The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-12-04
MONTANA BETTER LAST YEAR
THAN IN 1898.
INSANITY ON THE INCREASE
Figures of Bureau of Agriculture,
Labor and Industry-Some
Prosperity Items.

Crime is decreasing and Montana is
growing better. James H. Calderhead,
commissioner Of the state bureau OF
agriculture, labor and industry, has
Just completed for his forthcoming II
nual report the compilation of statist-
les of criminal prosecution, and civil
actions during 1899. which are COM
pared with similar figures for the pre-
vious year. While criminality is
shown to have decreased, there was a
small increase in insanity. Civil
actions increased slightly.
Daring 1899 there was a total Of 1877
convictions for %felonies, compared
with 2O7 for 1898. The statement by
counties shows that sixteen persons
were sent to the penitentiary from
Lewis aud Clarke county, and ~ from
Silver Bow. Cascade sent up II, and
Deer Lodge a similar number. -Four
hundred and eighteen criminal prose-
cutions were begun in the state dur
ing the year, compared with 472 the
year before, or q loss Of SO. OF the
total, 81 were begun in Lewis and
Clarke, 80 in Silver Bow, 80 in Cas-
cade, 80 in Deer Lodge and "a each n
Choteau and Flathead. Ninety-two
persons were tried and acquitted Of
criminal charges III 1899, compared
with 80 for the year before. One
hundred and thirty-seven criminal
cases were dismissed, nolle pressed,
etc., as against ISL in 1898.
At the close of the year 1899 1858
criminal cases were pending in the
state, compared with 100 at the end OF
1898. When the present year began
10 such cases were pending in Lewis
and Clarke, 81 in Silver Bow, 20 in
Cascade and Yellowstone, and II IN
Custer. Eighty-eight criminal cases
were appealed from the lower courts
in 1899, and 46 in 1898.
Convictions for misdemeanors were
surprisingly small, the total for the EN-
tire state being only 43. This was ID
less than in 1898.
The figures indicate al increase OF
insanity. Commitments to the state
asylum for the insane in 1899 number
ing 11S, and in 1898 the number was
10. The figures by counties are:
Lewis and Clarke, IA; Silver Bow, "a;
Granite, 2; Missoula, 10; Ravelli, 5;
Beaverhead, 3; Jefferson, 2; Madison,
3; Park, 8; Carbon, 3; Sweet Grass,
4; Dawson, 1; Custer, 6; Yellowstone,
8; Cascade, 6; Gallatin, 4; Broad
water, 5: Choteau, 1; Fergus, 5; Flat
head, 4. There were no commitments
for insanity from Deer Lodge,
Meagher, Valley and Teton.
Silver Bow sent nine boys to the re-
form school; Deer Lodge sent 3,
Lewis and Clarke 2, B~eaverhead,
Jefferson, Madison, Carbon, Custer,
Cascade and Flathead l each, a total
of 81, compared with 80 for 1898.
A total Of 2,446 civil cases were
begun in 1899. compared with 2,47O
the year before. The number OF civil
cases disposed of in 1899 was 1884
the number disposed Of in 1898 was
2,397. At the end Of the year 2,215
civil cases were penang. Of this
number, 1854, or nearly half, were IN
Silver Bow county. Gallatin county
t1a1ne second with 312, and Lewis and
Clarke third, with 80. In Cascade
1875 cases were pending at the close OF
the year.
That ranchers are growing prosper
. Gus is indicated by the number OF fore
closure DEGREES in 1899 compared with
the number of such DEGREES of the pre-
vious year. In 1899 1870 DEGREES were
issued; in 1898 the number was 203'
There were 1876 orders of sales during
1899, and 1877 during 1898.