. G.. Maclay as one-to thoroughly
examine the county records and books
and report thereon. 1t is the opinion of
this jury that no frauds or irregularities
have been committed by any county Off
cial, but the county being in its infancy,
and the county officials inexperienced,
we believe that if any errors appear in
the manner of keeping the records and
accounts that they had better be rectified
at once rather than be allowed to run from
which serious complications migh arise.
Our attention has been called to the
condition of the Belt Creek road, leading
fromArmington coulee to the mouth of Ot-
tercreek, on which considerable moneyhas
been expended, and which has not been
done according to contract. That the
contract called for a road twelve feet wide
whereas the width of the road as COM
pleted and accepted is not over ten feet,
in consequence of which travel over the
said road is dangerous. We would call
the attention Of the Board Of Commits
sioners to this matter and request them
1,o i,,f h
Also that the county commissioners al
lowed certain residents of Sun River val
lev to pay one-half their taxes on cattle
in Choteau county. That the order per-
hitting this was made at a special session
of the Board and not while they were in
session as a Board of Equalization. 1t is
true that part of the Sun River cattle
range in Choteau county in the summer
months. but there are as many more
Choteau county cattle in winter on the
Sun River range The manner in which
cattle range between Sun River and Ie-
ton. summer and winter, it should have
been an offset We consider this action
on the part of the Board unauthorized
and at their next meeting ask them to
consult the county attorney and see II
there are any means whereby the taxes
paid Choteau county under this order can
be collected.
On examination of the county Jail we
find it in good condition and apparently
secure, but would recommend the plac-
inc of iron shutters on the inside OF the
windows for greater security.
On examination Of the county poor
house we find that the poor are we'll taken
care Of.
As to your instructions in regard to the
county officials dealing in warrants, we
have made investigation, and find no
cause of complaint.
We found that in some instances that