The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-12-24
The Grand Jury's Report.

lished the report OF the grand jury, but
a number of errors were allowed 10
creep in for some reason or other and
THE UNION has been requested topub-
lish the report correctly 1t was made
at the time it was submitted. Follow
lug is a correct copy:
To the Honorable William Gardner:
The grand jury having disposed OF
All matters presented comes now, from
an adjourned session, into open court
for the purpose Of making final re-
port. Your jury has made faithful
effort 10 inquire into all questions OF
violation c; law; every matter OF pubic
interest broue hi TO 10 the attention OF
this jury has been carefully scanned
and properly investigated insofar as we
have been able to do so. Several true
bills and indictments have been .ound
and presented to your honor IL open
court. In every instance where the
testimony has been deemed sut1lclen
to Justify. your jury, am proud to say,
has acted promptly without fHar or Ia
vor. Several minor and unimportant
matters We're considered and disposed
of. not. however, without consulting
the interests of all concerned, partlcu-
larly the taxpayers. We visited the
court house grounds and beheld the
ruins: we have diligently inquired
about the origin of the fire and from
the varied opinions given and all the
evidence offered or obtainable. we are
unable to arrive at any satisfactory
conclusion. We therefore leave the
subject to be taken up in the future.
We called upon the sheriff, who con-
Quoted your jury about the court house
premises and into and through the
county jail, which we found III good
condition, and from the appearance OF
the inmates thereof no adverse crltl-
ciSm is made.
The jury recommends the placing of
heavy wire, close mesh screens on the
| outside Of the six jail windows by the
county commissioners to avoid the
passing in OF any weapons or other ar
iicles to the prisoners.
We have reviewed the liquor ques-
lion as presented by the officers of the
law ard others interested in Rapid
| City, and our conclusion of the whole
matter is, that under the late law it's a
pal authorities of our city to claim that
they are unable to control it in Justices
court. therefore, we recommend them
! to enforce the law.
| In relation to the county commits
siuners, these officials are entitled to
commendation and credit for the eco
nomical manner in which they have
managed the affairs OF the county as
shown by the following facts taken
from the records of the county for the
past four years: The year ending j Ine
80, 1893, the total expense Of running
the county amounted to the enormous
sum of $6l ,66OS2: the total expense Of
running the county for the year end
ing June 30, 1897, was 1913, 9O4 A, show
ing an actual reduction of almost fifty
per cent.
Re:apitulation of receipts of the
county treasurer:
1874 ......... lo,CoO -
1895 ............... 1900. III 4;
1896. ........... ........ 1897 s!
10 Lee. o, 1921 O9,AOo *
From further investigation of thu
state of the finances of the county W,
find that the assets of the county ex
ceed tne liabilities by about one hun
dred thousand dollars. We furthe
7 commend the county cOmmls
sioners for their action in renittin
penalty and interest on delinquen
taxes, which met with your honor
approval, and further commend max
ing non-negotiable court script to dt
linquent taxpayers.
We desire to make special mentio
; of the office of county treasurer w
:. find that the present incumbent 81
collected the sum Of $50, 1851 siae
e January last, and this without al
tressing anyone, the above amour
being more than has ever been cullec
ed in the same period of time by al
treasurer in the history Of the count
: We desire also to commend the Urea
= urer for compelling the Harney PEI
d Tin Mining, Milling and Manufactu
ing Co., to pay 81 100 into the treaeu''
His energy and zeal in the performan
,e uf this duty should be encouraged
!, , all good citizens.
8! In the matter of tho county audit
the jury found matters pertaini ig
tee office in excellent shape conside
ing the crowded quarters in which
; was placed. the records are kept II
s5 l,ns;nas.l;L a wnu and no trunble v