Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-26
7Oct. ChickerinG Piano 500.
A great bargain, at Meinberg's.
HASCALL'S WHAT is 1T?

How the Willy "Jud.e" Hoodwinked
the Board of County Commission ers
Two years ago l. S. Hascall bought several
lots on the comely poor farm. A number of
other citizens did the same thing. On two
of the Hascall lots stands the county poor
houses. For these lots Hascall paid the
price demanded On the other lots pur.
chased by him he paid simply his guarantee
of S25 having defaulted in all the payne nts
which have since become due.
There was an understanding between the
commissioners and Hascall and especially
with other purchasers, that, on the 9TH of
May of this year. the old poor house should
be razed to the ground. These latter in
vestors had contemplated erecting magni-
ficent residences, and objected to what long
had been an eye-sore remaining in their
midst.
The 7th of May arrived, but the poor
house still held the ground. 1t was claimed
that Hascall insisted upon having the rook-
cry removed according to agreement The
commissioners, however, could not comply
with the demand because they had no place
in which to shelter the infirm and demented
inmates.
Heads went together, however, and it is
claimed that Hascalls head was the biggest,
because the result of the conference
was an agreement which gives Has
call ownership to the building on
the 1st of next January, with permission,
of course to use the same for any purpose he
may desire. The consideration for this
agreement is the nominal sum of 81, and the
granting to the commissioners of. the right to
occupy the structure until the 1st of
January.
The agreement is considered by adjoining
land-holders as an infringement of their
contract with the commissioners They had
been given to understand that the county
would remove the building, and, with the
brick, build barn. Now, the removal de-
pends upon Hascall, who will let the old
hulk remain where it is, while the uses to
which 1t may be put may not be imagined
The longer it remains, they say, the more ii
and the greater responsibility will be
visited upon the commissioners. 1t is
further asserted that the commissioners
were unwarranted in making the deal
They were under no obligations
to vacate the building, even if Hascall had
commanded them so to do. He could moi
drive out the inmates, at least without re-
course to law, and then months would have
elapsed before he could secure possession
in which time the new county building could
have been completed. Even IL Hascall's de-
mands were lmportunate, IL would, they say
have paid the commissioners to grant him g
monthly rent of s75 or Sl00, which would
have been much less in the aggregate than
the value of the building which they have
now practically given away. The building
is worth at least several thousand dollars
but it has been sold for less than 500.
"The commissioners have broken faith
with us, said iot-owner. "1hey have de-
tered fine buildings from being erected ia
the neighborhood, and they have counten-
anced the maintenance OF building which
may yet become nuisance TO neighbors as
well as the city. The fiimsy idea Of economy
is laugh able. There's niger in the pile
The com missioners had best reconsider thei
hasty and foolish action"