New-York tribune., 1875-01-25
THE VICKSBERG OUTRIGE.

When the news first came that Gen. Sheridan
had sent an officer of the army to eject the
acting Sheriff of Warren County, Mississippi,
from his Office at Yicksburg, and that Judge
Hill of the Chancery Court had appointed an
other Sheriff pro temp0re, the impression was
that the military had acted under some sort
of process from this same plant judge after
the fashion of things at New-Orleans in the
free and easy times of Durell. But fuller re-
ports of the transactiO n show that there were
10 preliminary proceedings whatever no pre-
tense even of any legal warrant for the inter-
ference of the bayonet. As Gen. Grant is said
to declare that he had given no special orders
in the case, the truth seems to be that Gov.
Ames, the negro Sheriff Crosby and Gen.
Sheridan have settled this affair for themselves,
and have decided the question as to the legal
status of Sheriff Flanagan by an order to Major
Head to take him by the collar and pat him
out. This was promptly done on the 18th Jan
uary, before court was opened, and Major Head
then came before Judge Hill reported what he
had done, and requested the Judge to ap-
point another Sheriff and be quick about
it, as he did not want the care of the county
papers and textbooks on his hands. The
Chancellor affaby turned to the Code, which
authorizes him, in case of vacancy in an
Office of his court, to fill such place Temporal
rily until "the proper incumbent shall be daily
"elected or appointed or return to his duties"
As Crosby was "under Injunction and Flana-
gan was not in possession of the Office, q va
cancy existed, which he filled by appO hitting
Crosby's deputy, one McGee. lie did this in
spite of Flanagan's presence in the court, with
a regular oath of Office and bond signed by
the best citizens of the county to the amount
of $4,000, and in spite of the protest of the
leading members of the bar present in the
courtroom.
No minor questions should be suffered to
obscure this great and dangerous illegality.
We do not pretend to say whether or not
Flanagan's election was illegal. The Board of
Supervisors bad accepted Crosby's resignation
and had ordered q new election ut which
Flanagan was chosen Sheriff. Some Of the
Board afterwards reversed their action, and
there is q question of the validity of the
statute under which the election was held.
But Flanagan was elected, took possession of
his Office, filed perfectly adequate bond, and
appealed regularly to the court for recogni-
ton on the 4th of January. The court, with
out deciding the qestion, adjourned to the
18th, leaving Flanagan in possession of the
Office. As it opened on that day, the Judge saw
a soldier on duty at the Sheriff7s office, and
jocularly observed, "We have new Sheriff,
al see.' No question of law of fact was
examined; there was no pretense of any de-
cision as to Fanagan's claim. Gen. Sheridan
turned him out at Ames's request, and the
chicken-livered Judge, recognizing the vacancy
thusicreated, appointed one OF the dependents
of the ignorant rogue who Lad made all the
trouble. But it should bo borne in mind that
Chancellor Hill did not initiate these proceed
ings and was only accessory To- lLcn alter tho
fact. Judge Sheridan is tue only iurst who