The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-29
|JAILING THE JUDGES
That Is What the Federal Authori-
ties Do to Those Of a Mis-
souri, Court.
The Trouble Not One Of Jurisdiction
but Of Defaulted Railroad
Bonds.

Nevada, Mo-, June 24.-For one to ac-
sept an election for the office of county
Judge in the neighboring county OF St.
Clair Is to ensure his residence In jail
Turing his full term or to spend his tenure
81 office In hiding in the woods or to stand
= good chance of being lynched by the
men who elected him. This strange state
If affairs is brought about by the fact that
the county judges occupy much the same
relation to the people Of tho county in
Missouri that the county commissioners do
In Minnesota and that ST. Clair county
has lot of railroad bonds outstanding
that the people do not intend to redeem
or pay interest on.
Before the war Osceola, the county seat
OF ST. Clair county, was All important
place. 1t was the head OF navigation on
the Usage river and tributary to it was a
large section of the country in Arkansas
and Indian Territory, and steamers made
regslar trips from ST. Louis. but could go
no further than that point in the foothills
Of the Ozarks.
The Ozarks will be remembered as the
last rallying ground Of Pap Price and the
many semi guerrilla bands that claimed to
follow his banner. Here lighting began
early and fingered late and the result was
that when the war ended there were many
men In this section who did not care to
return to the sections from whence they
came, because it might not be safe and
there was little immigration in this direc-
ton, because people who did not care to
carry revolver strapped to each hip
thought they would be safer where there
were fewer outlaws.
Z AS the railroads began to reach out in
al directions, the people here saw that
they must have a road, or never regain
their lost prestige. and so the county court
voted s250,000 bonds In aid of the Clinton
& Memphis branch Of the Tebo & Neosho
.l,.%o
the bonds were sold to A. H Nicolay of
New York. One tax levy was made to
pay interest on the bonds, amounting to
$l.20 on each 500 of valuation. This was
too much for the people and they rebelled.
The county judges were coerced by pop
ular clamor into refusing to order a levy
( to pay any more interest or to provide
for the principal, and the matter found
Its way into the federal court. The county
court was ordered to make tax levy to
pay the demand. The county court re-
fused to do so. The federal court issued
n mandamus. This was ignored. The
county judges were cited for contempt
They ignored the summons. United States
marshals were sent to arrest them.
Then came long cha>ses after the judges.
who took TO the woods. Sometimes they
were caught by the marshal, oftener they
escaped. When caught they were placed
In Jail In Kansas City by order of the
federal court.
This state of affairs has lasted almost
If not quite, a third Of century, and the
latest phase In the case is an appeal tc
President Roosevelt. This was brought
about by the retention in Jail of one OF
the judges after he had resigned and his
successor had been elected. A memorial
Bigned by 1,549 citizens of the county was
bent to the president This secured his
release. .
Occasionally a judge has been elected
who favored some sort Of compromise
10 end the trouble. but he was soon con-
WINGED that any weakening on the part
of the court would lead to lynching, and
the idea of compromise '.died abornin.' .
Still, some sort Of settlement may be
made, now that the chief executives at
tention has been called to the matter.