New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-16
JUDGES WHO SERVE IN JAIL.
BY CONTEMPT OF THE FEDERAL COURT
THEY SAVE THE PEOPLE OF ST CLAIR
COUNTY. MO-. FROM TAXATION.
From The Chicago Chronicle.

From The Chicago Chronicle.
For twenty-six years the people OF 81 asment OF
the Federal Court. During all OF thar me ' ns
t Ser e%s Of ONCE in jail for Dprns
all this time judges and people haNe judiciary
system a has be been mi to
OF the decree The case Is one OF the h@erIca
'p Recently an Judges chi and Thomas d. Ney two
of the members OF the Count, Godr'' Kansas City
judge Giiis health failed during the six months
a and he WAS mot re Neville az accepted the
duty and will return accompanied by Sd ,i Ss
Samuel G. Peden and David Walker Term ims S Sf the
court o, presided over by Judge John F. Phillips
TSs n h p' Mes fV% IN e %
Clair County Is part OF the Osage Sond lands
ch in palm T district peoped and
who have lived there an ihe'r prI,sb AND AND
Scottish ancestors. But the country had no rail-
read to haul it, to thrv " years ago
The nearest line TO st. Clair was at Sedaiia Sixty
So when the advance agents OF the Tebo and
Neosho Railway went TO Osceola and proposed to
build branch OF the road from Kansas u, cry nceD 10
Some sixty counties in Western Missouri discussed
the proposition for bond issue. St. Clair accepted
in county bonds. There has always been some
majority of votes but they were recorded and
the issue decided upon. This was in 1870 They
through the county the best practicable line.
Fifty thousand dollars to be delivered when
more when the road crossed the Usage River and
that stream was bridged and the remainder when
This sSs, S the eo but j. se
deliver bonds when contracts had been let for
were signed and delivered That was vas the last Of
the railroad. 1t has never been built, and nobody
sold ster 70 them "nd the
based on the innocent hird-party-holder law.
REFUSAL TO PAY THE TAX
The people refused to pay the first tax levied to
hs sna r6 of the Issue s G5 the sns
down satisfied no court would hold against az them
bonds and decided against the county Then Judge
Dillon issued a mandamus on the County Court
The judges, learning of the coming OF the marshal
with this order, took to the woods. and II
long time before the officer was able to serve his
When he did serve them the order ignored:
they favored IT, tRey knew the temper Of their
people too well to take and Srd der
Judges were haed to Kansas City for hearing ring;
Rrdssn ob o2e n eny
the first to suffer voluntary Imprisonment
rather than pay what they believed to be an un-
When the fight began the people fought the court
them Now they keep IT up because they could
not pay If they would. The amount has grown by
tire county is only 81 100000 so 1t will be seen that
to issue the levy necessary TO take up this debt
would confscate every acre OF land in ST Clair.
The people are willing TO compromise and pay the
face Of the bonds but this offer is rejected they
keep up the battle.
S h had ne n wing
to go to jail to prevent tax levy, For nearly
ended yet Every time Judge Phillips opens court
he finds Of three camTi dnS oS
mitment to jail He offers them advice and ad.
montion. They reply with the stated Offer s6. Of
rhen the Judge winds 1t all up by YEARLY ordering
his Marshal TO lock them up. = v
an account s Of almost the exact words without going
10 om ,ed TO the that he makes the
old speech in b the way ans se
the county judges to Jail with the same weary wave
or apx yhe Of the interest The Federal Authorities are
puzzled and The people Of St. Clair determined How
II will end II it does get out OF the court. Is
question for chancery TO wrangle with
FARMER FOLK.
There are 25Ooo or 10000 persons in ST. Clair
County. These. save 1,5Oo at Osceola. many at
a Gy ane f at type %
people who have had much h. to do With the settle.
represent as 1t Is represented in Missouri and the
South Alieghanian hills of East Tennessee and Ken
RIM the and others
mixture Of the Briton and the Scot. and ali their
Of deter%
this spa%s a of the ssoP Of St. Char
is fast disappearing from American citizenship He
is a fighter. In his veins Is the same blood Nor
at Bannockburn. He is Missourian as Missourians
Of the first crop were known. His parents or his
nessee. He loves nature-the woods and the hills
and he does not live in the city or any nearer It
family. is ordinarily a poor business man, never
gets has al big Rsa Sn hs nd full beard
coat, except when the woodcock is nesting and the
ao Gays Un as ms aSS d Of s
see much difference between horsethIef and
mortgage sticker. He offers little hope Of early
solution Of the trouble
A PATRIOT AND MARTYR
Judges; is a typical Missourian. He born, Of
English parents in Ohio nifty years ago. and has
indian has white hair falling in long curls at the
and blue eyes He lives on a farm twelve miles
the woods all his life save for the term 1nS be Kan
II thought ! could stand one term in Jail all
stand anything. but hadn't been In cell twenty
and The day coSdn
stand 1t any longer, and the tailer took me out to
freedom. but my health got bad. and I'm pretty et
well done up now had doctor at the jail. He
81 won't ever go back unless they need me. But
II they do need me III quit poughin in the field TO
go. We're not a-gon' TO give lot of money sharks
a mortgage on every home and farm In St. Clair
County. and afore wei! give up they'll have TO
build a Jail around the whole county and lock us
up. women children and all l guess this thing
looks pretty funny TO people the outside. but
home and farm in ST Clair County and a money
shark waitin' gobblc 1t the first time there's
with us, an they amt closed us out by
other amount of dollars for somethin W. u never
got We need everything we can make TO live and
pay legitimate taxes. We're not afraid OF the
Federal Court Let IT do its worst. for its worst
would not be bad maxim ST. Clair County
pay this enormous debt. when almost half the
property in the county would have TO go under the
hammer TO do It,"
FOUR TERMS IN JAIL.
Thomas D. hewitt Is the greatest OF ST. Clair
County patriots In the railroad bond fight lie has
been elected an Associate Justice OF the County
Court four times. the last time 10 q Presiding