Evening star., 1951-07-26
Primary toPass
|Unnoticed in
Greene'County
Only Fight Brewing
In August 7 Polls
Is Choice of Sheriff
By Alex R. Preston
Star StaH Correspondent

practically unnoticed in Greene
County.
There seems to be little inter-
est IN the campaigns of the only
two candidates whose names will
appear on the primary ballot
State Senator E. o. McCue, jr.,
who seeks denomination over
Joseph T. Henley, chairman of
the Albemarle County School
Board.
But a hot local fight is brewing
for the November contest for
sheriff between George E. Morris,
who was ousted from office by
court order earlier this year, and
the man who was appointed to
his place. w. D. Deane.
Sheriff Deane is a former dep
.uty under Mr.. Morris but had re-
signed last October after Mr.. Nor
rlS' failure to make an arrest in
Ia funeral parlor brawl and fatal
shooting a few days earlier. The
failure to make an arrest of a
man who has been convicted of
second-degree murder, led to Mr.,
Morris custer.
Hand Shaking Tours.
Both Senator McCue and Mr.
Henley have carried their cam
paigns into Greene County with
Misunderstanding tours of crossroads
and farms and are expected to
appear here again before the pri-
mary. But the lack of any other
local contests on the primary bal
lot has caused interest to lag for
the time being.
AS matter of fact, Court clerk
r. w. Bickers can't remember
when county Offices were involved
IN a primary, even when candi-
oateS OF the same political faith
were opposing one another.
I'VE vote for the men. not the
party" said Mr.. Bickers. a Re-
publican. T. C. Graves, Demo-
cratic county treasurer, nodded
assent.
Between the two, they estimate
the approximately 1,40O qualified
voters are about equally divided
between Democrats and Republi-
cans
Take the election last year. for
instance. Greene County gave the
late Tyrell Krum. Republican. oar
votes to only 164 for Representa-
tive Smith, Democrat, in the 9Th
Congressional District contest.
General Election Results.
But in the general election q
year earlier, the county went over
Whelmingly Democratic when II
gave Gov. Battle 292 votes and hid
Republican opponent, Walter
johnson, 1913.
So the fact that Sheriff Deane
is Democrat and former Sheriff
Morris is a Republican has prac-
tically nothing to do with the
outcome in November.
So widespread was the interest
in the Morris case, a jury had to
be imported from Albemarle Coun-
Ity before a sufficient number OF
qualified veniremen could be i'm
panneled for his trial. A 12-man
jury found him guilty of gross
neglect of official duty on Feb
ruary % after an earlier trial re-
suited in a deadlocked jury.
The custer proceedings were
filed by Commemorative Attor-
ney Nimrod Early, chairman ot
the county Democratic Committee
who charged Mr.. Morris was neg
Iligent in failing to arrest Winfred
IDeane during a fracas at the C.
G. Miller funeral home here last
October 8. In a subsequent alter
cation the same night, Winfred
IDeane shot and killed H. G. Moy-
ers, jr., at a nearby service sta
ton.
Not Related to Sheriff.
Winfred Deane is not related tc
Sheriff w. D. Deane. w. D. Deane
resigned as Mr.. Morris deputy or
october II. With the suspension
of Mr.. Morris, w. D. Deane was
appointed acting sheriff by Judge
C. G. Quensenbury, and has served
in that Office since.
Testifring at the trial, Mr.. Nor
ris said r. L. Madison came to
him the night of the disturbance
and reported that Winfred Deane
had gone wild" at the funeral
home. When he arrived. Mr.. Nor
ris said, he asked Winfred Deane
twice what the trouble was but got
no reply.
'Deane told me would have to
hurt him to arrest him." Mr.. Nor
Iris testified. II didn't want to hurt
him."
Mr.. Morris said another reason
he did not make an arrest was
because he did not have a warrant
and that he did not think Winfred
IDeane had done enough to be
placed in custody.
Winfred Deane was found guilty
of second degree murder and now
lis serving 20 years in the State
Ipenitentiary.
New CARE Food Package