The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-10-17
GERMAN MADE GOOD
AS COUNTY SHERIFF

In the conduct of affairs connect
ed with his office, b. II. German,
present Kittitas County sheriff, and
candidate for reelection on the dem
ocratic ticket, has given the COM
munity an administration, the prom
inent features of which have been
efficiency, expeditions service and
economy. Crime in the county has
been kept at minimum, and per-
petrat0rs of crime, almost without
exception, have been apprehended and
punished without loss of time.
During Germans term, the felony
cases increased by more than 80 per
cent and much other detail work
was thrust upon the office. In spite
of these conditions, the department
has been operated with no appreci-
able increase in expense
The records of the sheriff's office
since January, 1911 when the pres
ent incumbent took office, show that
there have been sixty-twO arrests
under felony charges and more than
$50 arrests for minor offenses. OF
the men arrested on the more serious
charges all pleaded guilty 10 the
crimes for which they were taken
into custody, with the exception Of
six These six were tried before
the superior court and five o fthem
were convicted and sentenced.
If these records show anything
they prove that Mr.. German, with
the aid of his well organized corps
of assistants, has been diligent in
not only making arrests, but also in
arresting the proper persons and,
when the time came, has had the
evidence to substantiate his acts.
A salient fact for the consideration
of the taxpayers, is that when a
criminal pleads guilty, the county is
| saved the expense of costly trial
How much the county has been saved
by the dillgent work Of the present
sheriff is hard to estimate, but it
is probable that the sum saved by
plea of guilty would amount to ten
or twelve thousand dollars.
The first arrest made by Sheriff
German took place the day he went
into office, when, after fierce
running pistol fight in tn edark, he
unprecedented single handed Joseph
Kelley, desperate who was wanted
or charge of highway robbery
K....ey j.. his flight to escape Justice
emptied hic automatic revolver at the
I.isuirg sheriff, who r.. ,rned his
fire so effectively that the .whrcaA-
err surrendered.
German and his assistants have
arrested nine other highwaymen
five murderers, seventeen burglars
eleven forgers, five charged with
grand larceny, seven horse thieves
seven who were convicted of miscel.
lancous crimes of a serious nature.
In addition to keeping the county
free from criminals, the sheriff's
office for the past two years has
been called upon to collect dclin'
Quent personal taxes. The office
thus far, has secured about $4,000
due the county.
German has had six years expert
ence in the sheriffs' office in this
county. For four years he was a
deputy under Sheriff Crowley. He
| was elected to succeed Crowley in
November, 1910.
German knows the work and hc
has a corps of deputies who have
proven themselves entirely efficient
in assisting their chief With the
building of the High Line Canal. Il
large number of lawless men will
come into the valley to work on con.
struction. Then is when the county
will need an experienced and eff
ent sheriff. The intelligent voter
certainly will take this into consid,
Grafton when casting his vote next
month. He will consider that thu
county already has proven sheriff
with a well organized office, and b,
probably will see no good reason fol
making a change.