Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-06-09

was pursuing peaceful pursuits in the Gown
of Maiden. in this county, when a mob OF
ten men or more. masked, came into "a res
taurant whore he was, put u rope around
his neck. drew pistols and showed a pistol
down his throat, and otherwis Use maltreated
him. As yet there has been no warrant
sworn out against any of these parties, and
they are still at large. have never heard
If John +. WATSON being charged with any
| crime, and even IL he was charged with a
crime, the courts III this country would be
the proper place To nete out iusticeto him.
Tiis outra.r deserves to 'he punished
severely, and IL IL is necessary, ia order
to- ferret out the offenders aud bring
them To Justice. do not hesitate tn remain
IN session for "a month ar more. The per
pet "f this crime. ar at least some OF
them, can easily he found out, and it is
your duty To- investigate il. The men who
aided and Allotted in a~ssaulting John f..
WATSON are guilty Of an assault with "A
"a deadly Weapon and the parties who
fnrcibIy ooh .Inhn +. Wasson from his
home. ar. guilty of the crime Of kidnapping.
and IL the evidence iustiiies il, the court
ff'ih ~ Nv N'' w INV W. 1850 ~
both these "Ifcnses against these pa rites
who committed this Outrage. Mr.. WATSON
* in town and can give you valuable infnr-
nation il You will call MIN before omr body.
The fact that there were more than one
implicated in this crime only adds to the
nervousness Of the oiiense. II makes no
Inference how respectable the parties who
committed this crime are, y"u should in
vrstisltrit and bring in indictment against
them the same as il they were ouicists in
society. Rrmcmher that the laws nr jus
wears since, and | hnpeit will he many years
more, before snch n crime as this will he
committed in this county. II is n disgrace
to our civilization. II is needless for the
cnurt t" say more on this subject. for !
know that you all fully agree with the
courts idea of the necessity Of bringing
fhesr offenders to the bar of Justice.
There is another matter which the court
desires To call your attention to and de
sircs n full and fair investigation. 1t is the
expenditure of the public funds of this
county hy the hoard of county commits
sioners. The board Of commissioners have
ordered four cells for the purpose Of placing
"a new JaiI within the court house of this
county. 1t il the unanimous opinion of
the people of this county that this is "a
needless and ~extravagant expenditure of
the public moneys. Ii is also the unani-
nous opinion Of the people Of this county
that il the present Jail is not consistent
with the Iuxuriant and esthetic tastes
9
init crime, it will I've well for those parties
tn refrain from criminal acts that would
place them in n position where their deli
cate and artistic sensibilities might he
shocked 10y the severe simplicity OF their
surroundings. In investigating this matter,
remember that the board OF county com
m~issioners OF II county, under the law, have
u very wide discretion in matters Of this
kind. hut that discretion must he AN hon
,st discretion. Hpu should also remember
the fact that you can compel any one Of
the commissioners to testify against the
other, or the manager oi Hosnm 4 Curtin,
the contractors. ALSO to testify against the
commissioners. The only limitation is
that you shall not use the evidence that
Que man gives Tor the purpose Of cOnSicting
him III some crime. The contract with
Hosom& Curtin for these four cells for this
new Jail, calls inr 81 1889. am informed
lby til. clerk aud recorder that the county
nf Lewis anI Clarke made "a contract for
thirty cells, two tiers Of fifteen each, with
rorridnrs, st~uirways, ratings and batI,
rooms complete, also two detention cells.
also one insane cell, for S2u, ooo III you
will compare these two bids you will see
that the Fergus county cells cost within ~
fraction al 2,ooo apiece, aud Lewis and
Clarke counfy's about 5000 apiece. If the
runors ailoat in regard TO how the con,
tract WAS made aud the manner of Obtain.
ing it are true, the most hattaring thing
that can h- said about the commissioners
win" voted ia favor Of this contract would
he that They were morally insane. This
latest rscapade of the commissioners lid
not come upon Fergus county like "a holt
in IA clear sky this is not the first oiirnss
If which the people unanimously think
they are guilty. The condition of affairs
here in Fergus county reminds me forcibly
nf what Edmund Burke said ia regard IL
England at one Time. Speaking of publ,
affairs, Il" said If things are left Ia them
selves, IL il my clear opinion that "a nation
may slide ,fpwn softly aud swiftly from ia,
highest point Of grandeur aud prosperity
to- tia" Invest state nf~ imbecility and mean
ness, without any one mtrkinga particular
period in this ,i-clrnsinn, without asking :
question ar at least specializing upon an,
of the innnmrrahl- acts which have stoleI
| in this silent and insensii'le revolution
every event a. prepares foe the subsequent
that when it arrives it produces M sur
/ prise nor amy extraordinary alarm Tn
F.. people believe this is certainly true Of Fer
gus connty. When the fact became know
= that this Jail contract had been let, TIN
: people OF Fergus county only remarke,
that it was another act of the commission
r ers in violation of their duty. The event.
that have passed have So prepared tn,
r people Of this county for the actions OF tia
commissioners that nothing that the
could now do would surprise them. ] hop
that political party spirit will not ente
p into your deliberations upon this question
Whatever your party feelings may he, q
. whatever may he the politics of these com
missioners. the court does not apprehen,
mat yon VIII pernnIf party STRIFE To ente
: into the sacred precincts Of a court of jus
I tiee, for then will your laws be useless, ant
: vain will be the attempt To administer jus
tice; the forms of justice will only remain
a and the substance will have vanished. Ii
+ order that you may not attribute my earn
= estness in this matter to any imprope
I political motives, IL you find sufficient evi
q dence to remove any one of these commits
D s%ioners, ! will appoint in the place Of tn
commissioner removed n man Of the sam
political faith, and / promise you tina