Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1910-12-27
Retiring Sheriff Will Be Remembered
AS One of Best Peace Officers
Who Ever Held Job.
INCREASE in BUSINESS
Duties and Receipts of Sheriff's Posi-.
ton Have Grown Rapidly Dur
ing Past Few Years.

When Ed Martin next week de-
llvers over to his successor, Billy
Woods, the keys to the county
slleriff's Office, he will retire to the
less strenuous though active pursuits
Of private Life with the satisfaction Of
having made a record never excelled
by any peace officer in the history
Of Montana. For the entire four
years Of his official incunlbency he
has been recognized throughout the
Treasure state and the Northwest as
one of the most indomitably fearless
and the coolest headed men who ever
brought a murderer to the bar of JUS
tice or tracked horse thief to his
lair.
Some Notable Cases.
An unusual number Of notable
crimes have been committed in this
county during the time that Ed has
been in the sheriff's office and in
running to earth the offenders and
securing the evidence whereby they
were convicted he has shown ability
as sleuth which would be credit
to the best man on the Pinkerton
force. In fact, in at least two we'll
known instances, he has effected the
arrest OF the criminal and been of in
valuable assistance to the county at
torney's office in securing the con-
viction where trained detectives Of
long experience had fallen down en-
tirely.
Terror to Evil Doors.
Ed has been terror to evil doers
from the fact that when he starts
after criminal he permits neither
rought country nor long distance to
stop him until he has got his man.
He has chased bad men from the
Canadian wilds to the bad lands of
Wyoming and the fact that he is just
as much at home in the saddle as any
corsalr of the range country has
given him an advantage not always
possessed by peace officers.
The duties of the Office have in
creased tremendously during the past
four years. The rapid settlement of
the county, the building of new lines
OF railroad and the upspringing Of
numerous new towns have naturally
increased the number of the GRIM
inally inclined. During the past
month, there have been "a men in
carcerated in the county Jail and the
average population Of the bastile for
the year now drawing to close has
been about sixteen. During the last
year of Sheriff Waite's official tenure,
the total fees collected amounted to
S3Ol, During the year ending Sep
tember, 1910. Sheriff Martin turned
into the county treasurer in fees the
large sum OF $2,O7o7O, or almost
seven times as much.
When Billy Woods enters the Of
flee, it will be the first time in twelve
years that republican has had that
distinction. Since Jack Waite went
out in 1893, Tom Shaw, Len Slater
and Ed Martin have each served two
terms of two years each. All three
of these men have made records for
efficiency and fearlessness which are
sources of justihable pride to every
democrat in the county, and had Fir
min Tullock been elected, he would
doubtless have added another glorious
chapter to this open book of splendid
service by democratic peace officers
That Billy Woods will also make
good is very generally admitted, but
III view of the record OF the past
twelve years and for political reasons,
the democrats are naturally regretful
that member of that party could
not have been continued in the office