1700's - 1900
It must be realized that it is impossible to find a starting point
for what was considered a local police. The May 8, 1885 issue of the local
newspaper, the Dan Valley Echo, records the election of the Town Marshall,
R.R. Craddock. The November 2, 1883 issue of the Leaksville Gazette,
registers the name of Sheriff Johnson, who was responsible for law and order
in what is now the Eden area.
It was in the early 1900's, that what was probably one of the most
unique police forces in history of the United States came into existence
here. Recognizing the need for officers that would reside in and be
responsible for the area, in which they lived, the Spray Civic Association,
an organization that had no real governing power over an unincorporated
area, had introduced to the N. C. Legislature, a bill that was ratified in
1909. This bill would authorize the Resident Superior Court judge to appoint
police officers and constables for the Leaksville Township area. These
officers would have the same powers as municipal police, and would be
appointed for two years. The officers were sworn as deputy sheriffs' and
made responsible for law and order in the Leaksville Township area; but
primarily the Spray, Floyd Hill (Boulevard), and Draper settlements.
The town of Leaksville had an elected Marshall and sometimes an
assistant police officer or night watchman. This "Marshall title was later
changed to "Chief" and he was hired by the city fathers rather than
elected.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. To get a picture of early
justice, we must go back to 1846 and recount the tale of the murderer who was
identified by the sound of his horses' hoofs. Leaksville was a town of about
500 population, Draper and Spray had not really come into existence as
settlements. A prominent merchant, John H. Bullard, had in his store a wooden
strong box, which was strapped with iron and chained to the sleepers under the
floor. On a Saturday afternoon in August, while the store was filled with
costumers, Mr. Bullard returned from a collecting trip and deposited a large
sum of money in gold, silver, and Virginia State notes in the box.
Early the following morning the body of Victor Louis, a clerk, was
found lying on the floor of the store near the front window. He had been shot
to death with a shotgun.
The
coroner's jury arrested every man who had been in the store the previous
Friday when Mr. Bullard had deposited the money in the strong box, but his
testimony shed no light upon the case. The
jury was about to adjourn, when one of its' members, a Scotsman named Robert
Moir, arose and said, in broken English "I object, I smell a rot
(rat)." After the room had been cleared of spectators, Mr. Moir very
solemnly announced that he had found the murderer. He said the guilty man was
Thomas G. Ellington, a young man who bore a good reputation and was one of the
deputies searching for the murderer. The other jurors, surprised and
unbelieving, protested loudly, by Mr. Moir carried his point and Ellington was
placed under arrest.
Ellington, his mother and sister lived in a small cabin across the Dan
River from Leaksville. His mother's testimony before the jury included no
damaging evidence, but his sister said that on the morning after the murder,
Ellington brought her a bloody shirt and asks her to wash it. He said that he
had killed a squirrel the previous day and got blood on the sleeves.
After the
jury had been in session for a week, a horse drover named Petrillo, who had
camped near Leaksville railroad station on his way to Danville at the time of
the murder, was called to testify. He said that about 10 o'clock on that night
a man on horseback rode up to his camp. He had on a slouch hat and a cloak
that covered his whole body and it was to dark and he was unable to
distinguish his face. But, Petrillo said he noted the muzzle of a gun resting
on the toe of the mans' boot and that he could recognize this gun among a
thousand.
All the guns for five miles around Leaksville were seized and placed in
a large building, later known as Gwerrants' Tobacco Factory, but then used as
a hotel. Petrillo examined 48 of the guns and each time shook his head. But,
after picking up the next
one, he
looked long and very solemnly at its' muzzle, then turned and said, "I
will swear that this is the gun that rested on the toe of the boot of the man
at my camp Thursday night, August 13".
The number of the gun showed that it belonged to Ellington.
In the
meantime, the deputies had collected all the horses for miles around. Petrillo
was blindfolded and seated with his back to the track upon which the horses
were exercised. It was a level piece of land near the point where the late Dr.
J. B. Field had his dental parlor. Fifty or more horses were ridden past the
witness and he failed to recognize the gait. Finally a horse came by that
seemed to interest Petrillo. "Ride that horse by again and hasten the
gait," he said. After this request had been complied with, Petrillo
sprang from the chair, tore the bandage from his eyes and said, "that is
the horse." The horse belonged to Ellington.
The coroners' jury rendered a verdict naming Ellington as the murderer,
and his case was tried in court at Wentworth before Judge William H. Battle.
The jury returned a verdict, and Ellington was hanged on November 27, 1846.
Hanging in those days and for many years afterwards was public and
thousands witnessed the execution of Ellington.
The gallows was erected on a narrow valley near the county poor house,
and the slopes on either side afforded an excellent view of the scene. The
condemned man, who had never confessed his crime, was placed upon the trap
door of the gallows and the rope was adjusted around his neck. The sheriff
asked him if he wished to make any statement, and he said that he did not.
But, when the sheriff took up the black cap to cover his head, Ellington said,
"I alone am guilty of the murder of Victor Louis. I killed him to get the
money in the strong box. I found the box fastened to the floor and could not
raise it. I then went through the cash drawer and took all the money - just 13
cents. These I dropped in a hole in a sourwood tree near the stable, and they
can be found by cutting down the tree."
The tree was afterwards cut down and the 13 old fashioned coins were
found.
