Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-13
SCARCITY OF JAIL BIRDS
TFort Dodge aMessenger. |

Just at the present time there Is u
dearth of business in the county sher-s
iff's Office. The jail has not been oc-
cupied by any county prisoners for two
weeks. Harmon ANDERSON. who was
brought back from Montana. was the
last to have Il room there. There was
no one in the city jail Saturday or the
next morning. With both jails empty
1t speaks well for the city and county,
A great many people predicted last
spring that this fall aud winter the
city would he overrun with lawiess
characters. They argued that the large
number of laborer-s that We're being
brought in by the railroad companies
to work on the new lines of road that
were constructed this year in this part
of the state would give the police plen-
ty of work later on. 1T was supposed
that when they We're paid off IN the
fall they would come Ia the city ana
spend theii, moueyin having high old
time After that they would lay around
until spring. and the result would be
tnat petty thieving and methods OF
that character would b. resorted to n
order TO live until spring. The records
of the police court SHOW very decides
contrast to- this prediction. The num-
Der of arrests has been small and there
has been a number of days when there
was none made at all. Monday morn
ing without an arrest has been an UNI
usual occurrence of late.
80
sYNDIc.A ATE OF TAX BIDDERS.
IAlgona Upper Des Moines.l
Considering that Monday was a cold
cal
affair a stranger. X. NJ Wh:twer,
said 10 be from Mason City, appeared
on the scene and from the outsst put
the limit high. Hi bid on everything
that offered and at fractions that would
not give him as much land az would
cover his thumb nail. He got town lots
a pinhead. The local bidders We're not
to be left, and for u few hours 1t both
cred the mathematician to tell how to
figure. The climax was reached when
the stranger ransout of name and said
he would pay tax for an intnitesiinal
part, when f. v. Swelling Immediately
bid at half OF an niinitcsiinal part
The taxes on several pieces OF land
were paid for an intinitesinal fraction
At noon about half thealist ha beer
nnlSleu, WQtIls IL IIiJlipli " d'iJoAti ~ ~
sale was made, and Treasurer Smith
adjourned il one week. The stranger
protested, and it seems he IS right. This
law says the treasurer mustgcontinue
the sale until all the pieces are offered
and can adjourn the sale after all have
been offered In case some OF them havt
not been bid off. III looks as though
treasurer Smith, by adjourning the
sale, might involve the whole subse-
auent sale in legal tangle. the adj
journment is not lega! tax deeds bought
on next Mondays sale VIII not be
worth anything. and all who pay take.
on other mems land will do so with !
pretty good prospect of making do
nation When the Adjournment oc-
Cured Whitwer assured the local lane
men that ne would again be- present
There is a rumor out that he belongs L
a syndicate that has had a man at eyr
cry sale in the state 10 bid on all de
linquent lands. There Is big money II
it, and ii such a syndicate is really or
ganized it is a shrewd move.
Many assume that 1t would be easy
to let bidders take a deed TO the Yer.
small fraction Of land they take as Sc
curity for the taxes they pay on tn,
Whole piece. isut the costs of court.
and of referee To set off the fractions
etc. would amount % more than the
original tax