The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-04-28
WHTEHURST
Of PINElLAS COUNTY
REMOVED BY Cats
The Clearwater Sun SAYS:


had been removed as sheriff of Pinel-
las county by Gov. Cats.
a. 4. Sloat, for six years member
of the st. Petersburg police force. and
for the past two years private de-
tective in the Sunshine City, received
a telegram last night from Gov. Sid
ney j. Cats, notifying him OF his ap-
pointmcnt to the Office of sheriff of
Pinellas county.
'"The telegram:
80 Kathleen, Fla,
f" Il. E. Sloat, ST. Petersburg, Fla.
On account of your gentlemanly
treatment of me and recommends
ions of your friends | appoint you
sheriff of Pinellas county, Florida.
"'SIDNEY j. CATS
Mr. Sloat arrived in the county
seat at an early hour this morning,
was met by Mr.. Whitehurst and taken
to the Jail in his car The new ap-
pointee has always been a friend of
the old sheriff and the two men had
a very pleasant visit
Sheriff NJ M. Whitehurst did not
seem at all put out over the wire
shown him by Mr.. Sloat. He said that
as long as Sloat was appointed he did
not feel at all hurt, but that il it had
been some of the other men men.
toned for the Office he would. have
accepted the matter differently. The
sheriff and Sloat have long been the
best of friends, and there were no
"hardboiled feelings" apparent to the
naked eye, as the two principals and
Judge A. X. Cook of st. Petersburg
drove to the Jail in the sheriff's car.
Whitehurst said that he was going to
lock Sloat up and then destroy all the
"moonshme' that had been captured
and kept at the Jail for the past year.
This afternoon an imposing state
paper, with the great seal of the State
of Florida in gold thereon, was re-
ceived by Sheriff Whitehurst The
text follows:
State of Florida Executive cham,
Der. Whereas, it is officially made
known to me that M. M. Whitehurst,
sheriff in and for Pinellas county.
Florida, has been guilty of neglect of
duty, in the term and in the conduct
Iof his official duties as said sheriff
and
Whereas the said neglect of duty
on the part of the. M. M. Whitehurst
constitutes sufficient grounds for re-
moval and the failure to discharge the
duties of the Office interferes with the
due administration OF justice,
"Now, therefore, I, Sidney J. Cats,
Governor of the State of Florida, by
virtue of the power and authority
vested in me by the constitution of
the State of Florida, do hereby sus-
pend the said M. M. Whitehurst, the
sheriff in and for the county of Pinel-
las, State of Florida, as aforesaid,
from the exercise of the duties of said
office as sheriff of said county.
And it is hereby recommended
that he be permanently removed from
said office, and that the state senate,
at its next session, do consent to and
concur in said suspension and said
recommendation for the removal from
office of the said M. NJ. Whitehurst,
as such sheriff.
In testimony whereof, have
hereunto set my hand and cause the
great seal of the State of Florida to
be affixed at Tallahassee, the capitol,
this the 14th day of April, A. d. 1920.
SIDNEY ]. CATS, Governor.
Sheriff Whitehurst, the present in
cumbent, is candidate for re-elec-
ton. He was summoned to Tallahas-
see in March to answer to charges
filed against him by E. NJ. Backus of
Tarpon Springs, who alleged that
Whitehurst had not performed his
duty by making sufficient effort to ap-
prehend the wire-tappers who. accord.
ing to Backus, held him up and
threatened him. There were other
charges preferred by Tom Parkins of
st. Petersburg, who had been re-
moved as deputy sheriff.
Sheriff Whitehurst went to ITALIA.
hassee on March 30, had an interview
with the governor and then he re.
turned home expressed the conviction
that Governor Cats is not as big a
fool as he has been advertised 1t
was then supposed that the charges
hao peeh dropped. The telegram in
forming Sloat of his appointment
came as a great surprise. 1t appears
that Whitehurst made mistake in
not meeting and introducing the gov
ernor when he came here last Friday
and spoke to handful of people who
| hapnened by. as Cats hold fnn4h