The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-19
SHERIFF HASKINS
EXPLAINsTHER RECENT DISTURB
ANCE IN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY.
No Shortage, but simply n Failure
10 Make Proper Entries on
the Books.

Sheriff w. B. Haskins of Osceola,
Mississippi county, Arkansas, passed |
through the city yesterday with Sam
and Frank Lee, Albert Shelton, Geo.
Fitch, Nathan Power, Lac Groves |
and Lyman Lauderdale, all sentenced |
to terms of from one to four years in
the penitent airy at Little Rock for
grand larceny; also Scott Eldridge, |
charged with rape, to be placed in the |
prison at Little Rock for safe keeping. |
An APPEAL reporter overhauled him |
at his hotel and asked him for a state !
ment in regard to the recent troubles |
in his county. He has been freely |
charged with being a defaulter to an
extent variously stat d at from $4,000 |
to 10000.
"You know we have an election in
our county every now and then" he
gan Sheriff Haskins, "and there is a
certain cl que VIII CHI wants to down
me, if possible. have always been a
Demo rat, and h We been in Office for
eight years, but ae have not been in
tte habit Of drawing any party lines
The most popular man gets there. |
have as many FIR ends in the Demo
cratic party as anybody, and about
two.thirds of the Republicans or in
palmer terms, the derkies are with
me. / believe in giving the niggers
a fair SHAKE" and they have great
deal Of confidence in me, SO that my
word with them is worth great deal.
Conventions have been unknown in
situations with us, but at present they
want to call one, thinking hey can
beat me, and in thai way get me out
of the way. But will be reelected
again." Sheriff Haskins went on TO
say, adjusting his collar, pulling down
the wristbands of both cuffs and
cracking all the joints OF his fingers
on both hands, in his usual nervous
way. "You see this whole trouble
started about year ago. An old gen.
tleman who owed same taxes left the
county and his Gait were taken for
debt by man who has snce become
prosecuting attorney. We, of course,
had a lien on the cattle wherever
found, for the debt, and they
were sold for taxes. But the gentle
man brobe open the stable of the pur
chaser, took them away by force and
we had them replevined. But after
his election, which was partly through
my influence, we got along pretty we'll
unit lately. About six months ago /
saw lot Of subpe la's going out for
grand jurors aud learned that they
were trying to indict me. The grand
jury declined to find a bill, however,
and heard nothing more until the
court met short time since In the
meantime a committee, containing
two experts, working under a genersl
law, went to work to examine the
books of all county officers, and not
mine esp cially. They went into the
others to find the foundation.
They took The books of
the County Clerk and his figures
for everything instead of going to the
tax books The grand jury went over
their figures and found a numb of
mistas es in the footings OF the clerk
and cut the balance against me, prinld
fdcie, Gown to $500 and wound up
their report by saying had paid every
dollar charged to me. My misfortune
was that l had not been credited with
taxes had failed to collect. YVES
charged up with the full amount Of
levy in each case but not credited
with delinquencies They wanted to
put me in for all the taxes due by
dead men, and others who had left
the county, and others who had failed
to pay altogether. The c1unty is di-
vided into twenty-seven school dis
tricts, the books are divided, and one
man in each district selected. | can't
do it all myself And then don't
claim to be any book keeper. l know
two and two make four, and can round
up mills into dollars, bat l am no
calculator, and the thing Just ran
along you know, year after year. But
all this thing has hurt my credit, any
way, and the $4,000 of county war
rants have on hand, which ought to
be worth 20 cen s, wi run down
to so / expect. am going to zee
the thing through, though, and |
won't do It by having a body guard OF
seven darby deputies either, as one OF
the special dispatches stated. think
the trouble is pretty well over now,
any way"
"How about your trouble with
Judge Lston?"
ooh, well, we might both have
been to blame in that. When he
got back from Memphis we had some
words about an article in the Ledger
of which my friends believed him the
instigator, but no blows were passed
until several days after. He caue up
to where l was sitting in grocery
store one night, a d sitting down by
me remarked that he heard fell az
grived at the article. I told him
thought we had settled that matter
and he jumped up and made a dive
for his pistol. was thinking about
other things more than fighting, but
made up my mind they inten ed toki
me and drew my pistol 1t exploded
but don't know whether in the ex
tement | fired on purpose or not He
grabbed my arm and pulled il behind
him, and we backed int1 the mex
room One OF his friends rammed tht
muzzle OF pist | against the window
pane, and then came in with three
others, all with drawn pistols, and or
: dered me to give up NV weapon.
: handed il to my deputy, and they
took it away from him. There ha
been nothing more Of it since "
VIII tever may be said about th
: "sorter loose method" of collectin
: taxes in Mississippi county, Sherii
: Haskins is the m st successful THE
catcher in this part of the country
: He has unearthe3 a number of dar
and mysterious crimes and has al
! rested some of the most desparat
scoundrels who ever ir.iected thi
neck of the woods, his activity an
success gaining him a national repI
, tation.