Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-14
A NEW COURT HOUSE
FOR I ARRANT COUNTY NEEDED
At ONCE.
A Plain and ForebIe Presentation Of Tho Nat.
ter bya wel-mOwn Iurlsl-how
10 Secure the Building.

In IN interview printed in the Evening
Mail "Wednesday Judge Furmau iorci-
bly, aud intepigently presents the need
of new court house fOrFInrrant county
aud how to yet IL ny follows:
The first question to be considered
said the judge. is the necessity of q new
court house The room occupied by the
Seventeenth district court Is so poorly
constructed, with reference TO acoustics.
that 10 Us almost impossible for lawyer
iu addressing the court or jury TO lc
heard without seriously uVertaXing his
voice and lungs That with the use of
the present heating apparatus 1t Is inn
possible To make the room comfortable
when the weather is severe as ~ often
H.. during che session Of the court
"l'lc room occupied by the FOrty-cightb
district court is entirely too small. and
Il becomes so crowded during the calling
Of the docket that many members OF
the bar have 10 remain standing. This
is matter OF great Inconvenience and
annoyance TO the judge and TO the law
ycrs, and Of great discomfort 10 jurors,
litigonts aud witnesses.
"Thc county court room Is, ON 0c-
count of the crowded condition of the
court house. used as an Office for tile
court clerk. the result IL that the court is
frequently nuu0ycd by the noise result
ing from the business carried ON 10y the
ruptcd then,by
"The jury room for the Forty-eiglth
district court Immediately adj0ins the
court room and is connected with the
same by window, through which the
deliberations of iurics are frequently
heard, much 10 tha annoyance Of the
court and TO the detrimciIt of the bust
ness being transacted In the court room.
For each OF the other courts there II
but ono jury room. thus milking II nee
cssary when more than one jury IS
out ~ the same time. from either one of
the courts, for one OF such jurics 10 be
crowded into the office of some county
official. There Is no regular grand jury
room. and when that body Is In session
u meets IN the office OF the county
attorney. who is-thus for the time being
deprived of the use Of his Office.
"Thcre are no available rooms In the
court house which can be used for wit
ncsses under the rule The result Is
cs are placed under the rule IN either
that when witnesses are placed under
/ ia rule In either Of the courts they must
either squat around the court house cor
ridors or be hcrded on the public square
! like so many cattle.
THREE are not n sufficient number OF
rooms I'm the court house 10 provide Of
! fees for whom the law makes Il duty
/ of the county commissioners 10 provide
| for The county judge Is provided with
| no Office; there are no accommodation
| IN the court house for The county sur
/ ycyor; neither is there any for the coun-
| ~ superintendent of public Instruction
/ Quarters for the two last officers are
rented los the county az q great expense
| "lhe tax Assessor and Tax collector
| cnch Of whom should have separate of,
| hccs, are both crowded into one small
room not large enough for the business
| OF either
III Is the duty OF the county commits,
| sioners 10 provide suitable aud comfort
| able places for holding the district and
| county courts: 20 provide suitable, com
| Portable and convenient rooms In which
| grand iilios aud petit iuries may meet
and transact their business with com
| fort 10 themselves without danger Of in
terrnption aud without annoyance Il
others. Ii Is also the duty Of the com
| missioners TO. provide rooms where Wit
| ncsses who In cases upon trial, are
| placed under the rule, can remain IN
comfort. and be free from Intrusion II !
also their duty 70 provide IN the court
house suitable Offices for the transaction
OF all the county business
This duty IS one which the county
owes not SO much To lis officials as e
the people of the county whose duty
brings them TO the county seat, ana thke'
them TO the cOart house, often against
their will So much Tor the necessity OF
new court house
"A very pertinent question Is the imam
cinl ability of the county 70 erect suei
a structure as the necessities OF the All
uatiou seem 10 require. IL Is estlmatet
that building 10 meet the wants mdi
Gated might bc provided at cost o
about S3OO,0OO,
"The value OF taxable property in Tar
rant county as shown by the assess
ment rolls for 1872, Is So, O42,5H4i IN
total bonded Indebtedness Of the county
including some bonds that have not Deel
issued, but which VIII soon be ISSUE s6s'
under existing contracts rs about sdo,
SOS. OF this amount S75SG1 bears
per cent interest, md S23,OOO pears
per cent interest 90
This Is mentioned TO show that TAI
rant county e. practically OUT Of debt an
there Is absolutely not one dollar Of "
dobtndpess against the CONT house hnt
With this showing OF The financial cor
dition of Iarant county she could ca,
iy dispose OF 100000 worth OF bond
at par IL,
a mathematical calculation viii den
onstrtte the fact that an annual appl'
pration OF > Qar cent upon the amour
Of such bonds as a sinking fund wonl
, liouidate the same in - years IN
amount required annually 70 meet . p'
cent interest and per cent slnkh
, funds. ON an issue Of $4,000 Of bond
/ will be S2l 600.
Now. referring 10 the taxable value
Of Tarrant county az before stated an
, emitting the odd thousands OF dollar
.H