The Anaconda standard., 1895-06-04
GRAND JURY REPORT
With Single Exception 1t Is General
Indefinite.
ERRORS IN ASSESSMENT
Responsibility Attaches to the AS
SCISSOR and Board of EqualIza-
tion, Say the Jurors-A' Mild
Reference to Lewd Women.

Missoula, June 3-The grand jury ap-
peared before the district g art th;2
morning at 80 o'clock and presented
I IL final report. Like all grand Jury re-
ports. IL is general and indefinite 4 ~
/ statements. with tie single exception
| of the errors in assessn. sn', where spe-
/ cific charges are made. 1t was hoped
( that there would be something more
/ definite I'm regard to the boldness with
which prostitutes have been living on
| Main street and The upper pnr.iIn of
4 West Front street, but the grand jury
contented itself with stating that IT
/ had found that this disgrace existed
and that some well-known men were
involved. There has been some good
/ accomplished. however, by the inVesti-
/ CATION, as the women referred to III the
| report have vacated their conspicuous
quarters and have either left town or
retired TO, more secluded portions OF
! Two of the indictments referred to
in the report are those made last week
/ against Mr.. and Mrs, Ed Clark. charg-
ing them with the murder of j. p.
/ Stewart at Heron. March "A. The third
| Is a secret indictment, which will not
| be made public at present.
| That portion of the report which will
attract the most attention is the para
graph relating to errors in the assess
ment of property. The report likes the
responsibility upon the assessor and
the board Of equalization. IL the
recommendation OF the grand jury re-
garding the collection Of the amount Of
taxes that have been unpaid is carried
out, there will probably he some lively
legal contests. The report in full is as
follows:
In the District court of the Fourth Ju-
dicial District of the State Of Mon
in lfpnn+V nf Mis-
soula-
Report of Grand Jury. May Term,
1895.
To the Hon. Frank II. Woody. Judge,
District Court
The grand jury, duly impaneled and
sworn for the May term of the district
court of the Fourth judicial district of
the state of Montana. in and for the
county of Missoula, having carefully
considered all matters brought before
them, herewith present their Hnal re-
port:
City Jail.
We visited the city Jail of the city
of Missoula and found the same in
very unhealthy condition, the floor be-
| ing damp, water standing in places, no
bedding save two or three filthy mat
! tresses. the stairs leading to ii in such
a position as to render il dangerous
| for an officer to take prisoners down.
| In pleasing contrast to this is the
! county Jail. II was found in very
! cleanly condition, with a bath tub. hot
| and cold water accessible at all times
| to the prisoners, good ventilation and
| the prisoners seem satisfied with their
| food.
Poor Farm.
We found the poor farm, under the
care Of the Sisters of Charity, a model
/ of neatness, the grounds nicely kept
/ and a large garden wherein, an abun-
dance OF fresh vegetables are grown,
/ the care of which furnishes healthful
employment for those unfortunate in
! mates who are able to work. Thirteen
] patients are there, and two under the
care of the sisters at the hospital
County Records.
So far as the grand jury is able to
/ judge the records of the county are
correctly and neatly kept.
The attention of the grand jury was
/ called to the reports that numbers of
. women of dissolute habits were occu-
pying rooms in prominent blocks in
certain public streets of Missoula. Aft
| er investigating this matter as thor
oughly as possible, we find that over
the store of ]. 5. Lesser, +. Il. Kern,
the Missoulian office and in a number
of other localities in the city many of
/ this class are living. With some or
these we'll known men are cohabiting.
The names of all these parties have
been furnished to the county attorney.
with the instructions to prosecute the
same to the full extent of the law. So
long as this evil exists let Ii be cir
cumscribed to certain limits i'm the city
and kept there.
In the matter of the assessment of
taxes, owing to the extent of the as
sessment list. we have only been able
to examine a small portion of the
same. The result of our examination
is as follows:
We find that the south half of block
s, original townsite of the city of Mis-
soula. appraised value $2,760, has not
been assessed. Lot IA, McQuirk's addi-
tion, so feet, appraised at S14 per foot,
total S1.120, assessed at So per foot.
total $3.50. Lot and barn in rear of
same is not assessed. John Rankin.
assessed for four houses in block Sc,
Railroad addition, should be five: his
three one and one-half-stories in Ur-
Inns addition, block S5, total assess
ment on the three. $500. while Van
stones one-story house, adjoining, is
assessed at 5000 Block ]. McQuirk' $
addition, appraised on both streets,
/ Main and Front, assessed only ION
Front street. Block 8. McQuirk's addi-
tion. appraised on both Front and
Main streets. assessed only on Front
street. Lot IL, McQuirk's addition. APP
praised at $l2 per foot. assessed at
only Sc per foot. on lots and TO- block
G. Higgins addition, two houses
are located, only one assessed: two
houses and stable, block Il. McQuirk S
addition, not assessed. We also find
that the total assessments on 10
houses belonging 10 John Rankin is
only $4,000. We find that the assess
ment list returned by the First Nation
al and Western Montana National
banks was made in accordance with
the instructions received from the
board of equalization. Doubtless a
careful examination Of the records
would show many other instances like
those cited above. in which the county
has been deprived Of a considerable
amount Of money to which IL is Justly
entitled. The county furnishes the as
SCISSOR with deputies sufficient to cor
rectly compete the work Of assessing
The county commissioners sit as a
board of equalization, and should
/ know whether the assessment has haau