Two Sheriff Commodore Perry Gibson Sheriff 1891-1892 1891 February 7th: Three months after being elected sheriff, C.P. Gibson was feeding his prisoners the evening meal accused murderer Billy Sprague stuck a pistol in his face and ordered him to unlock his cell door. It was later believed that he had procured the gun from a female visitor. The 36-year-old former tobacco farmer did as he was told. Sprague was not kidding, he would kill him. Sprague was locked up for allegedly killing D. M. Cornelius and facing the death penalty if convicted. In 1889 Sprague and a colleague robbed a man along a river and Sprague then blew his head off with a shotgun. Afterwards, Sprague sank the body in the water and robbed the man’s house of $1,000. By the …show more content…
Dennis was not the type to be cowed by a couple of farmhand drunks. Dennis left the area and went home to retrieve his pistol. He caught back up to the boys as they neared the Ozark fairgrounds. “Look who’s back! I see you come heeled this time deputy. What are you going to do now?” “Ball you and your friends are under arrest for disorderly conduct!” “I told you before, you ain’t arresting no one! No git out of here before I git mad!” Deputy Gilbert produced his gun and upon seeing it, Ball withdrew his pistol and fired three shots at the deputy but missed. Dennis returned fired and struck Ball with a bullet just under the left chest. Ball’s drunken friends tried to help their fallen comrade but it was too late. He lay there dying. When C. P. heard about the shooting, he backed his deputy all the way. But there was nothing he could do to help him. Half the town looked at Dennis as a murderer killing a 20-year-old boy. Sheriff Gibson saw a young rattlesnake avoiding a legal arrest. Either way, the town indicted Deputy Dennis for murder During the trial, the county heard from witness’s and the jury found that Deputy Dennis had acted in self-defense. Ball had resisted arrest twice and then attempted to kill