Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-02-08
SHERIFF
Has Issued an Ul-
timatum.
"No More Trips After
Criminals,
Unless Expense Money
Is Guaranteed"
Mentions Della Coleman incident
as an Illustration.

as an Illustration.
Sheriff Frank G.. Kelly has issued an
ultimatum to Prosecutor Henry NJ.
Hagelbarger to the effect that he will
hereafter not go on thief-catching ex-
petitions unless assured that he will
be reimbursed for all money he pays
out of his own pocket while on the
trip.
The statute prescribing the duties
and regulations of the Office of Sheriff
states that the court shall set aside
$500 annually as payment for services
of the Sheriff in criminal cases where
the State fails to convict or the de-
fendant is shown to be insolvent.
Sheriff Kelly claims to haye spent in
the neighborhood of $1,000 annually
in such cases. and says that he is
tired of keeping up the custom. He
says there is nothing in the statutes
relating to his office which obliges him
to make trips after criminals at his
own expense. His pay is wholly by
fees, and he declares that the $500 al
lowed for the non-producing criminal
cases is but IA nominal compensation,
from every point Of view. Therefore,
Sheriff Kelly is not in favor of it.
He makes no attempt to deny the i'm
preston that he is not in the business
for his health.
The last straw, Sheriff Kelly says,
was laid on in the case of Della Cole
man. wife of Johnnie Whitaker, the
puglist. She was bound over to the
grand jury from Justice HOffman's
court on charge of grand larceny. The
charge against her was stealing finery
and rare coins from the residence Of
A. Il. Heintselman, 209 South Union
St, to the amount of about $75. The
grand jury indicted her on charge of
petit larceny, and when arraigned in
Common Pleas court she pleaded
guilty. Sentence was reserved for a
few days, but when imposed it amount
ed to a fine of So and costs. She was
insolvent, and the fine and costs We're
not paid. The costs amounted to a
little over $50 and represented the eX
penses of the Sheriff in a trip to AL
lance to arrest her.
Sheriff Kelly claims that the case
was brought to him after the police
had reported that the woman had
doubtless left for the West. He imme-
diately went to work on the case and
located Della at Alliance. In com
pany with Mr.. Heintselman he went
mained in Jail here % days, which
: incarceration figured in making her
: sentence lighter. When sentenced the
court did not append the order Ito
: stand committed till fine and costs
} are paid" Wherefore, Sheriff Kelly
: claims that when Della left the court
room, he saw $50 of his own money
} walking away.
Moreover, the Sheriff is ''hot under
the collar" on more than one count
He claims that the law states that he
J shall be custodian of the Court House
and jail, but in the matter of the
= Court House he has nothing to say
, The Commissioners hire the janitor
and look after things in general. This
denies the Sheriff quite number of
: perquisites TO which he claims he is
entitled.
, Sheriff Kelly also claims that the
: county detective should work direct
ly in conjunction with the Sheriff, and
that the detective, whose expenses are
paid, should be called on to make all
the trips after criminals.
In more ways than one the Sheriff
claims to have been deprived of fees
and other perquisites which make the
office much to be desired.