The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1949-08-11
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES


funeral of a man who has been a
friend to me for most of those
thirteen years-Ben Wilkes.
Greenville attorney and a native
citizen of Durant.
The saddest part of being a
country editor is to record week
by week through the years the
deaths of beloved friends - in
these past thirteen years there
have been many - and the list
grows ever longer.
Now Ben Wilkes must be ad-
ded to the list Of those gone on.
Ben needs no eulogy from me-
or from anyone. The life he
lived among his neighbors speaks
more eloquently than words ever
could. He was a friend to man
and he did good wherever he
could-and that is the highest
type of praise.
I felt particularly close To Ben
because when was in trouble
he came to NEEDING everything
ne could-and II was much--with-
out being asked. His many deeds
OF kindness were always done
without fuss or show-and he
showed no Partially in those he
helped--whether it was a men,
Der OF the Bible class he taught,
q young man struggling to get a
start in life, or man in jail.
Holmes county-and Durant
particularly should be proud,
and is, I'm sure, to produce such
men as Ben Wilkes--highly re-
garded by those who knew him
as Christian gentleman, an hon
est and gifted attorney, devoted
husband and brother.
Members of his family have the
sincere sympathy of all their
friends in Holmes county.
In the news columns of this
paper last week there was car
ried what waste us--an inter-
esting story. It was concerned
with recent raids made by Sher-
If Ellis E. Wynn and his deputies
on six alleged bootlegging joints
with a resulting haul of only 5'a
cases of assorted liquors-most of
- <aLav, fro,x, <l;<ohoc o~J cot%ov,
patches lust off the premises of
these establishments.
This paints for us a very clear
picture of what is going on in
Holmes county now in regard to
bootlegging.
Sure, the boys are still selling a |
little whiskey-and will continue
to do so as long as you and you
and you continue to buy It. But |
they are doing it in bootleg fas.
hion. They are hiding it in drain
culverts and under bridges and In !
cotton patches near their premis-
es. They don't have it out on the
SuclNSS any IlUTe.
Which reminds me - and |
should remind you--that Sheriff |
Wynn is still doing a good job in |
keeping prohibition laws enforced !
in Holmes county.
Something else-you don't see !
the one-armed bandits, otherwise
known as slot machines, here
anymore. II there's a slot ma !
chine out in Holmes county we
haven't heard about it and we
know Sheriff Wynn hasn't either.
Mr.. Wynn is doing good job !
on law enforcement and should
have the support and cooperation
Of every good citizen Of Holmes
county--if nothing else you could
give him word Of encourage
ment by telling him you appre-
ciate his whole hearted efforts to
clean up the county and create
public respect for law enforce
ment.
In reports made we see where
the Sheriff's office turned in to
the Holmes county treasury dur
ing the year 1913 the sum of
$3,775.00 in fines in connection
with whiskey violations; and
that so far this year he has turn
ed in $5,50000 in fines--and the
latter is only for seven months
so it seems that il means money in
the county treasury to have
sheriff in office who is working
day and night to catch law viol-
ators. Already he has executed
IA search warrants for whiskey
this year, one every 80 days.
During 1948 he made 1873 raids for
whiskey.
If there's anyone in the county
who thinks he could do better
I'm sure the sheriff would be
very happy to get the benefit OF
his service and advice. When Mr..
Wynn went in we recall he said
that his office would be open at
all times to the citizens of Holmes
county and that he sought your
cooperation and helpful counsel at
all times.
Personally we'd say Ellis Wynn
is doing a fine job as sheriff and
we're awfully glad we voted for
him.