Hyde County, SD History - Books .....Chapter 5 The Courts 1908 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 7, 2010, 5:47 pm Book Title: History Of Hyde County CHAPTER V THE COURTS At a meeting of the County Board Sept. 8, 1884, a resolution was passed, providing: for a petition, to be presented to the Hon. Seward Smith, then judge of the 5th Judicial District, asking him to create a new sub-division of the district to be composed of Hyde county, named Highmore as the place for holding court and to provide for a term by judicial order. The petition was drawn on behalf of the county commissioners and duly presented to Judge Smith, who then issued the following order. Territory of Dakota ) Fifth Judicial District ) ss By the authority invested in me by law, I, Seward Smith, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Dakota and sole presiding judge of the District Court of said Fifth Judicial District, do hereby detach the County of Hyde in said Judicial District from the County of Hughes and other counties, together with which it and they have heretofore constituted one judicial sub-division, and it is hereby ordered that the said County of Hyde shall of and by itself alone, be and constitute a separate and complete judicial sub-division and a term of the District Court is hereby appointed to be held at the Court House at the county seat of said Hyde County at such time as shall hereafter be designated by law or by the Judge of this Fifth District. Dated at Pierre, Hughes County, Dakota, this 3rd day of February, 1885. Seward Smith, Judge. There seems to be no record of any order fixing a time for the first term of court in Hyde County, but such order must have been made, as court was convened at Highmore, Sept. 15, 1885. At a meeting of the County Board held Sept. 8, 1885, R. E. Murphy was appointed as committeeman to procure a room in which to hold court. He later reported that he had rented the First Methodist church building at a rental of four dollars a day. Court was not held there however, but was held in the upper room of the building now owned by H. C. Harris and occupied by him as a drug store. Probably upon reflection the church officers may have regarded it as rather sacreligious to turn their building over to lawyers and litigants whose performances are sometimes on the "show" order. Court convened, however, on the 15th day of September, 1885, in the Harris building and this was the first term of the District Court in Hyde County. Judge Seward Smith presided, Chas. H. Price was County Attorney, James H. Lynch, sheriff; and E. S. Martin, Clerk. The bailiffs were R. E. Murphy, C. E. Lynch, A. A. Dibble, E. C. Musser and W. W. McCullough. Upon motion of L. E. Whitcher; G. L. F. Robinson, Homer James and D. A. W. Perkins were admitted to practice, upon certificates from other states. J. L. Ayers then moved the court that Titus E. Price, John Sutherland, M. G. Sinon and John T. Blakemore be admitted to practice upon examination. The court appointed J. L. Ayers, A. N. Van Camp and D. A. W. Perkins as examining committee, who performed their duty and reported that the applicants named were worthy and well qualified; they were then admitted, the clerk administered the oath. The calendar was quite a large one for a new county, there being thirty-nine civil cases and five criminal. There was a grand jury at this term, but there seems to be no record of only four of its members. They were Matthias Shoup, David Moore, A. W. Sanderlin and J. R. Middlebaugh. The following were the first jury in the county to hear and determine the first case tried in District court: Howard C. Shober, W. N. Sarvis, Peter O'Brien, J. S. Harris, N. H. Palmer, H. A. Schultz. F. A. Goudy, Edward Ryder, Marvin Calkins, Geo. H. Gould, Albert Jessup and John C. Stoner. Other jurors summoned and in attendance were D. L. Cadwalader, N. F. Bates, J. H. Van Camp, S. A. Dimmick, E. J. Quinn and Wm. Little. Among the witnesses in attendance were John Newell, W. C. Wooley, C. S. Smith, Eli Johnson, J. C. Canode and S. R. Meigs. The first civil case tried was that of Sarah E. Downey vs A. E. Van Camp involving some question as to Highmore town lots. The attorneys were L. E. Whitcher and J. B. Kelley for plaintiff and C. H. Price and D. A. W. Perkins for defendant. The next civil case tried was J. C. Stewart vs. A. H. Hayden, in which case the jurors were unable to agree. These were the only civil cases tried to a jury during the term. The only criminal case tried was The Territory vs Alexander Mitchell. The attorneys were C. H. Price and D. A. W. Perkins for the prosecution and A. N. Van Camp and John T. Blackemore for defendant. The jury found the defendant not guilty. Other cases on the calendar were disposed of by demurrer, dismissal or reference. The entire cost of the term to the county for court room, bailiffs, stenographer, jurors, witnesses before the grand jury, and clerk of court was about eight hundred dollars. We do not care to-continue the court record. We desired only as a matter of early history to mention our first term. We will add, however, that the next term following the first one was held in October, 1886. No court was held in 1887, but there was a term in Oct. 1888, and then the next term was not until December, 1891. Since then we have had court each year and now have two terms in the spring and fall, under a law passed by the legislature of 1907 introduced by our member, John