The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-10-13
Charges Against Sheriff Jacobs.

| with Gov. Rich his report of the lynching of
William Sullivan, making In it serious
charles against Sheriff Jacobs. These
charges were signed by George Cook, of
Lansing. brother-in-law Of Sullivan, and
endorsed by Prosecuting Attorney Watson.
AS soon as Gov. Rich returns from Chicago,
he will likely order an investigation before
the Probate Judge or one OF the Circuit
Court Commissioners. The charges in brief
are as follows:
The complaint is drawn under the statute
prov iding for the removal by the governor
of county officers in certain cases, and it
prays for the removal of William +. Jacobs,
as sheriff.
Three grounds are charged in the COM
plant:
1st-That Jacobs is incompetent to exc
cute properly the duties of his Office.
2d-That he has been guilty of official
misconduct in the discharge and in neglect
ing to discharge his official duties.
3d-That he has been guilty of wilful
neglect of his duties as sheriff of Shiawassee
county.
Under the charge of incompetency there
are FIVE specifications.
Under the second and third charges there
are three specifications each.
In each case the circumstances are incOm-
potency, neglect of duty, etc., and are based
upon the dOings and failures of Sheriff ia
cobs in the late lynching of William Sulli-
van at Corunna.
Under the first count the entire history of
the arrest of William Sullivan at Detroit,
his being brought to Corunna, the assem-
bling of the mob at Durand the manner of
his arrangement, the fact that the sheriff
during the day kept Sullivan on exhibition
at the county Jail, allowing people to pass in
and OJt; the ''deadly manner" in which
Sheriff Jacobs provided his deputies with
arms, his failure to call out the state militia,
his want of effort to arrest any of the mob
that assailed him early in the day and
chased him to the JAIL his failure to take
any action since 10 apprehend those parties
who were interested in the lynclring, the
fact that after the body was taken from the
Jail, no effort was made by the sheriff to re-
cover it until after it had been dragged
around the streets, and the fact that he
made no effort to arrest the parties whom he
found in charge of the body when he re-
covered the same are formally charged as
specifications why he is absolutely incOmpe-
tent to transact the duties of the Office of
sheriff.
lhC Jlle second anu
third counts, one charging a neglect of Of
fetal duties, and the other the wllful neg
lect of his duties as sheriff, consisting prin-
cipally in the fact that the specifications I'M
der one count are charged on the ground
of negligence, while the others are charged
on the theory that what the sheriff did was
done negligently and Intentionally.
Under the third count, it is charged i'm
substance, leaving out the formal parts, that
on the 23d day of May, 1898, William E.
Jacobs had in his custody as prisoner,
charged with the crime of murder by virtue
of warrant one, William Sullivan; that
Jacobs placed Sullivan in the common Jail;
that by reason of the manner of the sup
posed killing, great excitement existed
around the city of Corunna; that Sullivan
was brought to COrunna in the nighttime
and followed by mob to The Jail; that dur
ing the 23d day of May, Sullivan was ar
ranged before justice of the peace and
bound over to the Circuit Court; that an at
torney was appointed, and the case adjourned
until the next morning. and that in order to
crafty the curiosity and excite the mob
vengeance of the persons then assembled at
COrunna, William K. Jacobs placed William
Sullivan where he could be easily seen by
the mob, and Intentionally and willfuly
permitted during the greater part of the day
said Sullivan to be viewed by the mob;
that the sheriff, well knowing that it was
publicly talked that on the night of the Esd
of May, 1898, the mob would take Sullivan
from the Jail and hang him, or do him other
violence, cOrruptly, Intentionally and will
fully refused and neglected to close the Jail
or to do anything to appease the wrath or
violence of the mob; that he only gathered
five or six deputies armed only with sticks
nf haH
that the state military company stationed at
OwOssO about two miles from Corunna,
would, il requested come to COrunna and
protect the Jail and the life of Sullivan; yet
the said Jacobs wlfully and Intentionally
refused and neglected to call out the state
militia, and refused and neglected to make
any preparations by arming any persons
with firearms or other deadly weapons; and
that he intended to make and did make
mock defense; that the parties who COM
United the outrage were reasonably well
known to the sheriff, the said Jacobs having
a tactic understanding with the mob to the
effect that he would not do any permanent
injury to any one of the mob, and that his
neglect to call out the state militia or to arm
his deputies. and his instructions to his dep
uties not to use any deadly weapons was all
done for the express purpose of carrying out
his part of the understanding.
1t Is stated in the complaint that imme-
diately after the hanging Jacobs was asked
what would be done, and he notified the
party inquiring in substance that nothing
would be done. because the parties who had
done the hanging were all friends of his.
Gov. Rich has not yet returned from
Chicrgo, and the charges against Sheriff
Jacobs cannot be acted upon until his
return. The statutes, however, require
the Governor to order an investigation
by the encouragement or prosecuting
attorney before the Judge Of probate or
one Of the Circuit Court commissioners
of the county in which the sheriff re-
sides. Such officer will take the testi-
mony and submit it to the Governor, to-
gether with his recommendation. The
Governor may, however, disregard such
recommendation and order he removal,
or the retention of the often ling officer
as he sees fit. - Ha y
Deafness Cannot be cured
BY local applications, as they cannot reach
the diseased portion of the ear. There Is