The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-30

collapsed, leaving the grade and an
eternal hatred of bonds as legacy 10
the people of the community.
AS soon as it was known that the COM
pany had collapsed, the county hurried
into court, asking for an injunction
against the sale of the bonds 1t was
too late. They We're already in the
hands of innocent purchasers. When
the people heard this they swore great
and mighty Missouri oath that they
would never pay them. AT the outset
nineteen thousand dollars was collected
to pay the interest and as a sinking
| fund. For two or three years fifteen
thousand dollars was collected for inter-
est payment, and laid in bank, which
failed.
The first sign of resistance was in 1872
73, when individual taxpayers refused to
pay their taxes on the bond levy. Suits
| were begun at once, and in 1876 two and
three-fourths per cent levy was insti-
tuted to pay judgments brought be-
cause of non payment of interest. This
levy was duly extended on the books of
the county. One night silent caval-
cade of masked men surrounded the
courthouse at Osceola. Their leader
rode forward and accosted the janitor:
I'VE have come to balance the books, y
he announced. Hand over the keys"
Everything was decorous and serious.
When the books We're returned after an
hours work by smoking torches every
figure In the railway bond-tax column
had been erased. These figures were
never reinstated. Later on, the county
court consisting of the three county
judges, formally abolished all unpaid
railroad taxes Not a scratch of pen
or the order of the court has since been
made in ST. Clair county for the pay
ment of principal or interest of the
bonds of the Tebo and Neosha railroad.
The bonds had been issued on petit
ton of taxpayers most of whom could
not vote. owing to their war disabilities.
When the counties issuing the bonds
dubbed together and hired lawyers for
the fight they lost in the state courts.
Next they went to the United States Su-
preme court, but the justices looked
sternly at the attorneys:
Your state courts have already inter
preted your statutes for you was the
order. Their ruling is affirmed"
st. Clair county swore it would never
pay. The other counties compromised
or promised to, but st. Clair was stub
born. 1t is stubborn yet. For twenty
seven years it has fought the fight and
is still far from being conquered The
judgments and costs recorded against it
to date in the United States courts
amount to 81. 461 ,354.14, a sum nearly
equal to it's assessed valuation. After
twenty seven years effort the bond
holders have collected not one cent
The plan of fighting the collection was
simplicity itself. Only the judges Of the
county court can levy taxes. These
judges are elected for two years each.
Hence for time, when one term of
judges had evaded the mandamus to
levy taxes to satisfy the judgments,
fresh proceedings were necessary
against their successors. For years SER
vice of the mandamus writ was eluded.
The whole county assisted in keeping
the judges hidden. Frequently the mar
shals talked to the judges without
knowing it. Innocent strangers were
given wrong directions and hastily left,
thinking they had encountered a coun-
ty of lunatcs.
PiiaiS ''ie J"use y, VIC
iiaue iu'iiis 'ia' ieo Ni,'e w.
WIN 'ne NouhtS w iii,'Ue - ~
service III lie county Juue ei wv
c'elh eooh " VIC "ooa9 oiiA ~
lour men 70 h"i,'' ~ "a9 aiiie ~.
mean .iial SIMPLY iearns .i,e W..
ms oiiiee "ou'o w. Aeii 80. ~
Judges were III coii.ethp. VI .ne ~
anu iiaoie " 50 " 1'i,' ~,
snais cou'o no. 'dhe '"eiii " 'ai..
Oh the oraFes' uepu.'es vi 'hV 80. - wy
liiet uea'ii III the u'''iia' g VI ms N's'
laneo " MANI an az SO, oa,
Aiohs III 'fie ia.'el oo o'' Clo.i ,ouN
" grew weary u, 'ious 'ns ma ,,t sa.s.
railroao iiau ieans 80 ou'i' W.
the county oiio' Tue ieuo any 1,eoona1'
ana slrahsers "e,e wv 'i''eh ~ o
luilS Watcheu' ~ was 'eeiueu ,il''.
.neieai.ei us 'e'u W 'ie oo.'A.y '"Ne
nluihs ~ '''e "oo'i0 'iies 7',ou,' - ~
jan DIS io'is a9 necessary ooi us WIG
tellhs.
0o the Juuses iesoi 'eu " 'es', i''s 81,
loI le" i''oli'ns anu wen ~ 'a,'
VIZ - M
speeuiiy sioN GU 'ii'l ny ne'u ~ pio
cry 1hes oie" wv uoiia'7 u'' %,i'
spent 'iie ''iiie ao p'e"oai'iS 90 pon7'o'1
Solisi e'9ii,'ii' i"'e' 'o'ei ,iu''