The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1914-09-25
Matter Cannot Come 10 q
Vote Again for 10 Years
Money Was Spent on Both Sides in Fighting the Case
and this Decision is Big Relief to All Concerned

The county seat proposition in
Burke county is settled, or at least
it cannot come up again until the
general election in 1920. The su-
preme court affirmed the decision
of the district court in the S. l..
Dimond contest cass on Tuesday OF
this week, Bowbells oe1ng declared
the permanent county seat OF
Burke county. 49,.
The case was hard fought from
the time~ the county was divided
until the present date. When
the county was organized Lignlte
and BOwbells were IN the race iOr
the designation as temporary coun-
ty seat until the following general
election in the fall of 1910, but
the county commissioners favored
Bowbells and bestowed that honor
on this city. Then came. a hard
fight for county seal at the gener-
:A-election, and botil, towns spent
much money in furthering their in
terests. When the ballots We're
counted it was found that Eignite4
had larger number or votes than
did Bowbells, and . for few days
it looked very much as though the
seat of government would be moV-
ed. 1t was then found upon in
vestigation in several precincts
where Ignite got it's heaviest
vote that the voting mad not been
done in the regular designated poll
ing places, and the county canvas
sing board were compelled to re-
fuse to canvas the returns from
these precincts. This put Bow
bells in the lead and this city was
declared the winner by the board.
The people in th~ Lignite terri
tory were not sattsTed with the
outcome and Immediately brought
two suits to compel the board to
canvass the votes thrown out.
One, however, the enandamus case,
was pushed at the start. This
asked the court to- order the board
to canvass the votes thrown out.
In this case the district court held
that the board was justified in do
ing what it did. The case, was
then appealed and two years ago
the supreme cours affirmed the de-
cision of the lower tribunal.
After they were beaten in the
first case the citizens of Lignite
started pushing their second case
which was contest Of the election
and was brought by S. l.. Dimond.
The district court here decided that
all the points in their case had been
decided by the former decision OF
the supreme court, and again pro-
claimed Bowbells the winner. This
case was also appealed, and on
Tuesday of this week a decision
was handed down by tae supreme
court affirming the decision OF the
lower court.
Nothing more, can be done in
the matter now, according to law,
for ten years after the election at
which the matter came up. me
proposition was voted on in the
fail of 1910. so it will e;192O be-
fore the matter can come up again,
and then it will take more than
two-thirds of the votes, cast to
move the county seat.
The Tribune is confident that
both factions are glad that the
matter is settled. 1t has been in
the courts for four years during
which time people in both towns
5hesitated in making improvement
until it was known for certain
where the county -eat was to be
permanently located The county
mmissioners also refused to put
up any county building until the
matter was settled. sz}SS
Following is the upinien Of the
supreme court.
s.. L. Dfmond. contestant, VS..
Thomas Ely, Jerry Donovan and
John1A. Nelson, contestees
In statutory contest of an
election held to permanently locate