1900 -1920
It is evident from the previous account that law enforcement was
provided by the sheriff, with special deputies being sworn in times of need.
This was apparently the situation from 1797, when John Leake petitioned
the State Legislature to establish the town of Leaksville, until 1874, when
the Act was passed that made Leaksville an incorporated town. It was this act
that provided for a town constable, who was elected by public vote. The term
constable, in those days simply meant policeman. His title was that of
Marshall. This continued until 1901, when an act was passed allowing the town
commissioners to elect the constable and his job was combined with tax
collector. It was under these conditions that H. F. Moir was elected in 1903;
he continued in office until 1905, when he resigned, J.W.Norman, who later
became town clerk, replaced Moir. Norman filled this positioned, until the
election of John F. Deshazo. He was paid the healthy sum of $10.00 per month,
to fill this very important position. Deshazo was a well-respected officer, as
recalled by lawyer Allen D. Ivie Jr., who had met him as child.
In 1908, Deshazo was afforded some help, in the person of J. E.
Woodson, who was appointed as an extra policeman and night watchman, at a
salary of $5.00 per month, this was supplemented by private subscription of
the citizens.
At the same time Glenn Fretwell was hired to substitute and assist at a
salary of $1.00 per month. In 1917 Deshazo resigned and returned to a job as
deputy sheriff, a job that he had held before becoming a town policeman.
Deshazo was replaced by J. P. Adkins. Adkins salary increased until, as
reported by the minutes of a town meeting, he reached the exorbitant wage of
$50.00 per month. After reaching a settlement with the council in a dispute
over tax receipts, he resigned and was replaced by Henry Grady Dallas. Mr.
Dallas was very meticulous in his record keeping and his ledger of tax
records, along with a bond he posted to attest to his honesty, is still kept
in the files of the City of Eden. It was during his term of office, that the
title, "Marshall" was changed to Chief of Police. He reached the
high salary, of $100.00 per month. He was assisted by T. A. Bateman, who was
the night watchman. It was also during his term that the police department
began to handle town traffic problems. This is evidenced in the August 5, 1921
minutes of the board meeting in which he was instructed to enforce a new
parking ordinance, for "auto-mobiles" in front of the post office.
At the town council meeting of July 5, 1923, Chief Dallas was
instructed to turn over tax records to the newly appointed tax clerk, L. M.
Sheffield. This is the same Sheffield, who in later years, was elected as
Rockingham County Sheriff. Although not recorded in town minutes, Dallas
apparently resigned about this time, for in the October 4, 1923 meeting, a
colorful gentleman, and the first of the Clarks to enter police work, Owen Rash
(Race) Clark was hired as Chief of Police and water works Superintendent.
It is here that we must depart from our chronological account
of the Leaksville Police and bring up to date the Leaksville township (known
as the Spray/Draper) Police Department.
With the building of the many mills in the early 1900's and the
bringing in of the mountain folk to the area, came the need for law
enforcement. The prohibition laws
greatly contributed to this need. It was during this period of boon that some
undesirable
characters,
as well as the tradition of making, drinking, and selling of bootleg liquor
and home-brew, brought about these new law officers and their conflicts with
law-breakers. After working sixty hours a week in the local mills, a man just
had to unwind. Many used alcohol to help them. Although many had their own
home stills, referred to as the "tin-tub" still, a few locals had
genuine copper stills in operation.
Having liquor available locally served an immediate desire, the
mountains from where these workers came. This desire for the
old
home stuff brought about the tradition of meeting at the "spring".
One citizen related that "In the early days there used to be a `Red Store' that was at the bottom of what is now Church
Street, near its' intersection with Park Road, that had a spring out back, and
was the meeting place to sit and drink. It
was from this spring that Spring Street got its name. It was to this spring that new settlers would come in their
Conestoga wagons
bringing
along their possessions, which usually included a few jugs of that favored
`mountain dew'. This spring became the scene of numerous fights and at least
one case where a fellow had his throat cut by a drunken friend and bled to
death on the ground". Another
native states, "I have been told that, during those days, my father used
to haul apples down here from the mountains in a wagon.
He would sell them by the peck or bushel.
The price on each one was different, depending on whether it contained
a pint, quart or gallon of liquor".
It was into this environment, that these intrepid new officers stepped,
after the passage of the 1909 Act, were submitted by the Spray Civic
Association. The term "stepped” should be used literal, as these first
officers had to patrol on foot. Although
horses were available at the local livery stables, the officers' salary could
only afford their rental in the event of traveling long distances in solving
their cases. Areas of coverage for these officers were usually the populated
sections known as Floyd Hill (Boulevard).
Flint Hill and surrounding area (Spray), North Spray and Draper.
Draper
was the only one the three towns that was a planned "model" mill
village. The streets were numbered 100 to 1,000 and the business area built up
near the mill. A store on Mill Avenue burned down in a fire and it along with
other buildings near it were torn down. A new business section built just
around the corner on a street, and then known as Lake Street, but today as
Fieldcrest Road, is called by the residents "The Front". Another
business area sprang up near the railroad depot referred to as "across
the tracks". In later years as new residents moved into the area a new
housing development sprang up known as "New Town".
The earliest remembered officer in Draper was a gentleman known as W.
