Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-02-03
SEAT MOVED
Some Emmons County People Reported
to Have Forcibly Moved Records
to Linton.
Too Impatient to Brook Such Obstacles
as the Formalities of
the Law.
An Unexpected Development in the
Legal Fight Between Williams
port and Linton.
Moved It Anyway.

at the last general eleeClOn inc PROPOSE |
ton was voted upon and declared carried
by the official count of the votes. An
other faction who have interests at Will
Transport and who don't want to lose
the seat of county government were
"agin" the removal idea first last and all
the time.
They fought the measure when it
first came up, opposed it and exerted
their influence to secure its defeat at
the polls and finally when the parties of
the first part had won the day, charged
fraud and illegal voting. There can be
no question but that the latter are in the
minority, but what they lack in numbers
they make up in general activeness in
opposing any action looking toward the
contamination of the proposed removal
scheme.
The first chapter of what now bids
fair to be a bitter fight which will last
for some time and engender considera-
BILE bad blood was inaugurated when a
number of the anti-removal men Sc
cured an injunctional order restraining
the county officials from making the
change, The court granted the instru-
ment temporarily pending an ~investiga-
ton of the charges brought, which were
in substance that tho election which re-
suited in favor of the removal contin-
gent was unfair and illegalin this detail.
1t was charged that everybody had been
allowed to vote on the proposition, so
long as he voted fright" whether he was
a legally qualified voter OF not, also that
the judges of election had counted a
large number of ballots for removal,
which they had no right to do by reason
of their having been improperly marked.
The hearing was had before Judge Win
chester last Tuesday but no definite con-
clusion was reached by the court at this
time as only a part of the evidence in
the case was introduced and a continu-
ance Of the case was taken until next
Tuesday. Both sides were we'll repre-
sented at the trial. All the county off.
GERS were present and a number OF
interested citizens and some Of
the evidence introduced alleged that
some of the county officers had refused
to show the official tally sheets of cleo.
ton to emissaries of the anti-removal
men and other allegations we're made
that looked favorable to the patriots OIL
Williamsport and they journeyed home
feeling that their efforts had not beer
altogether in vain and that the sun o.
Williamsport as the county seat of EN-.
mons county had not yet set.
Meanwhile the opposition had moi
been idle. 1t numbered in its personne,
some men who did not propose to have
their ends thwarted by what they
thought useless and 'ill-timed litigation
Accordingly last Tuesday evening as the
good people of Williamsport were pre-.
pairing to retire for the night, at peace
with all the world and happy in the
thought that they were still residents Of
county seat town they were
startled by. a CHATTER of hoofs
and the arrival of a body of men
apparently bent on some serious errand
1t turned out to be a body of unusually
enthusiastic removal men who had COM
up from their native Businesses neal
Linton to move the books, records, etc.
of the county seat. They were about
100 strong mostly on foot escorted by
armed out-riders, carrying a U. s. flag
at the head of their column.
They surrounded the building and
proceeded to batter down the outside
wall with such rough instruments as
were convenient and were soon triumph.
antly bearing away to Linton the Gov
eted records of the county. All the
books were taken with the exception o
Clerk of the Court Streeter's who was
in Bismarck at the time attending the
trial and had brought his books with hin
thinking perhaps they might contain in.
formation which would be valuable az
evidence.
This, then, is the way the county seat
was removed to Linton. No one cares
to hazard a conjecture as to what the ul
innate outcome will be. Feeling runs
high and the question of removing the
county seat from Williamsport to Linton
is 10 a dead issue and will give place
to the more important and momentoui
question of moving it from Linton tc
Williamsport. Meanwhile the partisans
of both communities are resting on theil
arms and will be prepared to meet any
emergency which may arise.