The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1893-11-11


Showing All Around--The Grand
Jury Wants Them All Bounced.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.
kALIsPEL, Nov. 10.--Tho grand Jury,
after three weeks session. made final
report to-day. In charging the jury Judge
Dubose called attention to the alleged
irregularities in certain county Offices
and instructed IL thoroughly to investi.
gate and indict where tho facts warranted.
As result, large batch of indictments
have been returned against Sheriff Gang
ner, Jailer McGowan, Assessor Graves,
District Court Clerk Swancy. and this
afternoon eight true bills wero returned
against county commits sioners. charging
misconduct In Office. Tho report of the
grand jury in full is rs follows:
"1o the Hon. Dudley Dubosc.
"Thc grand jury Of the district court Of
tho Tenth judicial district of the state OF
Montana. in and for the county of Flat.
head, duly empaneled, sworn and charged
at the October term, respectfully report
to the court and submit the following:
We have diligently examined into oil mat
tiers submitted BY the court to this Jury
aud regret to announce to the court and
tho people of Flathead county that We
have found the condition Of county affairs
TO he such as to justify tho rcbuke already
administered by the court to somo of the
county officers and to call for like re-
buke from this grand jury. In Investigate
ing tho affairs of the sheriff's offics the
grand jury was at q great disadlvantagc on
account of the lack of system In and about
the oihce and the manner Of keeping
books.
SOME OF THE ITEMS.
"The sheriff. either from want Of COM
potency or from wilful violation OF law,
has charged tho county in q number Of
instances with illegal foes. Among others
S32 expense for conveying q pauper from
Tobacco Plains to tho county jail, when
as q matter of fact no warrant had been
issued In such case and no instructions
or authority were givon the sheriff to in-
cur any expenses whatever in the
premises. Upon the same trip
tho sheriff charged for service of
summons in two cases and full expenses
upon each case. making q total charge of
expenses of about 500 when tho trip
could and should have been made for less
than 3d. The sheriff has charged tho
state. for conveying prisoners to Dser
Lodge, mileage for thros prisoners three
trips from Kalispel to Deer Lodge and re-
turn, when as a matter of fact all three
prisoners were conveyed at the sam. timo
in charge of n single officer.
I'm connection with this transaction on
rhe part OF tho sheriff's Office, tho grand
jury has been informed by competent owl
dence that in order TO avoid suspicion on
the part OF the state authorities, tho
sheriff conveyed the three prisoners to the
city OF Butte and then conveyed them
singly to tho penitentiary ut Deer Lodge,
thereby making II appear upon tho records
of the penitcntiary that tue prisoners
were conveyed to II at different times.
"Thc account rendered by the she riff to
the state board of examiners was duly
sworn 10 as required by law. We should
also say in this connection that tho gra nd
jury. after investigating all the evidence
IN connection with it found true bill
against the sheriff for the crime of
perjury.
THE JAIL AND THE JAILss.
1--WE recommend that tho county COM
| missioncrs tako prompt steps to repair
the Jail and place 1t in such condition as
to avoid suffering and hardship which
prisoners there confined will have to un.
dcrgo IL the jail remains in it's present
condition. Tho prisoners flnd in tho
county jail n complication of cruel. bru.
tai and inhuman treatment received at
the hands of Jailer MCGOWAN. anu in
view OF the evidence produced before the
grand jury in that connection, we cannot
| withhold our censure and severest con.
| demnation of tho methods of treatment
adopted by said MEG during his in
cumbency of the jailer's Office.
"Onc case in particular is that Of wo-
man, Anna voss, who was confined b,
virtue Of q commitment from Justice
Nash's court. During the time she was con
fined in the Jail, according to her story
Jailer MCGOWAN was in the habit of call
| ing her viic names such as 'strumpct,
| and other vile and brutal epithets. With
reference to the escape Of Edward A. Du
pont during tho month of July last. we
have diligently inquired into the matter
and in that behalf subpoenaed and exam
| incd witnesses.
"Thc evidence shows that at the tim,
| OF Dupont's escape and prior thereto. tn,
| officials of the Jail were extremcl,
negligent and careless in that they per
mitted individuals of all classes indis.
criminately to visit and talk to prisoners
especially to Dupont. No system had
been adopted for the examination of tho
cells or the bedding, and II would have
hccn no difficult matter for the friends o
Dupont 10 have conveyed TO him the in
sirumeuts necessary to facilitate his es
cape.
while the net of saving tho bar itsel
was going on, in broad day light, the jaiio