K. Flannagan or Flanigan, as his name is recorded both ways. Flannagan was a
Deputy before the passage of the 1909 Act, but was considered by the town folk
as their "policeman". The news media records that he was shot by W.
Belt Samuels in Danville, Virginia in 1908. This case was retried in the
Virginia courts in 1910 with local lawyer A. D. Ivie acting as prosecutor and
Samuels received the same sentence of eighteen years that he was given in the
earlier trial. It was rumored by the Draper folk that Flannagan's demise was
the result of his personal "under cover" investigation of a
"bawdy" house in Danville. This rumor cannot be documented however.
Another officer of those early days in Draper was a fellow by the name
of Will Slaughter. Although little is known about this officer, it is recalled
that he shot Tom Weaver off his wagon and a young lad by the name of Broadus
Burgess stopped the runaway horses. After the shooting the County Sheriff
arrived to swear in part time officer John Rea who kept Slaughter prisoner in
his home overnight until he could transport him to the county jail. It was
very cold weather and as the "calaboose" was not heated he did not
want to lock his friend in it over night. Rea remained an officer in Draper
for about two years, and then he quit, and moved to Henry County, Virginia. He
later became a deputy in that county and remained one for many years.
The next officer of prominence in the Draper area was Harry Lindsey.
The Reidsville Review Newspaper reported that Deputy Lindsey had stopped three
men on a buggy and they drove off and left him standing. Lindsey pursued on
his wheel but abandoned it for a ride on a jitney (bus). Upon overtaking the
buggy, he jumped to the ground, leaped on the back of the buggy and drew his
pistol. The gun Lindsey carried was a "squeezer", so called as it
could be fired by squeezing rather than pulling a trigger. When he grabbed
Murphy by the collar with his gun hand, the weapon went off, shooting Murphy
who died from the wound. Lindsey was tried for the shooting and was ably
defended by lawyer A. D. Ivie.
Draper's earliest jail was located near the mill in and area that later
became a parking lot. It was known as the "Calaboose". The Draper
police station was located in the back of the Bank building.
The Spray police department and courthouse was located in the
mercantile building. Offenders were tried in Magistrate's court with the
Recorders Court being established in 1915. If a jail or road sentence was
imposed, the prisoner was transported to the county jail, which was nine miles
away in Wentworth, by buggy. A sentence of working on the county roads was
common, as the building of roads was a great need and many could not pay the
fines and court cost imposed on them. Even in 1931, when a fine fine
for
speeding 35 miles per hour through Draper could not be paid, a subject was
sentenced to twenty days shoveling road clay.
The Spray jail was a two-room structure located between the mercantile
building and Spray Cotton Mills. Many referred to this “Calaboose” as the
“Pig Pen”, and some say it was not much better than one. The deplorable
condition of this jail was the topic of discussion of the October 4, 1912
meeting of the Spray Civic Association. This building burned with an
incarcerated inmate in it. The prisoner's name was J. C. Overman. He was
called the "Blind Tiger" and had been placed there because of
several warrants that had been issued for him for hauling liquor into the area
on Sundays. This was in October of 1916 and it was cool weather. It is
believed that Overman may have started the fire to keep warm, as there was no
heat in the jail. A later story relates that another person had told Overman
of an escape in which the prisoner had started a fire in the jail and had fled
when fire fighters came to extinguish the flame.
The officers were sworn as deputies as the area they covered
was
unincorporated. Although under direct responsibility of the county sheriff, a
chief deputy was appointed to supervise the local officers and was referred
to, by local citizens, as "Chief of Police".
The earliest known of these "Chiefs" was Harden Eanes. Eanes
is remembered as wearing a broad brim hat. A fair but firm officer of Eane's
day was somewhat different from today. He received most of his training in law
by experience in the courtroom and from information supplied by local lawyers.
Officers had to be large of statue and able to handle themselves in a fight.
This meant, many times that the officer had to be very physical. Some may
today consider his definition of necessary force as brutal.
Chief Eanes was a deputy before the Act was passed for the Spray Civic
Association to hire officers, but remained after it was passed and was
appointed Chief Deputy by the Sheriff. He was an officer for twelve years.
During this time he was engaged in several shoot-outs with bootleggers and criminals. At
least one of these times he came home with his coat riddled with bullet holes.
One tale, related by a local citizen, tells of a time, in an attempt to arrest
a subject, that he was involved in a fight where the subject drew a knife,
cutting Eanes and knocking him sprawling into the canal. Eanes retaliated by
coming out of the canal, parted the subject's hair with his pistol barrel, and
dragged him to the nearby calaboose.
In addition to being an officer, Eanes looked after the mill housing
for new settlers. He was known to have evicted a few people for refusing to
stop raising pigs. At least one family moved out, under his watchful eye, for
being a community nuisance. The ladies of the house had come under ill repute.
He is also remembered to, at one time; to have ran the Colonnade Hotel.
Eanes career came to an end in November of 1920 when, accompanied by
officer Vernon, he was walking up the railroad tracks to make an arrest, he
keeled over from what was reported in the Tri-City Gazette as
"apoplexy". He was 58 years old. The Gazette also carried two
tributes to this well liked and respected officer.
