The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-04-01

| though all of them but one are super
fuous.
Another phase of this matter is the
fact that often the accused does not
know until he appears before the JUS
tice that he is entitled to an attorney
for his defence, and has failed to pro-
vide himself with one. Court is then
adjourned for time and the prisoner
hunts up the other Cavalier lawyer,
whose name appears as partner of the
states attorney on the plat which is
recorded as Brynjolfson & Laxdal's
Addition to Cavalier [where the new
court house is to be built when it is
moved to that city.
| The people of the various cities and
villages of the county will have no
difficulty in recalling the fact that in
almost every case arising in their re-
spective localities either under the
prohibition laws or other criminal
procedure, the accused and the peace
officers and the witnesses have been
hailed before the Cavali r justice of the
peace for preliminary trial. The records
of the clerk of court s office for the last
five or slx years will prove this fact, of
which the Drayton Milling cases, the
Bowesmont Bank case and the horse
thief case are but recent examples.
county commissioners will also show
that in all probability, that more mile
age has been paid to court attendants
at Cavalier during that period than has
been paid to witnesses in all criminal
cases IN attendance at the district
court in Pembina for the same period.
! This is all the more probable because
m any of the cases that go to Cavalier
which take one or more days in hear
ing and have the full compliment of
witnesses for the prosecution, (who are
compelled to attend by subpeona,) are
di smissed and never come to district
court, or, in most other cases as the
annals of the court show, are never
tried because the accused pleads guilty
between terms of district court and re-
ceives his sentence, without the pre-
sence of witnesses at all.
! Up to this year the states attorney
of this county has been allowed by the
county board lump sum of 500 per
quarter in addition to his salary of
Sl6OO per year, as expenses. All other
officials who have similar accounts with
the county have been compelled to
make them itemized and sworn to. We
understand that hereafter the states
attorney will also bring in itemlzed
expense accounts. 1t will probably
not make any special difference in
amount to the county. However, it
costs money to.travel and pay hotel bills,
hence it is evident that the states at
Jorney could make quite saving to
his own pocket by making the "moun-
tain come to Mahomet instead of
Mahomet going to the mountain"
Now in all this matter, the county
attorney has not probably exceeded
his authority under the laws. But
there are different methods of obeying
the law and the above seems to be the
method of the present executive of
the statutes in this county.
Mr.. Brynjolfson at this time poses
as the head push Of the county seat
removal committee of Cavalier. The
principal argument lnade by MIR. Bryn-
jolfson and his coajutors is the question
of the extra mileage paid to witnesses
and court officers at present. They
consider it robbery of the dear people
cf the county and call upon them to
rise in their might and remove the
court house to Brynjolfson & Laxdal's
addition to Cavalier. But in justice
cases the states attorney instead of 60
ing to the locality of the crime and
having the case heard there, and
charging up mileage for himself alone,
sits in his county seat at Cavalier and
gives ont his orders to the sheriff or.
constables to bring the accused and
the witnesses before him there, and
when the case is heard the Justice
charges up the unnecessary excess
mileage Of from five 10 twenty persons
70 the county 81 Pemblna. 81
When Mr. Brynjolfson 8 little later
comes to your home ia his aUtomobilss
asking you to vote tor Cavalier to5
" 3'SS5