Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-05-10
District Court.

'fPbeb W W. n. M last Nohhdh. FoiiftW-
ing 10 II brirf synopsis Of the judy, chatg,
10 the grand Jury
The attention 81 the grand jury was first
called ~ the INV requiring an examination
by them of the Jail. The court .ieclnred it
was their duty 10 see that il WA. kept in a
comfortable aud clean manner, and that
the prisoners should lee givcn healthy aud
whot soine f"ud-that the examination
should he conducted ia the absence of the
sheriff md the iailrr, but IL my complaint
il n.ade the grand jury should mot take a
Duet sided statement Of IL, brt -i,ould give
the sheriff an opportunity to meet any ac-
eusation. which we're made ty The pri>on-
-fs against him.
The court also referred the attention Of
the grand jury ~ sho.r who hold the offices
III prs's.,t. judge and public adunist RI tor
rnd instructed the jury that those officers
bad under their control the estates of all
,'crron- dying intcstate. aud that in many
i"-tunc-s the estates Of Infants would he
Under the control. care aud custody of the
court and the public administrator; that
the infants had NO one to hook after their
rights and interests except the grand jury.
The court also charged the grand jury that
they should look into the conduct 81 tn,
jurors that the county commissioners had
no right to make any contract. directly or
indirectly, with the county Of Fergus, ia
which said contract the said county com
inissoners should have any interest, and
also that il is against the Iaw for any
county official to deal in warrants. and
that the reason for these rules of law was
that the official should not h.vcan interest
against the county. for in the first place
they would have AN interest to make the
contract cost as much rs possible and
would accept the contract. or might accept
the contract when it was not fully pr
formed, and la the second place they would
have nm interest to decrease the amount of
value 81 the warrants, and they would
have also an additional interest to increase
the number of warrants issued and the
amount for which they were ISSUED.
The court also called the attention OF the
gra nd jury To the law directing the grand
officials. This, the court raid. it was in
cumbent on him to do, although he very
much doubted the value Of any such report
made by the grand jury as to the status of
such accounts. Such AN investigation de
nandcd the services of expert accountants.
and that the court WAS fully aware II the
fact that such ~ report III the accounts of
county officials would be, after all. Of little
value, but that the legislature had seen fit
to refuse to pass the law authorizing the
appointment Of a county auditor, and had
maintained upon the statute books the
law making it the duty Of the county CON-
missioners to verify those accounts.
The court ALSO called the attention Of the
gvanl jury to the law prohibiting the sale
III liquors to minors and Indians, andcom
mented on the law forbi,iding the carrying
Of concealed "eapOns within the limits -
any city, town Or village. The judge ex-
pressed it as his opinion that The number
of killing and stabbins affrays that had
taken place throughout the county were
entirely due to the neglect OF the citizens
thereof to obey the law in that respect, and
requested the grand jury to carefully inves-
tigutc all violations OF that law, and gave
notice that ~ violation OF that law, il sue
ressfully prosecuted, would be severely
dealt with by the court
The attention of the grand jury was also
caIl,d to the game law, and more particu
larly to its disregard in the matter III using
giant powder for the destruction Of fish.
aud also Ivy operating raw mills in such
lnanner as tn deposit the saw dust in the
beds Of streams, or into such places as
were within reach Of the stream when
swollen by the spring rains and melting
shows, and dwelt to some extent upon
she pleasure aud the means Of maxim. "a |
livelihood afforded by the streams III this |
rounty. and referred to the rapidly incrcas-
ing scarcity III game in the Territory ii
which though only twenty years
DID, was as depletcd Of game as comnuni- |
Ties that had been settled for centuries. |
That u violation of the game law was also |
|, violation Of the rights III Others in a |
most selfish aud wanton ma amer.
The ease Of the Territory vs.. W. II. Bur