It is here that an explanation of the way the officers were assigned by
the Sheriff's office may help clarify how the present day police department
came into existence. Rockingham County was divided into townships; these were
Leaksville, Ruffin, Stoneville, (Mayo), Madison, Wentworth, Reidsville, Price,
Monroeton (Simpsonville), Huntsville, New Bethel, and Williamsburg. The
officers were assigned to these townships and usually paid by the merchants in
the areas. The Spray and Draper officers were responsible for the Leaksville
Township, of which Spray was the largest unincorporated area. Since they were
headquartered in Spray, they became known as the Spray Police Department, with
the same being true of those stationed at Draper.
Only two officers are mentioned in the minutes as being hired directly
by the Spray Civic Association. These were George
Chatham in 1912 and W. D. "Will" Covington in 1913. However it is
known that most of the Leaksville Township officers were on the Marshall Field
payroll. An exception to that may have been officers that were paid by the
merchants of the Boulevard.
Some of the officers, who worked with Eanes were John Grogan, Bob
Dillion, Grooze Smith, and William Leftridge Vernon.
Grooze
"Grover" Smith was a constable in the early days but later became
the Boulevard officer. John Grogan was an Early Boulevard officer but was
transferred to Draper after the death of Eanes and the Lindsey shooting
incident. Bob "Neighbor Joe" Dillion then took Grogan's place.
1920-1930
It is during this time period that we really see the team effort begin
to emerge that was the bases for the development of law enforcement in the
Tri-City area.
After Eanes' death, officer Vernon was appointed chief deputy and is
remembered even today as "Chief" Vernon. Very few people remember or
knew his first name but simply refer to him as "Chief". Vernon was
originally from Surry County but came here from Helena, Montana. It seems he
took the advice of an earlier writer that said "Go West young man, go
West". After being a sheriff in Montana for a short time, he decided to
return to his home state of North Carolina. It is not exactly clear why he
came to this bustling little textile area, but nevertheless he arrived one day
on the train, with, his horse that he had bought in Montana. He went to work
with the local officers in 1917 and worked very closely with Eanes. His horse
was his early patrol vehicle and some of the older citizens can still tell
tales of chases and arrest he made while astride this magnificent steed. They
recall him sitting tall in the saddle, wearing his broad brim hat and riding
boots. The sound of hoof beat was either welcome or fearful, depending which
side of the law you were on. Much of the time he spent patrolling on foot, as
Eanes did not own a horse. He only rented one when traveling long distances.
It was under Vernon, that a group of men begin to show up in the local
newspapers that were constantly raiding stills, and confiscating liquor. It
was also during his early days as Chief that the news media ran continuing
articles on the declining morals of the community. The Tri-City Gazette ran a
response letter by Chief Grady Dallas to an earlier letter from a citizen in
Spray that accused the officers of being in cahoots with local bootleggers. It
was shortly after this response that Dallas resigned and was replaced by Owen
Rash "Race" Clark as Chief of Police in Leaksville.
Here our report of the Leaksville Police Department and the Leaksville
Township (Spray) Department begin to run together. The names of Clark, Fair,
Dillion, Vernon, and Grogan are mentioned time and time again together in the
newspapers.
George Chatham had left the department earlier and Will Covington fell
victim to the legal system of the State of Virginia. It seems that in March
1921, the department had several warrants for George Bryant for retailing
whiskey. This was the same Bryant that Eanes had do wade in the water to
arrest when he ran into the river trying to escape. Officer Vernon, Covington
and a Revenue officer by the name of Jefferies spotted Bryant coming through
Spray and pursuit began. The chase continued into Henry County, Virginia.
During the encounter there were shots fired at the officers but they were not
sure whether Bryant or someone on the roadside had done the shooting. Bryant
was making his escape good by jumping on the running board of a car belonging
to Buck Clark and ordering him to drive him to safety. Covington stated that
as they neared the Pittsylvania County line Bryant fired at the officers and
the bullet whizzed past their heads. He returned fire but Bryant had
apparently turned back around as the bullet struck him in the back of the
head. Bryant died from the wound and two guns were recovered. The guns had
spent shells in them, corroborating the officer’s statement of earlier shots
being fired. The three officers were arrested by Virginia authorities but were
released on
Virginia government officials were up in arms because the North
Carolina officers had invaded their sovereignty and demanded that justice be
carried out. A prominent local lawyer was hired to defend the officers. This
lawyer was Allen D. Ivie, Sr. Ivie managed to defend successfully and got
charges dropped against Jeffries and Vernon, however, Covington received a
ten-year active jail sentence. Ivie took an appeal and managed to get this
sentence cut to five years, which he promptly appealed. The last sentence
given Covington was two years. Ivie then loaded his young son, A. D. Ivie,
Junior, on the train and went to see the Governor of Virginia. The Governor
could not release the officer without a jail term but, after promising Ivie to
help all he could, he did pardon Covington after the officer pulled six months
of his sentence.
The forming of the Law and Order League, which was established in
1921.This, was an important force in the shaping of the local police
departments. It was through their efforts that the citizens became aware of
the needs of law enforcement.
The
early officers were kept busy with liquor problems as was evidenced not only
by the newspapers but also by the minutes of a meeting by the Spray Civic
Association in 1915. These stated ".... General order of the town had
been about usual up to May, at which time Ridgeway (Virginia) opened a saloon
just south of town, making whiskey available day or night. Heretofore under
the dispensary law it was available only in the day. Drinking has been
increased by one-hundred percent". These same minutes refer to the
establishment of a Juvenile court and probation system.
