The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-06-12
HOW THE TROUBLE AROSE,
A COMPLETE RESUME OF THE COM
MIssIONER's CASE.
INJUNCTION GOssAGE TALKS.
His Senseless Tongue Ways and Makes
an All Around Fool of Himself rs
Usual = The Commissioners
Now Under Arrest.

Ali Saturday evening, after Judge Gard
ner signed the writ Of attachment for
the county commissioners Ground Hog
Joe strutted about on the street blow
ing his own horn and making an ass Of
himself generally, and gave his own
horn another blast through his paper
on Sunday morning. He made one
statement that evening among others
that might mean much or nothing but
if true shows y remarkable condition OF
affairs in this circuit, He stated in the
presence OF q number OF witnesses, and
one asked him to repeat his remarks
SO he would not be mistaken "that
Judge Gardner was getting even with
those commissioners for passing that
resolution last spring IN regard to the
tax matter" Now what did this mean?
Was it simply a little OF Joe's idiocin-
cracy or was it. a case where the old
rule OF "fools and children tell the
truth?" We believe the former.
Does he believe we have ju lge on
the bench who would stoop so low or SO
prostitute this high office to ''play even''
with some litlgant? A more dangerous
thing could not happen to people, than
to have their property, liberty and lives
IN the hands OF such power In view
of the TACT that the ATTORNEYS IN this
case were the same attorneys who we're
in the case which brought out the reso-
luton by the commissioners referred to,
this was a remarkable statement for
Ground Hog Joe to waks-app that too
in the face OF some of the most unheard
OF rulings Of the court in this same case
We advise the judge or his ATTORNEYS to
stick a chunk of putty in Joe's mouth as
it leaks.
We do not believe newspaper is the
place to try lawsuits, but since the
journal has presented an argument
in behalf OF the plaintiff in this
case we propose to give little his
tory OF this proceeding in order that our
readers may be familiar With one of the
rankest proceedings ever conducted in
this country.
In the first place the bids for furnish
ing blank books and supplies were vol
luminous and required q great deal OF
labor to examine into what would be
needed by the county and the quantity,
Us the bids contained catalogues and a
large list OF stuff that would not be7re-
qulred, and it became the duty OF the
commissioners to figure on what would
be needed IN the various offices, then the
prices bid, which they did aud IN so.do-
ing had the assistance of Joseph B.
Gossage and Ed Towns, the agent of
Perkins Brothers, and they testify that
Perkins Bros, were the lowest bidders
Gossage also had IN bid for the county
printing and specially included in his
bid that it was expressly made
part OF it that ne was to have ali
Of the county printing the printing OF
the delinquent tax list and the proceed
ing OF the county Commissioners It
must here be bourn in mind that our
supreme supreme court has decided re-
Gently in the Hughes County case that
the commissioners have nothing to do
weth prlnteng the delinquent tax list as
this IS the duty Of tho treasurer and also
held that the naming OF three papers in
which to publish the proceedings of the
commissioners was not to be lat by con-
tract; their decision Of course lsettles the
law on that subject all over the state.
And Gossage was asking this as part of
his demand in his petition for manda1n-
US. The attorneys for the commission
ers then moved the court to quash the
writ on nine different counts any one of
which they claim was good but the
court overruled the motion. They then
asked for a stenographer in order that
a complete record might be had on ap.
peal which was also denied Then fol-
lowed the introduction OF the evidence
on both sided a few davs after the close
OF whichthe peremptory writ Of mandam-
US was granted, containing sort of
shotgun order requiring the board to
Immediately enter into contract with
Joseph B. Gossage for all things on
which he had bid. delinquent tax list,