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Chase County Kansas Historical Sketches

1863 - 2003 



Children of the Sheriff's

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ARE FROM THE CHILDREN OF SHERIFF'S WHO LIVED IN THE COURTHOUSE

William Norton: 1874 - 1878:

When my father was sheriff of Chase County, my mother fed the prisoners. One man would al- ways say: "Don't be afraid Mrs. Norton I would not harm you for anything." She would slide the food tray under the window that had steel bars on it.

My father had to take his prisoners by way of horseback. One very mean colored man hid in a well and refused to come up. My father persuaded him by saying o.k. I will have to drop this big rock down on you. So he came right out and father took him to the jail with handcuffs. Father was not a fearful man any place.

Written by: Grace (Norton) Beedle, Daughter


JAMES GLOYD 1902-1906

Blanche is the daughter of Sheriff James Gloyd, she was in High School when he was sheriff, then taught school. I'm quite sure Jim was living around Hymer when elected to office.

Written by: Blanche Coate, Daughter


W.K. MYERS 1901-1911

My father, W.K. Myers was elected sheriff in 1906 and the next January we moved into the courthouse from a farm east of Matfield Green.

I finished grade school and four years of high school while living in Cottonwood Falls. The courthouse was a different looking building, on the inside, than now, 1972. Each office had a coal stove for heating and the janitor carried the coal up the steps from the basement. The sheriff's quarters, the courtroom, and the jail were heated from a furnace in our kitchen, with steam radiators. No air conditioners were used, just open the windows and let the good old Kansas breeze blow through.

The floors through the building were of four inch flooring boards and each year the janitor would oil them with black oil. There was no city water system but we used cistern water, the cistern located just south of the building. The streets were dirt and lined with hitching posts.

In 1908, gas from Elmdale gas wells, was piped to the town. I enjoyed helping in the county Superintendent's office, Anna Arnold held that office.

I also did proof reading for Mrs. Goodreau, the Register of Deeds, all posting in the books was done in long hand. One telephone served all offices, located in the Co. Clerk's office. The sheriff, of course, had a phone.

One of my sister's was born in the courthouse, in 1907, Mrs. Mable Sperman, now in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Her nurse was from England, some relation to the Glanvilles. In 1908 we attended my brother's wedding. His bride was Martha Thurston. They were married in her home west of Elmdale. That was my first ride in an automobile.

My father was probably the last sheriff who drove horses to subpoena witnesses and jurors, or any business pertaining to that office. He kept a record of the number of miles he drove and was paid by the mile. One day he drove 86 miles, that was a long day.

Written by: Olive Myers Peyer, Daughter

W.F. ROCKWOOD 1911 - 1915

They had one son Ed, and one daughter, Mary. the children are both deceased. His wife continued living in Cottonwood Falls after he passed away. She boarded high school students.


JUNE B. SMITH 1915 -1919

Four years in the sheriff's quarters while June B. Smith served as sheriff . . . adequate room for our family of four, although not too many conveniences - before the days of indoor plumbing - living room and bedrooms on the first floor - kitchen in the basement . . . no recollection of any hardened criminals, but always conscious of the jail above, many times empty and very few times with more than two or three occupants . . . the three meats a day prepared by our mother, with a meal allowance of $1.00 per day per man.

The lovely pansy beds on either side of the Court House front steps, planted and tended by the custodian, Mr. Owen Jones.

Written by: Isabel Smith, Daughter


CHARLES JACOB'S 1923-1927

(This was what was told to me)
Both girls spent their time playing in the cedar trees because their mother wouldn't let them roam the streets, and Hazel fell from the top of the steps to the bottom in the courthouse.

Written by: Mrs. Hazel Hill, Mrs. Grace Dawson, Daughters


O.E. BURTON 1927 -1931

I have experienced the sound of the cold iron door closing behind you. When my father, O.E. Burton, was sheriff of Chase County, Edlin Fink challenged him to put us in jail. There was no one in jail at the time. We were quickly in the grasp of the strong hands of my father and led to jail.

After the door was securely locked behind us, my father was called out of the office. Supper time rolled around and my mother was wondering what had happened to me, as I always made it a point to be around at meal time. It was then that my father remembered where Edlin and I were. We were seven years old at the time.

That was the first and last experience I had of being in jail.

Written by: Albert J. Burton, Son


ARTHUR (PETE) DEERING 1931 -1935

My dad, known as 'Pete' Arthur K. Deering took office in Jan. 1931. Three months after he took office there was the Knute Hockne crash, a few miles south of Cottonwood Falls, near Bazaar, Ks. There were eight in the airplane crash who were in a Tri Motor Falker plane. My father and several others had to pick up the remains in bushel baskets and gunny sacks. What a horrible tradgedy. To younger folks Knute was probably the greatest of all American football coaches. He served as head football coach at Notre Dame University.


J.V. GILMORE 1943 -1947

Hi there --Been a heck of a long time since I have seen you, and sure wish that I could make the Alumni shindig; however, at the moment we are just too darn involved in weddings, and other commitments that it is just not possible.