H. Wooley. Of the Judges who have held court in Hyde County, Seward Smith was the first, who was appointed by President Arthur, we then being under a Territorial form of government. Following Mr. Smith, Louis K. Church, who was appointed by President Cleveland, held court in 1886. He retired from the bench and was succeeded by James F. Spencer, who was also appointed by President Cleveland and was the last one of our Territorial Judges. Judge H. G. Fuller was the first elected judge after the state government of South Dakota, and the name of the court was then changed from District to Circuit court. Judge Fuller held his first term in December, 1890. Having been elected on the Supreme Court bench, he held his last term of court in Hyde County in December, 1893. He was succeeded by Judge Loren E. Gaffy, who in 1906 was followed by Lyman T. Boucher, who is our present Circuit Judge. The local attorneys now residing in Hyde County in active practice are A. N. Van Camp, L. E. Whitcher, M. C. Cunningham, M. Harry O'Brien, C. E. Noel, L. M. Morris, Royal C. Johnson, Eli Johnson and D. A. W. Perkins, though Mr. Perkins and Mr. Johnson have about retired from practice. Of the attorneys in former years, Charles H. Price died in Indiana, G. L. F. Robinson at Highmore, M. G. Sinon at Pierre; Titus E. Price is a prominent lawyer at Yankton, E. S. Martin resides at Superior, Wisconsin, John T. Blakemore at Birmingham, Alabama. The courts and lawyers are quite a part of governmental machinery, and while the law is regarded as a science, something which adjusts upon principle and precedent, the jarring elements of society, yet it is often used by some in attempting to perpetrate an injustice. A client who consults a lawyer, does not always want to know so much what the law is, but how it can be used for his particular benefit. While law has been defined by one eminent writer as a rule of action, given by the majority which the minority are bound to obey, still, a student in process of examination for admission to the bar, upon being asked what the law was, stated, it was that which was boldly asserted, and most plausibly maintained. Lawyers as a class are broad in their make-up, and are free from personal bickerings. Of course there occasionally drifts into the profession some insignificant shyster, who breathes not the atmosphere of fellowship, nor knows the significance of professional ethics, but the rule is, that they are fraternally engaged in the analysis of a science, whose principles they apply to the controversies of men, for the settlement and adjustment of their difference. Lawsuits sometimes disclose some peculiar phases of human nature. Along in 1885 the coal station of the Northwestern railroad was continually robbed of its contents by some parties unknown to the company. Mr. Perkins was then County Attorney and was appealed to by the company to prosecute, and the County Attorney notified them that he would not act as a detective, but was ready and willing to act if the criminal was named and the evidence furnished. Soon the name of a party was furnished, along with the required evidence to convict. Complaint was filed before Justice Stoner, the warrant was issued and the party arrested. At the trial he plead not guilty, and his attorney, J. T. Haight, called for a jury which was soon empanelled. The evidence consisted of the testimony of several eye witnesses to the theft, which was produced, and the state rested its case The county attorney then asked Mr. Haight if he had any testimony, who replied that he had one witness, and then called the defendant himself. Mr. Haight asked him one question, "Did you steal that coal as charged in the information?" The answer was, "I did," and then the sagacious lawyer for defendant with the air of a conqueror, turned the witness over to the County Attorney, but the attorney, having no questions to ask, the defense rested. The jury were out long enough to take one ballot, and returned a verdict of "not guilty." This verdict being somewhat surprising, the presumption was that the jurors themselves had all been in the same kind of coal business, but as there were a few of them good men and true above suspicion, it was afterwards stated by some of them, that when defendant swore that he had stolen the coal they did not believe him, for he was such a notorious liar it was impossible for him to tell the truth, that he would lie on time when he could get cash for the truth. A replevin suit was brought in Justice Court in which the plaintiff sought to recover from the defendant one mirror, one cigar case, one hog trough and a refrigerator. The plaintiff kept a hotel here and the defendant had the reputation of running a "bind pig" liquor joint. After the evidence was in the jury retired for deliberation, and after being out an hour or two it was found there was prospect of disagreement. We do not know who all the jurymen were, but among them were Harry Pilkington and John Wooley. These two had made arrangements to go to Miller on the afternoon train along with some others of our people and it was imperative that they should go. The train was about due and what was to be done? The Justice would not discharge them, nor adjourn the deliberations for another day, nor could they agree. Then jurymen Pilkington and Wooley got their heads together and finally said to the rest of them, boys we have to go to Miller, let us do this; give the defendant the hog trough