Document text
Sept. 23, 1939
F. L. Alley, Deputy Sheriff
Catawba, N. C.
Ethel Deal, writer
Dudley W. Crawford, Reviser
Original Names: Changed Names:
F. L. Alley G. F. Aiken
Weaverville College lamer college
North Newton North Bakerton
Asheville Ashton
Aside from the static on the radio, the sheriff's
office was quiet. With his feet on the window sill,
deputy Sheriff George Aiken was leisurely smoking a cigar
and looking through the window at the **reaching jay birds
in the giant oaks on the court house lawn.
"What station do you get all that beautiful static
from?" I asked, and his feet came to the floor with a
resounding phlop, as he removed his big black hat with
one hand and the half -smoked eigar with the other.
"Hello, I didn't realise that thing was making such
a terrible noise, have a seat."
"Not if you are busy," I replied. "But I did want
that story you promised."
"Do I look busy, I was Just day -dreaming; go on
a vacation next week. I was Just thinking about the
good times I'm going to have up in the mountains. Every-
body is so busy in their crops at this season there's
nothing much for a doputy to do. Seems they all let up
on their meanness about this time ogyear. But they'll
be trying their hand at making brandy Just as soon as
the crops are gathered. You know, I think I've got a
solution for this crime problem; don't know whether any-
body's ever thought of it before or not, but if we could
keep all olthem interested and busy at something worth
'while we wouldn't have any crime.
"As for that story, I ain't got nothing to tell.
Avit grade did I go to in sohool: Good Lord, woman, I'm
forty-five years old; they didn't have grades when I
went to public school. I went as far as I could and
then my dad sent me to Warner college, aesort of prep
school, I reckon you'd call it now, over near Ashton.
He wanted me to go on through college, but I reckon I
was just too dumb to see it that way. I got a notion
I wanted to go to work."
Just then a timid little woman entered and aaked
for the Sheriff. Deputy Aiken told her the Sheriff
was out of town and offered his services. Some one had
given her a worthless check and her grooeryman was hold-
ing her responsible, she was terribly perturbed. The
deputy made a note sod assured her he would speak to
the man and see if he would make it good. As she left
the off too another small woman entered and hesitatingly
asked to speak to him privately. They went into an ante-
room and her shrill, high-pitched voice was clearly
heard through the open transom, as she recounted a piti-
ful story of being beaten by a drunken husband.
have to get a warrant," the deputy was heard to say.
"1 couldn't do that" the creature replied. "Then
I'd get best u? eure enough. she emerged from the
room nervously twisting a dirty, tear..soaked handker-
ohief, the picture or despair.
"A heriff has sure got his troubles' the deputy
sighed as he resumed his seat and rem:122*d for the tele-
phone, which had been ringing for some time. "George
Aiken speaking. Yes, we'll be glad to do what we can.
"That was a woman calling. Her husband works in
the silk mill and makes good money, and she says he's
spending it all on another woman. We have a lot of
trouble with folks like them. But this woman's as
Jealous as the dickens. He's a bootlegger and Just works
in the mill as a side -line. 'Course, he mixes a lot with
other women has to in a business like his. You know,
the women handle and drink about as mmoh 'Laker as the
men, nowadays. New, we can't catch him; searched
the place time and again, but he's just too slick for
us. sometimes we find some licker, most times we don't.
Three of us went out there Friday night and watched for
hours. We WAS hiding behind the hedge and could see
the oars coming and going, but we couldn't figure where
the 'Joker was. Finally t saw some one go into a small
basement under the house we didn't know was there.
141.
"I slipped up close to the little door and saw
him make the sale. They had a fin. pleas to keep it,
and when we searched the place we got eight gallons of
"sugar head". (whiskey made of sugar and sorn meal.)
It was hid behind a panel built in the basement wall."
The telephone rang again. "Sure, we'll look into it
right away, good bye. That was a fellow out in North
Bakorton, nays some of his neighbors are selling lickor
and he don't approve. Well, I sold goods for a while,
but 1 didn't like it much. It was too dull. We never
had anything more exciting than listening to Mrs. Smith
tell about her family troubles while we sold her a bill
of groceries, which could have been done much quicker
if she didn't talk so muoh. But here you never know
what's coming up next. Any minute I may got cell to
investigate a oar wreck, suicide or murder. Thin there's
the women who calls to Qom got hubby who's celebrating
over the week -end. We have more trouble with the week-
end drinkers than wo do the man who drinks continually.
You see a woman gets used to it and expects nothing
better when her husband keeps it up, and she does very
little about it. But when a man first starts drinking
a woman thinks she onn break him, and she uses every
method she knows, none of them ever works. Having him
arrilistod and brought into court proves offootive some-
times, and again it makes him worse.
We've got a case now that. giving us trouble. The
man drinks continually, has been doing it for vitro. His
wife works and makes the living* Back in the spring I
got a call one day about on. o'clock to come out and get
him. Two of um went. You never know what to expect
when you get a call like that. We pushed back the screen,
stepped into the kitchen. The man's wife stood leaning
against the door facing. Her son, a grown young men,
supported her with one arm. 114 held a glass to her lips.
I &skald what was wrong and the boy said it was a heart
attack. Inside the dining room door sat the man. His
head sunk on his chest, drunk. Thera was a stream of
tobacco juice from his chair to the fire place. In one
corner of the room was a lovely old cabinet. The glass
doors lay shattered on the floor. The man mover spoke.
we told him to come get in the oar, Ye started with the
woman to a doctor. She only spoke once. 'Please do soma
thing', be said, nnol died. Theta been six months ago.
welvo had the man up time and again and it don't have a
bit of effect on him. U. leads his family a terrible life:
6
Always on a drunk. They're fine people and ashamed of
the way he does, therefore, he gets by with it, and
they have to suffer.
Another interesting thing is oourt. I have to
be present to hold the Bible for the witnesses to kiss.
See that the prisoners got safely back and forth from
the jail. Itm a very busy man in the court room. Civil
Court is so dry I get bored to death, but Criminal Court
in interesting. A Deputy is so busy looking after other
folks troubles he has no time to worry about his own.
One thing 1 don't do is worry. Yes, I et a fair salary,
and then I hare a farm near town. Got a good house on
it and they are all paid for. Got a wife and a couple
of kids, one of them just staring to high school. No,
we ain't laid anything up much, but I carry a eood life
insurance; Inough to take oare of everything if anything
happens to me. No, I don't carry acoident insurance;
too high for anybody in this business. But the insurance
company needn't be so leery about me, t don't take any
chances."