Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1902-03-07
Judge COwan Turns Loose His
Vial OF Wrath Upon the
City Administration, and the OF
ficials Pass Resolutions
Asking Public to Withhold Judg'
ment Until There Has Been

nlGut Outll lucTc HIS Oeen
A Proper and Lawful Determine.
ton OF Questions Involved.
In sentencing the blind piggers
Tuesday afternoon. Judge Cowan
asked each one of them if he had
paid a fine to the city during the
time he had been conducting
the illegal business of selling in
toxicating liquors. On being ans
wered in the affirmative, the Judge
replied substantially as follows:
The city authorities had no le-
gal right to fine you. You were
conducting an illegal business
robbing the people, and in turn
we're robbed by the city authori-
ties. It is a case of q robber be-
ing robbed by a robber. The city
authorities had no more right to
take your money than the high
wayman who takes you by the
throat and compels you to divide
with him your ill gotten gains.
Guilty as you are, the city officials
are more guilty than you, and in
stead of your serving a sentence in
the county Jail they should be
serving a sentence in the peniten-
tiary at Bismarck. Instead of be-
ing deprived Of your liberty, there
are men walking the streets of
Devils Lake today who should be
in the penitentiary-and they are
the members of the city admins
tration. You were undoubtedly
misled in thus cutting up the swag
with the city officials, into the be.
lief that you were buying protec-
ton, and / shall take this fact in
to consideration in passing sen.
tence, and shall be lenient with
you, but I want to assure you that
if there is ever another instance Of
this coming to my notice [ shall
Immediately proceed to remove the
offending officials from office. Il
is such boodling and corruption az
this in city affairs that encourages
officials in higher positions to be.
come corrupt, evidences of which
we read in the press of the coun'
try. [ am pleased to state tha'
this is the only place to my knowl
edge in tho Second judicial district
where this illegal proceeding o.
collecting fines is resorted to, anc
henceforth twill not occur again
The judges comments on the
administration of city affairs crea.
ted a big sensation in Devils Lake
The city officials are prominen'
business men, whose honesty, in
tegrity and morality are unim
peachable. The Inter Ocean, il
order to give the city administra
TONS side Of the story, called OF
the mayor and aldermen to .ascer
tain by what authority fines hat
been imposed for the illegal sal
Of liquors. In reply our represen
tative was referred to the follow
ing ordinance, which was adopted
several years ago, and which abb
lawyers have passed upon as bein,
legal:
I, Sec. l. That each and every plac
within the boundaries of the City O
Devils Lake. North Dakota, where an,
spirituous, malt, vinous, fermented O
other Intoxicating liquors are sold, of
fered or kept for sale, gift, barter o.
, trade, as a beverage. where persons ar
permitted to esort for the purpose o
drinking any OF said liquors as a bever
age is hereby defined and declared t
be q nuisance affecting the good orde
Of the City. Any person who shall ere
ate, continue or suffer to exist in an,
place in said City over which he ha
{ control. any establishment herein de
clared to be a nuisance, shall on con
viction be fined in any sum not les
than thirty-fve dollars, nor more thai
one hundred dollars.
Sec. 2. That each and every pIac'
within the boundaries OF the City o
Devils Lake, North Dakota, where a o,
liquors or drinks, not enumerated il
section one of this title are sold, ofere,
or kept for sale, gift, barter or trade, a
a beverage, to be drunk upon the pr EN-
| Uses, or where persons are permitted t
resort for the purpose of drinking an,
of said liquors as a beverage, is hereb,
: defined and declared to be a nuisance
, affecting the good order of the City
Any person who shall create, continue
3 or suffer to exist in any place in sal.
City over which he has any control, an,
establishment herein declared to be
nuisance, shall on conviction be fined il
any sum not less than thirty-fve dol
lars, nor more than one hundred dol
: lars.
Sec. 3. Any person, association o
corporation who shall. within the cor
porate limits of the City of Devils Lake
directly or indirectly manufacture an.
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