Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-05-05
A County Seat War In South Dakota.

The following is special telegram
from the Minneapolis Daily Journal,
and if it is the true version of the
affair it revaIs q situation that ought
to be avoided in the administration
OF county government.
The fight over the Fall River coun.
ty court house is not yet ended, SAYS
a special telegram OF the 3Oth ult., but
is again growing more bitter than ever.
The strife started over the site for the
court house at Hot Springs, the couu.
ty seat. There are two portions OF
that town, one known as the "upper"
and the other as the clover" town.
AS soon as the site was selected in one
end OF the town the people living in
the other raised the cry that the site
selected was not within the bound
aries OF the county seat. Neverthe.
less, the site was not changed, and the
building WAS constructed at cost Of
about $4,000. The county was
bonded for this amount, and part OF
the money received IN exchange for
bonds was turned over to James Brad
ley, the county treasurer. Heacting on
thebest legal advice obtalnable, refused
to pay warrants Issued by the county
commissioners to Fred L. Evans, the
gentleman who received the contract
TO build the court house, as the legal.
ity of the site had not been fully in.
vestigated and determined. Evans
then under took to have Bradley fined
81 600 and imprisoned in the county
! No ~
warrant. The treasurer had previous
ly placed several thousand dollars of
county funds in bank of which Evans
was president, and upon having the
trouble with Evans he determined to
withdraw the money. Upon present
ing q check Tor the amount at the.
bank tbs cashier refused to pay aud
allowed it to be dishonered. The
money is still there and the bank still
refuses to turn it over to the county
treasurer.
The chairman of the county board
had disposed OF 900 worth OF the
bonds voted for the court house, and
this amount he placed in Evans bank
instead OF turning 1t over to the coun.
ty treasurer, as required by law. At
the session OF the county board few
days ago the commissioners made
demand upon the treasurer to submit
the accounts and moneys OF tie coun.
ty tor inspection, rs they bad q right
to do. The commissioners refused to
go to Evans bank, but going to the
other bank where county funds were
deposited, the cashier was asked to
produce che county money there. The
cashier informed them that they kept
on hand only enough to do their daily
business and that the balance Of their
currency was kept in Sioux City, New
York and other banks chosen
by them for that purpose,
but that the bank would give
certified statement for the amount
that the treasurer claimed to have
there, that a check for that amount
would be good at any time, and as
soon as the money could be expressed
there would be produced for inspec-
ton. This apparently was satisiact-
DRY to the commissioners. butt seems
they only wanted the most trivial
excuse to cause the treasurer trouble,
and theditticulty between the treasur.
er and commissioners eliminated
recently when the county board
passed resolution declaring the
treasurer defaulter and commenced
suit against him and his bondsmen
for all the money in his possession as
county treasurer, and also declared
the treasurer ousted from office, APP
pointing E. Il. Pierce in his stead.