Confrontations with "Bootleggers" and "Moonshiners"
begin in earnest when in 1917 a bill was passed stopping all legal manufacture
of liquor and in 1920 constitutional prohibition went into effect. This is
documented by news reports of Eanes, Covington, and Chatham capturing liquor
in 1918. Also Eanes, Vernon, and Chatham raiding a still. This raid was one in
which a gun battle ensued resulting in a bullet passing through the coat of
Eanes, the arrest of several moonshiners, and the confiscation of thirty
gallons of whiskey took place in 1920. In 1924 Clark, Vernon, Fair, and
Dillion captured a still with twenty gallons of whiskey and four hundred
gallons of mash. It was during this year that these four officers, along with
Dehart, captured and destroyed at least one other still and caught a car
loaded with liquor.
1924
turned out to be a very eventful year. It was in August that officer Grogan
got his throat cut. Grogan was working the area called Draper at the time. It
happened that the owner of Holland's cafe had called Grogan to report J. E.
Stevens who had been drinking and creating a disturbance. Grogan joined with
his partner, a fairly new officer by the name of Earnest "Johnny"
Powell, and entered the cafe where they arrested Stevens and
W. H. "Slim" Williams. After starting up the street to the calaboose, Williams produced a knife from some mysterious place and cut
an eight to ten inch gash around Grogan's throat across the jugular vein. He
was making a second stab when an individual knocked his hand away and officer
Powell took Grogan's blackjack and knocked Williams down. All this occurred in
front or Doctor Webb's office that had witnessed part of the affair. Webb
carried Grogan inside his office, called for Doctor Dillard and began to sew
the policeman's wound up. The operation required seventeen stitches inside,
but the number on the outside is not remembered. Grogan really never recovered
from this experience and died just a couple of years later.
The twenties gave rise to the transportation of bootleg by
car and the purchase of them by the officers to keep up with the
speedier mode of travel by criminals. The streets and roads in and around the
Leaksville Township were the scene of many a chase by local police,
constables, and "revenoors" (Revenue agents) as they pursued these
flaunters of the law. 1925 news media reveled that this team of officers
captured at least five cars that year. However, fervency could be contributed
to the factor that the officers received twenty-five percent of the value of
the car if it was returned to the owner or finance company, or if it was
auctioned.
1925 was also the year that officer Howard Fair became a hero in the
community. Fair was sitting in the police office at the Mercantile Building
when the wife of the town's beloved
Reverend
Gordon parked her car across the canal at Mr. Mebane's office. Mrs. Gordon
left her two small children, Laura, four, and Elizabeth, one and a half years
old, in the car with the motor running. Somehow the brakes loosened and the
vehicle began to roll back toward the canal that ran in front of the
Mercantile building. Fair, looking out of the window saw this and ran out onto
the steel ramp that lead from the second floor, on which the police office was
located, and jumped over the railing into the chilly water. He did not stop to
think that he could not swim nor that the water was eight feet deep and that
it was wintertime. He hit the water about the same time as the car. The
vehicle turned partially over and the children were thrown clear.
Catching hold of the part of the car that was unsubmerged, Fair grabbed
the older child. The younger child had a firm hold on her sister and Fair
lifted them clear of the water. Monroe Fields was nearby and saw what had
happened. He came running with a plank, which he placed on the bank and the
overturned car and Fair and the children were on the bank before Mrs. Gordon
knew the accident had happened. When questioned about the brave deed, Fair
modestly said, that "it was nothing that any real man would not have
done". It was after this heroic rescue that the Rotary Club honored the
officers for the services they had rendered to the community. It was also at
this time that a photo was made that is still displayed by many descendants
and by those that remember them. Individual photos were also made and can be
found many homes today. Many have been hand painted. There were seven men in
the group photo. They were: Chief W. L. Vernon; John Grogan; Howard Fair; Bob
Dillion; "Race" Clark; Harry Dehart; and Nester Smith. Not
photographed with the group but in an individual picture was Earnest Powe
It was during these years that an occurrence took place that almost
stopped short the career of Charlie Poole. A noted local banjo player, Charlie
has come back into prominence during today's revival of "Blue Grass"
music. Poole and his friends decided to play a little music and, as the story
goes, he may have accompanied it with a little liquor and female
companionship. As fate would have it, someone complained about the
"goings on", and Officer Dehart came to quiet them down. Dehart
arrived, and told Poole that he was under arrest, to which Poole replied,
"Under arrest, hell," and knocked out the light. A struggle ensued
in the dark and as Dehart began to lose the battle, he pulled his pistol and
placed it in what he thought was Poole's ear. As it turned out, the barrel was
in Charlie's mouth and as he drew back the gun went off with the bullet
searing his lip. Needless to say, this brought a halt to any further
resistance. Charlie escaped and fled to the mountains. He came back later and
had the warrant served on him.
1925 news reports show many of Clark's deeds as Chief of Police in
Leaksville, as well as with the officers of the township. But 1926 seems to
have been a lean year for excitement that made front-page news. However, the
court records continued to show that the officers we working to provide
enforcement for the community .
In 1927
the officers began to make headlines again, with Clark and Dillion catching a
booze car. It was during this year that the funniest a one of the more serious
situations took place.
