Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-11

| Quoted his cases in way that would
| be quite creditable to several good
lawyers I know.
More than ten years ago Rector came
to Greenville and took job OH the
| city police force. 1t was said that he
made a good policeman and there is
no doubt of the fact he made many
friends while on the force. Politics
was his hobby and he never neglected
an opportunity to advance himself po-
litically. Nobody dreamed that he had
q ghost of q show when he announced
/! for sheriff against ex-Sheriff Gilreath
The campaign developed into a bitter
one and he was elected by a small
majority. Four years later he was re-
elected with ease and already he had
announced his candidacy for third
time. A few weeks ago he spoke his
confidence of reelection although he
expected hot fight. And there Is no
doubt that 1t would have been because
while he had many friends-he had
many enemies.
He was always active in trying to
suppress violations Of the law whether
under his immediate Jurisdiction or
not. / was out riding with him one
night in Greenville. We were going
down Washington street toward the
| Southern station. Suddenly a car dart
ed out from a side street in front of
us at something like forty or fifty miles
an hour-far too fast. He did not
know the occupants Of the car when
he remarked to me: THAT fellow
might run over somebody going like
that. I expect better tell him thing
or two. And then he opened up his
own Buick and started after the racer.
Down q side street we went at a gait
that frightened me. The sheriff shout
ed at the other car to stop, but In
| stead the driver turned on more gas.
Rector did too and began tc see
visions Of a hearse or an ambulance at
best. The race was on for a mile
and then the sheriff overlook the other
car. The driver proved to be a negro
whom the sheriff knew and who was
in company with another negro.
He Immediately began to beg the Of
fcer to let him go. saying he didn't
know he was running so fast. "Sher-
iff," he said, "if you'll let me go, I'll
turn you up somthin' big"
You turn that car of yo's. around
in front of mine an don't yo' run fast
neither" was the reply. Bach UP
Washington street we went and around
to the police station where the speed
er was turned over to the city police.
He drew $25 or thirty days in record
ers court next day.
Although he left the mountain coun-
try years ago Rector never forgot the
vernacular of the hills and he always
talked with the drawl that distinguish
es the mountaineers. "Ain't no use
of me tryin' to change my way Of
thinkin', an talkin' and doin'," he used
to say I'm just what / am, an If l
don't suit a lot O. folks, do sorter suit
a lot of others an the best Man what
ever lived couldn't please all Of 'em"
The dead sheriff had a beautiful
country home on the outskirts of the
city, located on the Laurens road. He
wanted the life of the country and he
was engaged in farming quite exten-
sively. He never let his farming inter-
fere with his public duties, however
and whether the call came to go on
some business in the day or the dead
of night, he was always ready to re-
spond.
Although he loved children, he had
none of his own. 1t was no uncom-
mon thing, however, for him to ride
into one of the mill villages around
Greenville in his autmobile and fill the
car with children he would pick up
here and there and carry them for
long ride.
A good stump speaker, he delighted
in public speech making. There Is
hardly nook or corner Of Greenville
county in which he has not delivered
speech of some kind, most Of them
political. He talked too much many
times but 1t was his way. And his
friends and supporters liked to hear
him talk.
He long entertained an ambition to
represent the Fourth district in con-
gress and in the course Of a few years,
had he lived, he would have been an
aspirant for the honor. He had spoken
to me more than once on the subject,
saying that it had long been the am
bition of his life to go to Washington,
although he doubted if he could ever
command sufficient political strength
to put 1t over.
why If you ever got to congress 1t
would only be little while until you
would be wanting to get in the senate
remarked one day. THAT is the way
with all you politicians. The further
you go, the further you want to co.
mo, suh," he said with his long
drawl. "If an uncouth, roughneck
mountaineer like me what never had
much of chance except what he got
by fussin' and cussin' and scrappin'
ever got to congress, that would be
goin' some, an l just reckon / would
be satisfied. From what I have seen
of some of en- and from what know
of some of 'em, 1 figure a fellow like
O. me might some time get to congress
but you never did hear of no ex-block-
ader gittin' to be a senator did you'?''
And of course l never had.
The great crowd Of more than TO-
900 people who attended his funeral
Sunday attested his popularity and his
acquaintance. The funeral was the
most spectacular occurrence Of his 81
years of life. He would have had 1t
so. In the city of Greenville, around
the mills, on the farms and up In the
Dark Corner in the vicinity Of CLASSY
Mountain where the people are begin
ming to see the light of new day. al
though the smoke from numerous
moonshine distilleries still somewhat