Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-07-17
A Faithful County Official.

A Faithful County Official.
Everybody, at least in the South
eastern portion of our county, knows
that there has been great deal of
trouble during the past two years in
East Lake Lillian in regard to the OBJ
struction of a certain public highway.
About two years ago public high
way was laid out running from Lake
Lillian to Bird Island. This road
ran over some land belonging to Anton
Jacobsen, and by reason of the road 8
cutting right through Mr.. Jacobsen s
land he was awardrd 500 in damages
for the land taken, which was q dis
lance of one forty-line. This award
everyone thought was in excess of the
real damage sustained, but not so
Mr.. Jacobson. He employed an at
torney at Willmar and took an appeal
from the decision of the County Com
missioners. Mr.. Jacobsen lost the ap-
peal, but nevertheless went ahead and
treated the land as his property and
INSTRUCTED the road with fences, rocks
and rails for which he was repeatedly
arrested. Once he paid the sum he
was fined. In another case he took
an appeal from my justice court, which
appeal the county attorney dismissed
few days ago, with the explanation
that the papers in transfer of the case
were not sufficient.
In third case against Mr.. Jacob
sen for obstructing the same, he was
duly and properly convicted and fined
in the justice court before me.
This case was called in the District
court, Tuesday afternoon, July 2.
You will understand, Mr.. Editor, that
the whole population in our township
and others, except a few of Mr.. Jacob
sens intimate friends, are very much
interested in maintaining the road in
question open; and the general feeling
is the greatest dissatisfaction that this
man should escape all public punish
ment, after having kept a public road
in our midst closed for months.
The community, therefore, felt salts
fed at the assurances made both by
the county attorney and by his part
ner, Samuel Olson, to the effect that
the last case against Anton Jacob
sen for obstructing the road in question
would be pushed to the utmost.
When the case was called Mr.. Jacob
sens attorney moved to dismiss the
action on the ground that the papers
in the action were faulty. This motion
was promptly denied, the court holding
that the papers were correct.
Imagine the surprise, Mr.. Editor,
when the county attorney himself, our
redoubtable Charley, stood up and
moved to dismiss the action-upon the
ground that tho road was not properly
laid out at tho time tho obstruction
wa. made.
Holy pelicans! And this in spite Of
the records themselves on file in regard
to this road!
TWAS very noticeable how the county
attorney Immediately after the dis
missal of this action tried, to avoic
meeting me, whom he knew was here il
part representing East Lake Lillian.
did succeed, however, in getting
hold of him after while; and what dc
you think was his excuse? Why, tha
he had understood me to state to hin
that the Board of Supervisors il
East Lake Lillian had never notified
Mr.. Jacobsen to remove the fence.
Now, as a matter of fact, I told thu
county attorney, Mr.. Charles Johnson
that the Supervisors had given Jacob
sen three notices at three differen
times to remove the distractions, ani
that they had themselves removed tn.
distractions placed there by Mr.
Jacobsen at least two times, and thes,
three notices are now on file. AND
cannot free myself, Mr.. Editor
from the suspicion that the count.
attorney both knew and remembered
that I had told him 50. /. ]. S. s z.%
The inexplicable about the affair il
not only that the county attorney wa
all the time telling Gil who felt inter
ested in the case, that he was going t
try the case, and amazed the cour
room IL the last moment BY cool!
dropping the whole matter. But wha
was his reason for wanting 70 shielt
Jacobsen, whom the county attorney
~ veil as every BODY else, knows hal
Tor . long time been dedantly closing
q public highway
We look e vain for - 6 l.nation