and the refrigerator, for he needs them in his business; give the mirror and the cigar case to the woman for she needs them in her business, and then divide the costs between them. The other jurymen in sympathy with these restless two said it was a go, and the verdict was written accordingly. Just then the train whistled, the verdict was rushed in before the justice, and the jury, discharged. The justice, who has the reputation of having a good knowledge of the law and of being fair minded, come to the conclusion after the two jurymen had gone, that the verdict was an irregular one, but the parties to the case settled any question as to that by each taking the property awarded to them, and each paying his share of the costs, so that after all the jurymen were satisfied they had arrived at a solution of the differences between the litigants, though done in a hurry and to accommodate two of their number. Along in the summer of 1887 one Sander Olson was arrested by Sheriff S. R. Meigs upon the charge of murder. He lived with his family in Chapelle township and while in Highmore purchased at the drug store a bottle of whiskey with strychnine mixed in it. He took the bottle home, laid it away in his trunk, locked the trunk, and this was known to his wife, who was in the habit of going to the trunk and taking a drink of it, of which her husband was aware. After Olson had placed the strychnine whiskey in his trunk and had gone to bed, Mrs. Olson got the key out of his pants pocket, unlocked the trunk drank the poisoned whiskey and died before morning. The charge of murder was based upon these facts and the prosecution contended that the poison was put in the whiskey, he knowing that his wife would pursue her usual custom of taking a drink from the bottle. A preliminary hearing was had upon the charge of murder before Justice Stoner, A. N. Van Camp, then County Attorney appearing for the state, and D. A. W. Perkins for the defendant, Olson. After hearing the testimony the Justice bound the defendant over to the Circuit Court for trial. Now follows the tragic ending of the case. On the day following the hearing the defendant, Olson, desiring to pay his attorney a retainer in the case and having no money, requested the sheriff and Mr. Perkins to go with him to his farm and have the sheriff pick out a few head of his stock of the value of one hundred dollars. This was done and the attorney took charge of four of the critters as a retainer. That night Olson was left as usual in the jail cell and the sheriff went to his home. In the morning, Mr. Meigs went as usual to the jail with the prisoner's breakfast, but he was horrified upon his first glance to see poor, unfortunate Olson hanging by the neck, dead. He had torn the blanket into strips, made a rope, placed it around his neck, fastened it to the ceiling, and done the deed. There was not a certainty that Olson was really a murderer, though the evidence which was circumstantial, pointed that way, and was no doubt sufficient to justify the Justice in binding him over. In this connection there has followed strange happenings. When Harry Pilkington was deputy sheriff under Mr. Tibbs he placed a prisoner in the cell for keeping. After a night's stay there he told Mr. Pilkington that during the night he heard most unearthly noises, and had seen white rats scampering about the floor, and these things kept on every night during his incarceration. After that Mr. Pilkington placed in the cell the fellow O'Brien, who broke into McLaughlin's store, and O'Brien made the same complaint as the former prisoner, and we understand that others since have heard the same noises. The officer does not and should not tell a prisoner of the hanging, as one of a sensative nature would suffer almost death itself there confined, and these noises in connection with the hanging we leave to the psychologist. In the eighties the bar of Hyde county was quite extensive, for there were twelve lawyers, four of whom are still here If a book could be written giving in detail the numerous and various law cases and their incidents which arose during that time ir would be worth the reading. G. L. F. Robinson was Justice of the Peace during most of that period, and it is a wonder that the old gentleman held out so long as he did, when we consider the number of refractory and combative lawyers who practiced before his court, with their multiplicity of pleadings and worst of all, as Whittier has it, their endless tongues. Sometimes a law book would be shied across the room from one to the other, and a fellows head was in more danger than at the Donybrook fair. Once over some mysterious act on the part of the lawyers or the audience Justice Robinson cleared the room, turned out the whole push and dismissed both sides of the case, leaving the litigants and the lawyers to fight it out among themselves. But after all most of the lawyers were proficient in their profession and were good fellows, but the litigation was apt to be over some petty and frivolous matter. Lawyer Whitcher in a case not long ago before the land department at Washington was confronted with the question as to whether he had the authority to be a practitioner there. The Commissioner wrote to the client that there was no record of Mr. Whitcher's admission, and that in order to go on with the matter an admitted attorney must conduct the case. This required Mr. Whitcher to take a hand in it himself. He prepared and sent to