Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-15
New Sheriff Appointed.

On last Saturday Judge J. H. Stuart,
Judge of the county court of Tazewell
county, appointed Mr.. E. King Crockett
to the position of sheriff of Tazewell
county, to fill the vancancy caused by the
death of the late James Bandy. Mr..
Crockett qualified on the day Of his APP
pointment and gave as his bondsmen, Dr..
j. H. Crockett and Messrs. Douglas H..
Smith and B. B. Greever. He appointed
Mr.. h. S. Gillespie his deputy. Mr..
Gillespie will have charge of the work in
the western division of the county and
also of the Jail. Mr.. Crockett will do the
work for the easterndivision of the county.
Under the circumstances, the appoint
ment of f. King Crockett to this position
was very peculiar. At the election in
May, 1899, james Bandy was elected
sheriff of the county, John w. Crockett
running on his ticket as his deputy. These
two had then been sheriff of the county,
alternately, for twenty years; and the race
in 1899 was as much John w. Crockett's
as it was James Bandy's.
Mr.. E. King Crockett was the candid ate
who ran against Mr.. Bandy in 1899; and
it was understood at the time that his
candidacy was not occasioned so much by
a desire to defeat Bandy, or to get the
sherifalty, as it was provoked by wish to
defeat John w. Crockett, against whom
he bad a strong personal feeling; and it
was on account of that feeling he was
persuaded to become a candidate. Thus, we
find that the contest IN 1899 was virtually
one between E. King Crockett and John
w. Crockett. The result of that election
was that E. King Crockett was badly
beaten, the people recording against him
majority of 627.
After the election the county was
divided, as formerly, between James
Bandy and John w. Crockett, Bandy TAX
ing the west end and Crockett the east
end, as per the same arrangement that
had obtained for twenty years between
them. John w. Crockett continued
under this arrangement to serve as sheriff
for the eastern portion of the county until
Mr.. Bandy died.
Under these peculiar circumstances, the
people naturally expected that John W..
Crockett would be appointed to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the death of Mr..
Bandy, not only on account of his own
rights in the matter, but because he was
better qualified to wind up the sheri6alty
of Mr.. Bandy than any other living man.
The county court, however, took an other
view of the case; and Notwithstanding f..
K. Crockett had been repudiated by a
large majority of the people of the county,
appointed him oyer the man who had
practically been elected by a majority of
627 votes.
We suppose there will be no pretense
but that the appointment has been made
as political one, in the interest of Democ-
racy. 1t is gratifying, however, to know
that many Democrats in the county do not
approve of it; one reason bel g that
they do not think it right, and the other
that it was poor politics.
We expect that the Democrats who
direct.the affairs of the party in the county
had concluded they could get no county
offices by the voice of the people, and
that they should let no opportunity slip,
given them by death or accident, to secure
one.
Next Fall the people will have an op-
port unity to sit in judgment upon the
matter; and there is no doubt what
their verdict will be.