Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-05
SHERIFF TAYLOR IN OFFICE.
Succeeded wiilism Il. Finn and Took Charge
Tuesduy Morning.

Succeeded william H. Finn and Took Charge
Tuesday Morning. 4
John f. Taylor succeeded William
r. Finn as sheriff of New Castle
county about IL o'clock on Tuesday
Between 10 and III O'Clock Mr.. Taylor
appeared before the Superior Court,
and his attorney, William S. Hilles,
drew attention to the constitutional
requirement that he should assume his
Office the first Tuesday in January.
The court directed the crier to COM
mand silence in the court while the
commission of the sheriff was being
read. Silence being commanded, Pro-
thonotary Victor B. Woolley read Mr..
Taylor's commission issued by Gov.
Ebe w. Tunnel, under date of No.
vember 18th, 1898. The question then
arose as to what oath the new sheriff
should take. He had bonded early in
the present term of court, his sureties
in the sum Of $50, 900 peing George w.
Vernon, Frank Woolley, William b.
Clerk, Patrick Fahey and John t.
Dickey. The court decided that the
new sheriff should take simply the
oath of the statute, and that was adj
ministered to him by Prothonotary
Woolley few minutes before IL
o'clock. Retiring Sheriff William r.
Finn delivered to Sheriff Taylor the
| various keys to the jail and his Office
and desk keys, and also the county
ballot boxes.
Meanwhile a goodly number OF per-
sons had gathered in the sheriff's Office
| to see the incidents connected with
| the county from the retiring to the
inooniuu offiniaI hp,opor those ,,rae,nrA
wero employees under Mr.. Finn, Inside
Deputy Harry Gillis, Outside Deputy
James p. Ratledge, Day Warden PIERCE
Gould of the jail, and Superintendent
William Conner of the stonepile. =
Mr.. Finn turned the Office over to
| Sheriff Taylor and removed the old
| books from the desk to make way for
the new sheriff's books.
From announcements which have
been made, the new sheriff's move
| ments were watched with some interest
| to see what would be done with refor-
ence to the inside deputyship, held
under Sheriff Finn, by Harry ellis.
| There was a report that Philip @.
| Churchman had an agreement with
Sheriff Taylor allowing Mr.. Church
man to name deputy, and that he
proposed to name Mr.. Gillis for the
inside position. Sheriff Taylor showed
his decision on the matter this morning
by directing 3. A. Groves to take
charge of the office desk. By that act
he made Mr.. Groves inside deputy.
The new sheriff was asked concerning
the alleged agreement. In reply he
spoke of the contest for the sheriffalty
nomination in September and the meet
ings Monday, September 26th, and
| Thursday, September Goth, on Shipley
street, between Third and Fourth, as
to the settlement of the protests. He
continued:
Thursday Sam Knox sent for me
about Ii o'clock, saying that he wanted
tc see me. l went to Sam Knox's Office
and Sam said: 'You want TO quiet
these people; we have another regis
tration day to go through
81 said, Aren't they Republicans?'
and he said, Yes, but we want their
help and force for one more registra-
tion day and for the election day. /
said, That is no fault of mine.
well, he said, / think this thing
will smooth down very nicely If you
will just quiet the Stidham people.
deputy. said would not allow Mr..
| w oHOs iDub Woulo
allow Mr.. Churchman to name one,
and at the same time / said to Mr..
Knox they had no right to ask me in
any way to make an agreement.
"But for the party's sake ! signed
an agreement with Mr.. Churchman
that he could name deputy, without
saying any particular deputy.
II understand he wants to name
Gillis to have charge Of the books,
but / have named Groves to do that.
There is more than one office in the
Court House, and as the paper does
not specify what position ellis should
get, have not broken my agreement
in any way"
When Sheriff Taylor was about
leaving the Court House to get his
dinner, Harry Gillis approached him
and asked him if he was going to
appoint him deputy in accordance with
the agreement. In the conversation
which ensued, the sheriff said he
would appoint Gillis to anything he
wanted outside of having charge of the
books to which position he had APP
pointed Groves,