the department a voluminous statement and injected into it considerable matter in his own peculiar fashion along the line of wit and rebuke and now and then an anecdote for the purpose of illustration. He wound up with copies of certificates, several of them showing his admission to the South Dakota bar before Judge Edgerton in November, 1882, his admission afterwards before the State Supreme Court, before the Court of Claims, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Circuit Court, and last a certificate of practice before the land department issued to him in 1884. When these evidences of his right to practice there reached the Commissioner he lost no time in giving immediate recognition to one of our pioneer lawyers as a practitioner in his department and was surprised after his name had appeared on the papers of hundreds of cases and for many years that at this late day it had been said he must be admitted in order to go on with the case. We will now mention more particularly the individual members of the Highmore bar. ANDREW N. VAN CAMP Mr. Van Camp was born on his father's farm in Muscatine county, Iowa, Dec 18, 1850, and remained there doing a farm boy's work and attending the district school until he entered upon a more advanced system of studies with a view to the legal profession. He later entered the Iowa State University, and graduated from the law department in June, 1871 and at once settled at Wilton Junction, Iowa, first forming a partnership with D. A. W. Perkins, which continued until Mr. Perkins moved to O'Brien county, Iowa, in 1872. In the spring of 1882 Mr. Van Camp had some business at Northwestern Iowa, and upon the train met Mrs. Lucinda Robinson, who was on her way to Hyde county and his conversation with Mrs. Robinson led him to believe that her place of destination was worth looking into, and accordingly he gathered ten of his friends together, and they landed here on June 1st, 1882. Several of the party remained, among them his brothers, A. E. and Harry, also James Ingram. Mr. Van Camp remained here during the summer, and in the fall returned to Wilton Junction, and closed up his business, and came permanently to Hyde county in the spring of 1883 and has remained ever since. He became a lawyer in Iowa and tried cases there before he was twenty-one years of age, but however inefficient he may have been then Ly lack of experience, he has made good in the years that followed. Mr. Van Camp has a large business, is quite aggressive as a trial lawyer and is generally sure to have the last word. He has been quite a student and has acquired a good knowledge of the law, and has a good library. He has recently erected a large, tine brick building in Highmore, which we show on. another page, in which is his residence, his law office, and also the telephone office of which line he is the manager. Mr. Van Camp was one of the organizers of our Methodist church, and has always been an active member, and in the dark days of its existence has been the main prop, He is also a member of the A. O. U. W. and of the Masonic lodge. LEWIS E. WHITCHER Lewis E. Whitcher, along with A. N. Van Camp and Mr. Perkins, is a pioneer lawyer, that is, he came to Hyde county in 1882 the same year the other two came, though later in the season Mr. Whitcher studied law in New Hampshire, principally in the office of Austin E. Pike, who was a lawyer eminent in his profession and who for a time was a United States Senator. After a few years study, Mr. Whitcher, feeling that he was qualified for practice, came west and landed in South Dakota, and for awhile was in the office of Governor Ordway as Yankton, came to Hyde county, in the fall of 1882, and was admitted to the bar before Judge Edgerton in November, 1882. He has a good practice and every term of court has a large list of cases on the calendar, is vigorous in his prosecution of cases and persistent when he defends. Mr. Whitcher is City Attorney and has been for several years and has taken strong ground in favor of city cleanliness, and of good order. MATTHEW C. CUNNINGHAM Matthew C. Cunningham was born in Black Hawk county, Iowa, about forty years ago. After being well fitted by an academic education he commenced the study of law and was graduated from the Iowa University of Law at Iowa City in the state of Iowa in 1896. He opened a law office at Highmore in 1900 and has established a large practice. He is a man of quiet demeanor, all methods of bluffing or brow beating are entirely foreign to his nature yet he is firm and stubborn in his position when once taken. He is a hard student, always poring over his books and papers and when he has a case he knows all about it. CHARLES E. NOEL Mr. Noel was born in New Sharon, Ohio, in 1876. He came to Iowa some years later, entered Penn College at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and graduated from that institution. He then took up the study of law and was graduated from the State University at Iowa City, Iowa, in 1906, was admitted to the bar in Iowa, and in South Dakota in 1906; that same year opened a law office in Highmore. Along with his law practice he has established an abstract office. Mr. Noel has -a good share of the legal business of the county, as a trial lawyer looks well after the interest of his client, and has a good knowledge of the law. L. M. MORRIS Mr. Morris graduated from the law department of the Iowa State University, practiced law in Iowa and came