The funniest event happened to Clark in an attempt to arrest a three
hundred pound woman. To properly tell the story with the flower that reporters
used in that day, we quote this article from the Friday, July 15, 1927 issue
of the Leaksville News. "A prize bootlegger was bagged here Tuesday by
officers C. R. Clark and Earnest Mabe. The peddler of the poison was of the
female persuasion and not only colossus in size, weighing 300 pounds, but
could shame any sailor or private in blasphemy and had a voice that would
silence a foghorn. She proved a tartar when an attempt to arrest was made and
Chief Clark had to call on Fireman Mabe for assistance. So great was the
circumference of the Amazon that Mabe couldn't enfold her in one arm so took
both, still he could not get her in the police car. She lay down on the street
and the officers went into consultation as to ways and means. Mabe finally
solved the engineering problem. He forced her hands up to Clark in the car and
with one pulling and the other pushing the drunken, howling swearing female
animal of the genus homo was heaved aboard and taken to jail." This
report is but one of hundreds of the type that officers have experienced that
the public never hears about.
The serious situation came about when Fair was charged with maltreating
a prisoner or what is commonly called today, police brutality. Fair had
arrested Jesse Edwards for drunk and disorderly conduct. Edwards, known as
somewhat of a scrapper, is said to have resisted arrest and Fair hit him in
the head with his pistol. This cut a large wound in Edward's scalp. Then Fair
dragged him to the calaboose, lacerating his legs where they came in contact
with the street.
The case came to trial with Barney Walker defending Fair; with P. W.
Glidewell of Reidsville acting as prosecutor, and the prominent young lawyer
Harry Fagge sitting on the bench as judge.
The trial
stirred a great deal of interest and bitterness. Friends of Fair say the
bitterness came from the bootleggers and their friends and that "Edwards
had got no more than any drunken offender would get if they resisted
arrest." Judge Fagge found Fair not guilty. A delegation of 117
approached Sheriff "Lit" Gardner that night and asked for Fair to be
fired. He responded by asking for Fair's resignation, which he got.
Fair left Spray and became an officer in Thomasville, N. C. for a short
time, returning later to become Chief of Police of this same department, but
that is another story and will be covered when the period is recounted.
Before leaving this time period, we should mention Bob "Neighbor
Joe" Dillion. Dillion is remembered as "The" Boulevard officer.
He went to work in the early days under Hardin Eanes. He
and
John Grogan lived across the street from each other and worked the Boulevard
area together. He also worked it with Grooze Smith. Along with the many liquor
raids he made with other officers in Spray, he kept the Boulevard clear of
troublemakers. Many citizens recall "Neighbor Joe" telling them,
when they were teenagers, that if they wanted to play to go to the park or
that, after coming out of the movie house, it was time to go home and not be
hanging around the Boulevard. Many a rebellious child got carried home and
many a parent got "chewed out" for not exercising better control
over their offspring.
This well thought of officer died in 1934 while attending an auction at
the old Patterson place in Leaksville. It was this Patterson place that a
street was named for that is in the Leaksville section of Eden today. Many
photos still exist today in the homes of those who remember him.
It was in 1927 that Bob Dillion and Chief Vernon cleared the Heiner's
Store break-in. Heiner's was a merchandise store located on the Boulevard.
Vernon and Dillion proved to be real sleuths when they tracked the vehicle
used in the robbery all the way to Kings
Mill Road near Sam Martin's house and found some of the goods wrapped in
quilts in the nearby woods. It seems that the car had only one chain on the
rear tire and left a distinctive track. The other suspect, Luke Redman, had
been befriended by Mr. Heiner just a week before the robbery. Redman had
appeared at Heiner's Store and begged him to sell him a pair of shoes on
payments, offering one dollar down. Heiner noted the down-and-out appearance
of the man and refused the dollar and gave him a pair of shoes. The day after
the robbery, Redman bought a second-hand car from Herman Easily and gave him
the first payment which consisted of a five, a ten and twenty-five cent
pieces. It was the large amount of coins that stirred Easley’s curiosity and
brought about Redman's arrest.
1927 was also the year that the county changed their policy for paying
officers for captured stills. In discussion of the 1926-27 it was discovered
that the county had paid out $1,800.00 to the officers for captured stills,
most of which were "tin tub" type or galvanized metal. These were
considered useless junk and would
not bring much if sold. Furthermore, after capturing 90 stills, only three or
four operators were arrested and convicted. The amount being paid per still
was not less than $5.00 and not more than $20.00. With the perpetrators going
free, this left them free to set up another location. When the law was
originally written, copper was being used to make stills and selling them
would reimburse for some of the costs paid to the officers. In 1927 a bill was
introduced that allowed nothing to be paid for the still unless the operator
was captured and convicted, then would the officer be paid $20.00. The result
was almost twice as many operators were caught and convicted. It was during
this year we see Charles Barnes step into the picture, although related to Robert
and Frank Barnes, who come later, he is the first of the three to figure
prominently in the shaping of local law enforcement. We see his name mentioned
in the news reports with Vernon in recovering the Boy Scouts' hats and with
the Draper officer, Earnest Johnny" Powell.
