THE TEXAS SHERIFF: LORD OF THE COUNTY LINE.
Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000. xiv, 253pp. Index. Bibliography. Notes. Photographs. First edition, first printing. Very fine copy in an equally nice dust jacket. The author takes an insightful look at Texas law enforcement during the decades before 1960. During this period, citizens expected their sheriff to uphold local customs as well as state law. He had to help constituents with personal problems which often had little or nothing to do with law enforcement. It is an exploration of the dual nature of county sheriff, demonstrating their far-reaching power to both do good and abuse the law. An example is Sheriff Akins of Panola County who often gave local farmers advance notice of bank foreclosures. But this same sheriff would squirt lighter fluid on the feet of transients and set fire to them to encourage them “to move on.” This anecdotal examination is based on extensive interviews with more than thirty retired sheriffs as well as other primary sources.