The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-28
IN NEED OF MORE ROOM
An Addition to Be Made to the
Court House.
LOT WILL BE PURCHASED
The Present Building Is Three or -Four
Rooms Shy of Accommodating All
OF the County Ofhcers-The Jail
Is Not Large Enough.

The county commissioners yesterday
decided to purchase the corner lot at Mon
tara and Granite streets. adjoining the
court house on the west. and the district
court will be asked TO appoint appraisers
70 fix the value OF the lot. II the price so
fixed viii be satisfactory to the commits
sioners and the owners of the lot the pur-
chase will be made without any further
proceedings: otherwise a condemnation
suit may be necessary. hut IL was stated
yesterday that the property was held at
a very reasonable figure and that there
would be no trouble in acquiring it for
the county. A few days ago the commits
sioners asked Deputy County Attorney
Yancey for an opinion as to the legal steps
necessary TO acquire the property, and
yesterday morning ne submitted 10 them
the following:
Relative TO your inquiries about the
contemplated purchase OF land for pub
lie use. ] find that section 4.l93 gives the
county power to purchase and hold lands
within its limits, and this may be done
by the county commissioners.
But you should also bear in mind sec
ton 4.l96. Political code, which provides
that no county must incur any indebted
ness CT lDdDllllN LOT any SlDklt purpose
10 an amount exceeding $4,000 without the
approval of "A majority of the electors
thereof voting at an election To he pro-
vided by law
while the sections above quoted appear
to give you the power in unequivocal
terms, yet many think that condemnation
proceedings are always necessary. and. in
fact. when land is wanted that the owner
will not sell then the county may exer-
else the right Of eminent domain and Sc
cure the property of a private person II
the public use emand same.
Proceedings TO enforce this right are
as follows: First, a complaint is filed in
the district court and ummons issued and
served on party owning the land re-
quired.
1.-THE defendant (owner Of the land)
may appear. demur or answer. If the
judge is satisfied that the public interests
require the taking of the lands sought
by the county he will appoint a commits
sion OF three men, who will determine
the amount To be paid for the same. The
commissioners thus appointed will hear
evidence. etc. and afterwards make their
findings and report to the court.
III no appeals are taken the price Is
paid to the owner of the land and the
court makes a final order OF condemnation
and when "A copy of the order is filed i'm
the Office Of the county clerk. then the
property described in said order will YES,
I'm the plaintiff, or county, prosecuting the
suit.
81 conclude that condemnation proceed.
ings are not necessary except when owner
Of the proposed purchase is unwilling 70
sell for a reasonable compensation IL dis
trict judge will appoint three disinterested
citizens Of the county who will estimate
the value of the proposed purchase. then
your board may purchase the same in
the same manner and with the same right
as could a private citizen. provided. how
ever, that you pay no more than the APP
praised value therefor"
The lot is wanted for the purpose OF
erecting an addition to the court house.
and is the only vacant and suitable
ground available for the purpose. The
court house long ago ceased to be large
enough TO accommodate the growing
needs of the county. The building is three
or four rooms short of accommodating all
the county officers. All the vault room has
been taken up and the existing vaults are
practically filled TO their utmost capacity
with the county records.
The jail, too. has long since ceased ia
be large enough for the demands made ON
il. II was originally built TO accommodate
81 prisoners, but for a year or more the
number of inmates has averaged over 100,
The long need Of a department for wit
nesses detained in the custody of the
sheriff. has also long been of the great
est need. At present & is necessary "a
put men and women, who were unfortu-
nate enough to be witnesses to "A crime,
in jail with persons accused of crime and
held as prisoners. There nave been sew
eral instances where women, held as wit
nesses, had 10 be locked up with female
criminals and the foulest characters of
their sex.
The present jail also lacks provisions
for the confinement Of insane persons,
and the only place where they can he con-
fined at the present time Is the box car,
& narrow and unhealthful cell intended
for the hardest riminal and condemned
murdereTs awaiting execution.
The commissioner have not yet de-
cided when TO build. as II will be nccos.
sarry TO submit the proposition TO the
voters at a special election. but they
thought II was time to purchase a site
for the building while II could be had.
and before some one else got IL and built