here in 1896, and has been associated with Mr. Noel in the law business, also doing abstract work. He is a brilliant lawyer and good before a jury. M. HARRY O'BRIEN H. Harry O'Brien was born in LaSeur county. Minnesota, in 1877. He was raised on a farm and lived there with his parents until about seventeen years of age. Later he studied for awhile in St. Paul at the Minnesota College of Law, and afterwards studied in the office of Judge Andrews at Mankato, Minn., and was admitted to the bar at Pierre. S. D., before the Supreme Court at their April term in 1904 and at once settled in Highmore, where he has a lucrative practice. Mr. O'Brien is quick in perception, alert in the trial of cases, and well prepared to meet his antagonist. He resides at Highmore with his wife and baby. ELI JOHNSON Eli Johnson is a lawyer by profession, though he has not kept at the practice as his life work and as he intended to do when he started out. He studied law in Washington county, Ohio, with Knowells & Loomis and later on was a partner in the firm. He afterwards moved to Cherokee, Iowa, where he resided until his removal to Highmore in 1883. He was a member of the legislature in Iowa from Cherokee County District composed of several counties in 1866 and 7. Mr. Johnson since he has been here has tried some cases and his most effective forte is his talk to a jury. Being a man well informed and of a versatile mind, he calls into play a fund of philosophy of correlative matter applicable to his case and gives the jurors something to think about. One of our citizens, a friend of Mr. Johnson, was arrested for some crime and tried in Clark county this state arid Mr. Johnson went there to defend him. His opponent was S. H. Elrod, afterwards governor, and Mr. Elrod told the writer of Mr. Johnson's speech to the jury, and said that the astute lawyer was so wound up in sympathy for his friend he actually shed tears, and established in the minds of the jurors the fact that there was no intent to crime and hence no crime was committed. His client was acquitted. Mr. Johnson is now State's Attorney. ROYAL C. JOHNSON Royal C. Johnson, a son of the present State's Attorney Eli Johnson, was born in Cherokee, Iowa, in 1882 and came with his parents upon their removal to Highmore in 1883. He attended the public school at Highmore, and later on was at Yankton College from which place after three years study he attended the University of South Dakota at Vermillion, and graduated from the law department there in 1906, and upon the proper certificates was admitted by the State Supreme Court. He soon after opened a law office at Highmore and is now assistant State's Attorney and attends to the active duties of that office. Mr. Johnson is young yet in the practice, but has tried many cases in the courts and has shown his fitness, and being a student his further experience will no doubt commmand for him a good clientage. In 1882 or 3 John P. Organ and John P. Kelly established a law office in Highmore, but they did not long remain for the prospects then were not inviting. Mr, Kelly died a few years ago in New York state, and Mr. Organ is now a prominent attorney at Council Bluffs, Iowa. In May, 1886, the lawyers of Hyde county formed a bar association. There were present G. L. F. Robinson, A. N. Van Camp, John T. Blakemore, M. G. Sinon, John L. Greer, Homer James and J. L. Haight. They elected officers, met a few times, but the organization soon faded away, and we have not heard of it for many years. Perhaps their many conflicts in local courts created an individual belligerency which left a fraternal gathering among them entirely out of question. On another page will be seen H. H. Horner, a lawyer of Pierre, which was placed there upon the writer's request, as Mr. Horner is an early settler in the Capital city and has attended about every term of court here from the first, and is a lawyer of promise and of much legal ability. We were also pleased to have Judge L. E. Gaffy under the court heading, for he is very popular in Hyde county with the bar and the people, and known to be an able and conscientious jurist, and who kept things moving is his court without any waste of time. THE COURT HOUSE While the first term of court was held in 1885 in a rented building, the next term was held in the court house. An effort was made to have a court house in 1885. April 6, 1885, the County Board authorized an election to be held May 12, 1885, to vote upon the proposition to issue bonds in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars to build court house and jail. Notice of election was given and on that day there were cast 456 votes as follows: For court house 114, against 342. The next move was made in Oct. 1885, when the County Board ordered an election to be held November 3, 1885, upon the proposition to issue bonds in the sum of $7,000, to build a court house and jail. The result of that election was 263 votes for and 184 against. That election having determined the question in favor of a court house, E. O. Parker offered to the County Board Block 7 in Parker's Town of Highmore as a court house site, upon the consideration of one dollar. A. E. Van Camp offered to the Board, Block 14 of Van Camp & Old's Addition to Highmore upon the same consideration of one dollar. The Board accepted the offer of Mr. Van Camp, and appointed a committee to investigate the title, which committee performed their duty and reported that the title