The year ended on a comical note with the capture of a bootlegger’s
car and 110 gallons of liquor by "Race" Clark and
Bob Dillion. Again, to show the flare and flavor of news reporters of
the day, we quote directly from the Leaksville News of Friday, January 6,
1928. "On Sunday, the 17th day of December, Brother Race Clark and
Brother Bob Dillion were riding around town seeing that all mankind was
keeping the peace, when lo and behold they spied a Hudson touring car that
seemed to be loaded with something that did not meet their approval, and
Brother Bob said to Brother Race 'we had better catch that car at once,' and
Brother Race stepped down on his Hudson and away they started toward
Reidsville. The car
in front decided to go faster and so did Brother Race Clark, and the race
lasted to about two miles this side of Reidsville, when the chased car met two
or three cars and could not pass them and stopped.
The gentleman left the car right away and started toward tall timber
not caring to see Mr. Clark and Mr. Dillion for some unknown reason. The
officers examined the car and found that she contained 110 gallons of liquid
dewdrops of joy, known to so many people about Christmas time. They proceeded
to take the car and to destroy the whiskey, which was poured in the Smith
River at Spray in the presence of a large gathering of people who raised their
hats and sung that old familiar song "How Dry I Am," and
"Good-bye Booze Forever More." ...Judge Fagge ordered that the car
be sold according to law governing captured cars filled with booze."
The year continued to pass quietly with the exception of a few big
arrest, such as the one hundred gallons of booze captured by Clark and Grover
Smith, and in September the resignation of Chief Clark at the request of the
town council. The council was upset with Clarks arrest and police work outside
of the town limits of Leaksville. But who could really blame him, as a
percentage of all booze cars captured was given to the officers, and captured
stills and moonshiners arrested added to that income. These catches were rare
inside the town limits, but plentiful within a mile or two radius outside. For
all the hours the job
demanded these prizes only helped make the salary a little more acceptable.
It should be noted here that, although not remembered by many people,
Clark was given another job by the town, in addition to his police duties.
That was electrical, plumbing and building inspector. The town clerk at this
time was J. W. Norman. These facts may not seem important at this time, but
will show a quirk in history later in this account.
Upon Clarks' leaving, the job was given to R. M. "Moody"
Davis. On October 29, 1929 the second of the Barnes, J. Frank, entered law
enforcement as an assistant to Davis and on December 5th, 1930 G. W. wood was
added. Another officer to join the Leaksville force in the early thirties was
R. H. "Captain" Hundley. Wood had served as a constable, and Hundley
as a deputy before joining the Leaksville police.
This team of Hundley and Wood is evidenced by a recorded raid, in which
these two, along with officer Chatham and the colorful officer from Draper,
known as Henry L. "Pistol Pete" Stuart, captured 32 pints of liquor.
This occurrence took place in July of 1929 in the Spray area.
"Pistol
Pete" was well known to the Draper citizens and many still recall that,
as teenagers, when they saw "Pistol" coming they would dive in the
bushes or head for tall timber before he had a chance to find something to
arrest them for. Many still
remember his fervor in stopping poker playing and gambling. In fact, one
person tells of the day that he and his buddy decided to play some poker and
to keep from being caught by "Pete" they chose a big oak tree in the
middle of a wooded area to meet. Each came in from a different direction,
making sure not to be followed. They
sat under the tree, dealt the cards and had just laid out their money, when
"Pete" dropped out of the tree and arrested them both.
His fervor for arresting bootleggers is just as well known.
One particular tale recounted of his exploits is of the time he spent
four days under a house living off of Irish potatoes that
had been stored for the winter. His
patience paid off and the booty and moonshiners were captured.
"Pete" got his nickname for the two pistols that he donned
when he got the job of police officer.
Heretofore the officers only wore one pistol visible, although many
carried a second in their pocket or concealed on their person.
The name also came from his adeptness for using his weapon.
Although he did use it instead of a blackjack occasionally, it was not
this but rather, his method of shooting dogs that earned him the name.
Before judging him to harshly, the times and situation should be
explained. It was during this
time period that hydrophobia began to spread, carried by stray dogs in the
community. Several people were
bitten and died as a result. To
combat this problem, the Spray Civic Association and the Rockingham County
Health Department passed ordinances allowing the officers to destroy strays.
The officers were still purchasing their own personal
cars for police duty and much of the time their patrolling was done on
foot. It was these factors that
brought about the poem about "Pete" that was chanted by the Draper
youths and is still remembered today. The poem goes; "PISTOL PETE WITH
HIS DIRTY FEET, KILLS EVERY DOG THAT HE SEES IN THE STREET!"
October of 1928 was the month of one of the most tragic events in the
history of the community, and in the career of Chief Vernon. A car was stolen
from Jones Motor Company by John McIver and Summerfield Martin. Mr. Claude
Jones was one of the area's most well thought of citizens, and owner of a very
prosperous business on the Boulevard. Martin
was an escapee from Forsyth County Jail, and had surrendered to local
officers. He was serving time on
the road gang with McIver and Rance Elledge
when they escaped from the convict camp.
McIver was serving time for car theft and store breaking.
Mr. Jones and Chief Vernon had gone to Chattanooga, Tennessee to drive
back a Ford sedan that had been stolen by Martin and McIver.
The Tennessee authorities were holding the prisoners for the local
officer. Mr. Jones had agreed to
bring the prisoners back in his car. Other
officers had volunteered to go with Vernon, but due to the need of having
officers on duty here, and the limited finances, he had decided to go alone.
