The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1907-12-06

cOn1errlng crosses of honor, he
was present giving aid and as
sistance and enjoying himself
with the best of them and clap
ping his hands like a child.
After the close of the war
Jerre Thompson settled in Gun
town and remained there as a
private citizen until he was cleo
ted sheriff of Lee county, which
memory tells me was in the fall
OF 1879, taking office the first of
January, 1880. He was re-elec,
ted twice thereafter in success
sion, making his term of service
six years, as the term was then
only two years. Soon after his
election he moved from Guntown
. Tupelo, where he resided till
the time of his death, which has
already been announced in this
paper. He at once showed his
capacity for handling the affairs
Of the sheriff s Office, and brought
to the administration of the office
as much ability as any sheriff
who has filled the place. l my
self have heard it said often that
he made the best sheriff Lee
comfy has ever had. l am quot
ing what others have said and
not giving my own view; but l
do not hesitate to say that his
qualifications for the Office were
superior. He wrote well, and
was therefore capable of keeping
a neat set of books, and had the
whole of the many and manifold
duties of the Office well in his
mind, and also had the thought
that where anything of impor-
tance required the attention of
the sheriff from the office, that
the people in the towns and the
country would always prefer that
the High Sheriff should do the
work, and not simply by a dep
uty.. Acting on that idea, he
made frequent trips over the
county in the discharge of the
Office. In the management of
the affairs of the Office he was
firm, but courteous, and no man
ever took more pains to make all
necessary explanations in rela-
ton to any difference coming up;
but when all that had been done,
it it did not satisfy, still he went
forward in the discharge of his
duty as he saw it. He was a
good executive officer in the
management of the affairs of
the court house duties pertain
ing to the office of sheriff. Not
only was he sheriff, but he was
employed as deputy sheriff by
every man who has been elected
since he was, except Capt. Long.
In his social life he was pleas
ant, although sometimes having
the appearance of bluntness. He
was quick spoken and had an
emphatic tone to his voice, and
this made some think he was
rather stern, but beneath it all,
Jerre Thompson carried as warm
and kindly nature as any man
you could meet. He was very
reticent about any kindly deed
done or charity given, but the
really needy-those who should
be helped, as contradistinguished
from the common bum-were
never turned from his door. He
was kind and indulgent with his
family. | remember one time
we were talking of some way
ward son who had outraged his
fathers teaching and gone very
much to the bad, and I spoke IN
and said if he were my srn be
lieved after all that | would let
him go. Jerre Thompson at
once spoke up rather abruptly,
"You wouldn't do any such
thing!"
Now, many will be inquiring
what preparation he had made
for crossing over the River into
the eternal beyond. He was a
believer in God, and his choice
of churches was the Christian
church, and some two years age
he thought very seriously of at
taching himself to that church,
but never did so. He seemed tC
have the idea that some woulc
say he joined the church because
it was the pobular thing to do
and not for love of God; and 81
he hesitated, and death cam,
and so he never was a member O.
any church. He said one cal
live as good Christian out Of tn,
church as in it. In this | fee
sure he was mistaken, but it wa
a mistake of the head and not o.
the heart. He would and dis
when called upon pray in tn,
Masonic lodge, of which mysti,
order he was a devoted member
Whatever Iaults he may hay,
had, let US cast the mantle o
forgetfulness over them, and en-
dravor to emulate his virtues
For tWenty-seven years he wa
a prominent figure among us, an,
seen walking our streets or trav