was perfect, upon which Mr. Van Camp and wife executed to the county a quit claim deed of the block mentioned. As a part of this deed there was a reverting clause which reads as follows: "Said interest hereby conveyed to revert to grantor unless said second party builds a court house and jail on said block within one year from this date, and uses and maintains the same for county purposes, and if at any time said block ceases to be used for said purposes, the interest hereby shall revert, and this instrument shall be deemed null and void." It is the opinion of the writer that the county should place a court house on that black, which is a valuable piece ot property, unless this is done the courts are liable to revert it to its original owner. They advertised for plans and specifications, and for bids to put up the court house and jail. Plans and specifications were prepared and filed, and bids were filed to be opened on a certain day. On that day it was found that the lowest bid, and which was accepted, was by August Carlson and James Jackson of Ree Heights, who constructed the building at the contract price being $4,475, and finished it June 16, 1886. Thomas Kane & Co. were given the contract for Court House furniture at $215, and Mosler Bahman & Co. for jail with one cell, two vault doors and three window grates for $1700. The Court house contractors were also paid $270 for extras. That Court house was burned Jwne 20, 1892, and by the fire many of the Court house papers were also destroyed. The Commissioners' record does not seem to mention the authority by which they took possession of the building now used and occupied as a court house, but they took charge of the building at once after the fire, and April 14, 1893, they entered into a contract with A. N. Gerhart to purchase the ground and the building,being lot 17, block 3, Van Camp's first addition to Highmore, together with adjoining lots belonging to the Phoenix hotel property, for the consideration of $2700. The deal was soon after closed and the county acquired title to the building and grounds now used as the County Court house. The Board then provided for vaults and other necessary fixtures in order to place the property in good condition for use. July 4, 1886, there was a large gathering at the Court house for the double purpose of celebrating the day, and formerly presenting the Court house as a building to the people of the county, by the board of County Commissioners. A. E. Van Camp as chairman of the board made the presentation speech, and as his speech is preserved in the Bulletin we partly quote from it as follows: "Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: As chairman of the board of County Commissioners I was notified that I would be expected to make a speech. Now it happens that I am like Aaron of old inasmuch as I am not given to talking, so if anyone expects a lengthy discourse I fear they will be disappointed. I will confine myself chiefly to a brief history of the county. Hyde County's first settlement dates back four years ago. Four years ago today the first plat was placed on file. Although our number was small, still we felt the same glow of patriotism burning within us and we celebrated the first national anniversary within the county with as much enthusiasm if not as much noise as if we had numbered by hundreds. Dinner was served under a few rough boards, one end placed on the roof of the old railroad coal shed where now stands the Van Dusen ware house, the other end resting on a wagon. We ate our pie and cakes and drank our lemonade straight." (Here Mr. Van Camp gives a detailed history of the county and its organization, and then closes his remarks as follows: "Before resenting this building I will remark that the amount of bonds issued to erect this court house and jail called for $7000. It seems so small an amount for which it was to be applied, that the board was at a loss how to secure the best result. After due deliberation and careful planning a way was devised. I feel proud to say that the building committee consisting of Moore, Murphy, and Crose have not only done justice to the tax payers of Hyde county, but credit to themselves, knowing they have had the interest of the county uppermost in all their transactions, and now, fellow citizens and tax payers of Hyde county and members of the bar, in behalf of the County board I take pleasure in presenting this building to you, hoping that through the coming years and so long as its walls may stand, that Justice may be meted out alike to the rich and the poor, Thanking you, ladies and gentlemen, for your close attention, the balance of the day is yours." Until such a time as we had a permanent Court house the county board provided rooms for the county officers in different parts of the town. At their meeting November 29, 1884, they selected the upper floor of the Van Camp & Hadley building (since burned) for some of the officers, a room in the Everhard bank building, recently vacated by the First National Bank, for the County Treasurer, and a room in the rear of Haight & Sinon's law office for the Register of Deeds. These rooms were so occupied until July 1, 1886, at a rental of $53.00 a month. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME BY JOHN B. PERKINS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/hyde/history/1908/historyo/chapter519nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/sdfiles/ File size: 33.2 Kb