All went well, until they were near Yadkinville, where the prisoners
attacked Vernon and Jones.
The prisoners were handcuffed in the rear seat with Vernon.
One asked to see the road map, which Mr. Jones had in his pocket.
As he slowed down, to get the map, one of the prisoners drew a knife on
the officer and the struggle began. Both
of the prisoners got into the fight as Jones was stopping the car.
One of the prisoners tried to get the Chief's pistol and Vernon tried
keeping it away by passing it to Jones. The
prisoners grabbed the gun about the same time as Mr. Jones did.
In the scuffle Jones was shot in the stomach, with the prisoner gaining possession of the weapon. The
gun was then turned on the officer and he was forced to unlock the handcuffs. The Chief then had to remove the injured man from the car,
and the prisoners drove away with the car, the gun, and the knife.
A passing motorist took the injured man and the Chief to the Baptist
Hospital in Winston-Salem where he filed his report with the local police. The
car was located again in Knoxville, Tennessee after deputies chased and
stopped it by shooting out the back tires. The driver leaped from the vehicle
and disappeared. The car had
damage to the right front fender and the spare tire, as if it had been
wrecked.
Mr. Jones died from the wound at the age of forty-two.
His funeral was well attended by those of the community.
John McIver was captured in Forest City, Mississippi.
Summerfield Martin was also arrested in Mississippi, but escaped again
after being wounded by the Mississippi Lawmen.
He escaped into the swamp and was never seen again. McIver, however was
tried and sentenced to thirty years. He escaped in August 1930.
Before the year ended another controversial occurrence took place.
The courtroom was moved from Spray to the new Realty Building in
Leaksville. This aroused the competitive feeling of the people in Spray, who
circulated a petition demanding that the courtroom be returned to its'
traditional location.
January
1929 Leaksville News printed an article that, today, leaves us with an
unanswered mystery. Chief Vernon went to the residence of Walter Massey to
serve a warrant for breaking into Hubbard and Jones' store.
When Massey’s wife attempted to open the door, Massey shot her and
emptied his revolver point blank at the officer.
Massey’s wife was sent to the hospital, but Vernon arrested Massey
without receiving so much as a scratch.
1929, being a pre-election year, was the time that bitter feelings and
opposition toward the officers began to surface.
A public statement made by a Boulevard merchant after a burglary of
Pyrons’ Jewelry evidences this. It seems there was a ring of thieves, who
were hitting the merchants on the Boulevard on a regular basis.
It was after their raid on Pyrons', and the demolition of the stores'
interior that one of the merchants made the accusation; If there was suspicion
that a gallon of booze was hid out, the police would be on the scent till
found, but thousands of dollars worth of goods are burglarized here every year
and the police fear to make arrest of local boys under suspicion.
Whether this criticism was unfair, or even whether it stirred action is
unknown, but Vernon and his assistants cleared the Pyron case the next day.
Chief Vernon’s handling of the Claude Jones case contributed to public
dissatisfaction with the officer, as many felt that he could have prevented
Jones' death.
The nation's dissatisfaction with the Republican Party and the county
citizens dissatisfaction with a Republican Sheriff brought about a clean sweep
in the November 1930 elections, with the Democrats winning almost every
office. The new Sheriff was L.M.
Sheffield, who was the Leaksville tax collector.
One of Sheffield’s
promises was to provide the community with a new police department, which he
fulfilled. He replaced all of the
officers except Willie Jim Robertson, who had been serving in special duty as
pay roll guard for Marshall Field and Company along with his duties as police
officer. When the new department
was formed, he not only stayed on, but became its' new Chief.
Vernons' name was last mentioned in print, as an officer, in September
of 1930. He ran later as an
unsuccessful Republican candidate for Constable. Marshall Field, grateful for
Vernon's services and recognizing his abilities, retained him as a security
officer until his death in 1950.
1930 -1940
1930 began a decade of change for local law enforcement.
After the election of Sheffield as the new Sheriff, he immediately
swore in new officers. Charlie
Hunter, Tom Meeks, Lacy Cook, and Arthur Fagge who took care of the Leaksville-Spray
area, B.J. "Peg" Carter and Frank Barnes assigned to the Draper
area. Jim Robertson was appointed as the new Chief (Deputy).
A special officer, by the name of John Smith, was used at the county
fair; he promptly resigned after a fracas took place in his presence that he
could not control. The news reported Smith's attempt to stop an "all
around, free handed, catch-as-catch can, knock-down and drag-out melee."
A fight had broken out between Clyde Weaver, Bonnie Martin, and Will
Frazier, who came to Martin's aid. Martin
grabbed a stick from someone, who turned out to be officer Smith, and began to
frail everybody within reach. Smith
told the court at the trial, "I don't think I am cut out to be a
policeman." It was too bewildering when bottles and fist were flying.
He intimated that when toughs could take away his only means of
defense, it was time to "go away from there."
The October 1,1931 Leaksville News reported on the capture of a still
and relates that this case is the first of its' kind for some time.
Whether the use of illegal stills had become
unpopular or this new department was proving their adeptness as officers is not explained.
However, the first mention of a plain- clothes officer used by the
department is recorded. The
account goes: The first case to be tried in a long time for real old fashioned
stilling was heard in Recorders Court last Friday with R.H. Pulliam and
Branston Hubbard playing the role of defendant stillers.
