Clay County AlArchives News.....Record books stolen from the Clay County Court House  February 23, 1894
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 November 17, 2022, 3:22 pm

People's Party February 23, 1894
On last Friday night the 16th instant, some unknown person or persons entered 
the Circuit Clerk's office and stole nine record books. Several final records, 
two trial and one execution dockets were carried away. The rascal or rascals by 
means of a crowbar, seemingly, forced open the front office door by breaking the 
ketch on lock. There were doubtless more than one, in the business as the 
dockets were very large books, and portions of them found burning nearly a 
quarter of a mile from the courthouse Saturday morning, and there must have been 
several to carry them so far and destroy them. Immediately after the discovery 
of the burning books, Sherief Monroe placed a guard near the place of burning to 
keep anyone away and set for Sylacauga to secure bloods hounds to trace the 
outlaws. He returned Saturday night at 1:30 but rain had begun falling for 
several hours before and so interfered with the hounds that they could not do 
anything on trial had not the rain came the outlaws doubtless would have been 
caught. There is at present no definite clue as to who did the work. It must 
have been some who had a case on the dockets and hoped to get the some off the 
books. But through the active work of Clerk Smith an Mr. J. W. Whatley his 
assistant, new docket was prepared said the court is going on as though nothing 
wrong had happened. Every possible means will be used to locate the low-lived 
outlaw and. bring him or them to justice. The county has sustained a loss of 
near $200 in books besides the cost, if necessary, of re-establishing the 
records.




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