The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-07-22
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
Candidate R. c. Applewhite Called on 10
Explain or Deny Certain
CHARGES.

CndrReS.
Mr.. Editor-In a card lately |
published in The Leader apprising
the people of Brookhaven that he
had resigned the Office of city |
maj shal because the further dis
charge of his duties confiicted |
with the canvass of his office
for sheriff, Mr.. r. G. Applewhite
referred in appropriate terms to
the laudable ambition which
caused him to seek to be the
chief police officer of the county |
instead of the city, with its at
tendant broader duties and great
er emoluments." He closes his
address in these words: Il have
served in the position (the sher-
ifs ofice) both as deputy and as
sheriff and am familiar with all of |
its duties, which duties | shall
faithfully, energetically and hon
estly perform, should l be elect
ed.o
The sheriff is the most impor-
tant individual officer of the coun-
ty. His duties are two fold. He
collects and handles all the taxes
paid by the people of the county, |
and at the same time he is charged |
with executing the criminal laws
and arresting and bringing to the
bar of justice, all who violate |
these laws: He is charged with |
the safe keeping of prisoners,
with the summoning and proper
guarding of juries, who are to
pass on the rights of property, |
the lives and liberty of accused
persons, and many other respon
sible duties; in short, is the main
dependence of the court in the
right enforcement of the law.
| and my neighbors were we'll
impressed by Mr.. Applewhite's |
resignation of the marsh al's
Office for the reasons assigned by |
him, putting it down to his cred
lit; but since then there have been
reports circulated in parts of the
county, relating to his former con-
nection with the sheriff's Office |
which are SO specific and grave
they more than offset these good
impressions and call for emphatic
public denial by him, if he ex-
poets the good citizens of this
county to assist in again placing
him in this important position.
One of these reports, quite
freely repeated, is that during a
certain important trial, while Mr..
Applewhite was serving as sher-
iff, or chief deputy, and the jury
was committed to his custody,
pending the returning of their
verdict, he furnished the jurors
with whisky for which money was
paid-a double violation of the
law.
Another story which is told
with more circumstance and de-
tail is to this effect: About five
years ago, while Mr.. Applewhite
was serving as sheriff a rascally
merchant at Bogue Chitto named
Mccoy, bought several thousand
dollars worth of goods on credit
and when he had gotten posses
sion of them made voluntary
assignment in bankruptcy, and
pretended to surrender all of his
merchandise and other assets to a
receiver for the benefit of his
creditors. These creditors, whose
claims reached up into the thous-
ands, were represented by Law
lyers McNair, Brady, Jones, and
maybe other lawyers of the coun-
| ty. Pending settlement of these
claims under the bankrupt law,
it was reported to the attorneys
of his creditors that instead of
surrendering all of his goods and
assets to the receiver, as he had
represented, Mccoy had several
thousand dollars worth of mer-
chandise which. had been secretly
| hauled out of his store at night
and concealed somewhere in the
country near Bogue Chitto. The
late John J. Sasser, who was a
party in some way to the fraud,
furnished the lawyers this infor-
nation and agreed if he was paid
a certain sum he would point out
where the goods were concealed.
When they learned this, keeping
their movements as secret as pos
[slble, the attorneys for the credi-
tors at once sent for deputy
United States Marshal to come
down and levy on the goods and
also had him armed with war
rant for McCoy's arrest. When
the deputy marshal got to Brook
haven he stopped over night for
further Instructions before execn-
| ting his orders. At this iuncture,
SO the story goes, Sheriff R. G.
L