I have been reading about the Chase County Courthouse centennial and was very pleased to receive your letter requesting a picture of Daddy, etc. It had been a long time since I had to dig down into my pictures of the "olden days" and we spent a very pleasurable evening going through them. I found several; however, the one enclosed I think would be more appropriate. This picture must have been taken sometime during the fall of 1944 -- that is Dad's old 1935 plymouth coupe in the background and it was taken on the east side of the courthouse right in front of the steps that lead into the living quarters.

I always enjoyed living in the courthouse and have many, many memories; however, perhaps my most memorable one was the activities that took place on the day they announced the end of the war in Europe -- don't know if you participated or not, but we all ran up the stairs to the loft and rang the bell for nearly two hours, then did a snake dance down the middle of main street.

Another incident that same day that I remember distinctly is that a prisoner was in one of the cells upstairs -- he had been on another one of his "drunks" -- and we carted beer up to him so he wouldn't miss out on all the fun. Of course that is a remembrance that would be a little difficult to publish in a book -- ha ha! Hope this picture will be satisfactory. The one I had was very small and old, so I took it to the Photo Lab here at Boeing and they made me a negative and this photo positive -- it can be used in any size and any printer can make a half-tone from this to be used for publication. This one you may keep as they made me another one just like it.

Written by: Burdette (Gilmore) Waddell, Daughter


GEORGE GUTSCH 1947 -1951

The things that I remember while living in the Chase County courthouse while my father George W. Gutsch was sheriff. I know that there was a lot going on in the county at times. The reason for this was because of the flood and the extensive repair that the Santa Fe Railroad had to do their tracks. This meant that at times there were over a thousand migrant workers in the county at one time, from all different countries.

These were difficult to handle because of language barrier, lack of a place for them to spend their free time, so consequently on payday and holidays there were numerous disturbances to be taken care of. This type of work also brought many undesirables who were hiding from the law. He had many different types of men in the jail while he was sheriff, there were the "no goods" with no schooling and the highly intelligent, among this class there was the one that liked to do crossword puzzles and made a crossword puzzle using my Dad's name, the county, the city and numerous other things about the county. This was just an example as to the type of people he had to work with.

The greatest tribute that l think can be paid to him for his work as sheriff has been told to me many years later by people who are ten and fifteen years younger than me, that I have met away from Chase County and have asked me who I was when they ran into me. When I have told them I have some of them tell me how my Dad changed their lives by talking to them when they were growing up and giving them a chance when they needed help. His contributions and help to the young people growing up at that time is the most important thing he did as Sheriff.

Written by: Georgia I. Hayes, Daughter


GEORGE L. SHAW 1951 - 1955

George's first term started in 1950 when he was 36 years old, not having had any experience in police work, he so badly wanted to take some kind of a course in it. So, he and I went to Topeka and spent about 3 days... stayed in the hotel and Lou Richter, head of the KBI and his staff gave him probably the fastest course ever heard tell of in police work and law enforcement. George went to Lou's office at the State Capital every day and really crammed his head and a notebook.

During his four years service in Chase County as sheriff... he experienced, I think every type of accidental deaths ...... the drownings during the floods; fire, bodies in crashed airplanes, car wrecks train wrecks, gun fire, etc. It seemed like a weekly occurrence that he picked up runaways from Boy's School in Topeka and several manhunts and car chases for various reasons.

Just living in the Courthouse was quite a unique experience. The jail being right over our living quarter.... I carried many of the meals to our prisoners myself. Guess I must have fed them like guests in our home, rather than prisoners. A local man living by himself came knocking at my door one day after he'd been released from our jail, asking if he could get his meals at my place and for what price. He was sure they would be as cheap as any place and much tastier. Ha! Mrs. George (Berniece) Shaw (wife)

What my sister, Sandra, and I remember most about Dad being Sheriff was being very proud of him for helping people. We used to love to sit and listen to him tell stories about wild car chases and manhunts he went on. Of course living in the Courthouse was an experience in itself. Because the living quarters were right under the jail, we could hear prisoners pace the floor at all hours. Also it was fun to take our girlfriends up to the jail to show it to them, then sneak out the door and lock them in.

We also used to take our friends to the top floor and look out the big porthole window just below the clock of the Courthouse. We could see for miles. Especially at flood time we could see how badly the water was covering Strong City. It was certainly an experience we children shall never forget.

Janice (Shaw) McGie (daughter)


CHARLES ARMAGOST 1959 -1963

Greg and I cannot remember too many things about the four years our dad, Charles Armagost, was sheriff, as I was only 51/2 years old and Greg was only 2 1/2 years old when he went into office in January, 1969. 1 do remember the day we moved as it was snowing.

Our two little sisters were born while dad was Sheriff. Lynn was born June 15, 1960 and Lisa was born November 5, 1962.

Written by: Ron and Greg Armagost, Sons



Chase County Centennial, 1872 - 1972




Chase County Submitted Historical Sketches
compiled and abstracted from the Chase County Courant, Chase County Leader, other sources and newspapers
by Lorna Marvin
Please submit your historical sketches.


Return to Chase County Submitted Historical Sketches


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