The Holt County sentinel., 1911-06-16
THE FACTS
About the Proposition to
Improve the Court
House.

At the April. 1911, Term Of the
Circuit Court, Judge Ellison addressed
the following letter TO II. r. Alkire.
Prosecuting Attorney of Holt County.
Missouri:
Oregon. NO.. April -. lall.
Hon. II. r. Alkire,
Prosecuting Attorney Of Holt Co.
Dear Sir
take this means Of calling your
official attention TO the deplorable
condition OF the Court House and its
surroundings, in the hope that you
may lay the matter before the County
court and respectfully request them
to take some action that will protect
invaluable public records from loss or
destruction and supply the Circuit
Court with certain conveniences
necessary TO the expeditions and ef.
fcient dispatch Of public business.
There has existed for some time
past, a controversy over a proposition
to remove the County Seat. That
controversy has. for years. operated
TO post pone all forms Of improvement
and to delay every kind Of repair
made necessary by the waste Of time
and the accumulation OF records and
public documents OF the most import.
ant character. With the cont royersy
itself. have nothing whatever to do.
but since II may contin indefinitely.
II becomes my duty, and the duty Of
the County Court, to take such steps
a. are necessary for the safe prescrva.
ton Of these records. the efficient and
prompt dispatch Of business Of the
Court. and the reasonable comfort
and health Of those " lao are compelled,
by process. to attend its sessions A.
Jurors. grand jurors. and witnesses.
Time and again. grand jurors. In
making their reports 10 the Circuit
court. a. required by Sec. I2'iG. u ;.
lHr. have called attention Ia the de.
y urable conditions referred to.
sec. :pi.ra OF the statutes makes II
tie duty uf the County Court TO take
such measures a. shall be- necessary
20 preserve all buildings and pruper,.
Df the county from damage or waste.
and the right. poHer and duty Of the
I Ounty Court to make all needed re-.
pairs have been frequent ly decided 10y
the supreme Court. call your al.
'cntion To IN Mo. 2oi: and " Mo.ji2.
The Circuit Court l. 81 cramped for
room that when there are present the
lpciit jury. grand jury and witnesses
attending on the trial Of cases. ,he
business Of the Court cannot he con.
Quoted IN an orderly manner In
many kinds of eases, jurie> mus, be
kept together while celebrating on
their verdict. When more than one
case Il under consideration by jury,
there il no place t. which the second
B Jury may retire. There II not about
the Court House a room or place TO
which women whit their children may
! retire, although they are present IN.
der compulsion Of judicial process.
In numerous instances the records
and papers Of the diiIcrcn, Offices oi
the county are checks upon one an.
luthrr, but the lack Of vault room
makes II necessary for the several of.
: iicers 10 keep their papers In the
same vault where each has access To
3 lac papers Of the other. and for lack
of room. many documents are con.
iinuously exposed TO danger from fire.
trust you win lay this communi.
cation before the County Court and
Q impress upon them the necessity for
. some action on their part. The Law
does not authorize them TO incur any
Indebtedness against the County for
, the improvements above suggested,
4 but II does authorize them to use all
funds on hand not otherwise appro.
priated, to such purpose. Something
1 must be done which will afford al
. least temporary relief.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM T.. ELLISON,
i Judge Fourth judicial Circuit.
u ON the first day OF the May Term
OF the County Court, Judge Alkire
handed the letter to the judges OF
I, the County Court, with aletter signed
by him, endorsing the statements OF
Judge Ellison, and asking that some
thing he done by the Court to carry
, out the suggestions Of Judge Ellison.
l. Those opposed TO the proposed i'm
provements to the Court House, have
ATTEMPTED to create the impression
l. that the movement was engineered
by the people Of Oregon. The facts
are that not single citizen Of Ore
gon, outside Of Judge Alkire, ever ap.
| M rad k,.fora tho Courf aSlinu for