Georgia:  Decatur County:  Memorial to Sheriff Samuel Wesley Martin
19 May 1927
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From The Bainbridge Post Searchlight
May 19, 1927

Memorial to S.W. Martin

To Honorable J.C. Cale, President of the Decatur County Bar Association:
Your committee appointed to prepare a memorial to our late Sheriff, S.W. 
Martin, beg leave to submit the following:

Samuel Wesley Martin died at his residence on Shotwell Street in 
Bainbridge on the 6th day of May, 1927 after a short illness from 
pneumonia, being survived by his wife, who was Miss Ellie Perkins, and 
three living children, Christine, now Mrs. W.L. Lamb, of Leslie, Ga., and 
two sons, Amos and Cecil Martin, of Bainbridge. Mr Martin was born and 
reared in Decatur County and was a little over forty nine years of age.

Mr. Martin was first elected sheriff of Decatur County in the year 1914, 
and was also sheriff of the City Court of Bainbridge, and was re-elected 
to these offices at each succeeding election, and at the time of his 
death there remained more than eighteen months of his unexpired term. In 
his early years it was Mr. Martin's ambition to be sheriff of his county, 
and preparatory to his training he first became a court bailiff under 
Sheriff Patterson, and then became a deputy sheriff under several 
sheriffs and filled these positions credibly up to the time of his 
election as sheriff.

Mr. Martin was a perfect specimen of health and vitality and physical 
manhood. In addition he was possessed of all the moral and mental 
qualities that attracted and attached to him the many friends and 
supporters he made, chief among these being his courtesy, consideration 
and loyalty to his friends, to his country and to his official duties. In 
pursuing the paths of his official duties he was at all times unswerving, 
although his kindly demeanor stood him in good stead in executing what 
appeared to be the harsh mandates of the county, thus emeliorating to a 
great degree the procedures of the administration of justice through the 
sheriffs office. For it was conceded by all with whom he came in contact 
that Sheriff Martin had a heart in which gentleness, kindness and charity 
were the predominating characteristics, while never avoiding or evading 
the performance of his duty, yet on untold occasions he would extend a 
helping hand and an open purse to those in distress and in need of his 
counsel and assistance. Of these acts he never spoke, for he was a man 
who kept his own counsel.

During all of the time that he was sheriff, Mr. Martin was closely 
associated with the members of the bar of the courts, who were also 
officers of the court, and Sheriff Martin at all times sustained the most 
cordial relations with the lawyers as well as all the judges on the 
bench. He was uniformly considered to be a capable, fearless, honest and 
efficient sheriff; one who knew the duties of his office and who 
performed them without fear, favor or affection. They felt they could 
rely on him to act promptly and intelligently on all official documents 
placed in his hands for attention, and in this reliance they were not 
disappointed. The most friendly relations existed between the lawyers and 
Sheriff Martin, because they all respected his high moral character and 
high sense of honor and his immaculate integrity of which there was never 
a question. He was not only a competent official, but was a man and a 
citizen of a superior type.

One of the most conspicuous services rendered by Sheriff Martin was to 
his country as a member of the local board for Decatur County in 1917 in 
exempting or selecting our boys to serve as soldiers in the world war. 
This was a most tiresome and exacting duty to be performed without 
compensation and extending over a number of months, and by no means a 
pleasant duty, yet he and his board performed the duty fearlessly and 
impartially, regardless of the unpopularity they incurred from decisions 
in some cases.

Sheriff Martin was a member of the Sheriffs and peace officers of georgia 
and was made a vice president of that organization and also chairman of 
their legislative committee. He was interested in the enterprises put on 
foot by the association and through his efforts much needed legislation 
was placed on the statute books. He made extensive acquaintance with the 
sheriffs of georgia and was generally considered one of the best sheriffs 
of the state, thus reflecting credit upon himself and upon his county.

Before his death, Mr. Martin became the owner of a large acreage of farms 
and timbered lands in Decatur and Baker counties on which he was 
operating farms and a turpentine business and also being interested in a 
sawmill enterprise at Bainbridge. He devoted much of his spare time to 
the supervision and direction of these enterprises in his endeavor to 
make them successful.

To the bereaved family of our departed friend, Sheriff Martin, we tender 
our sincerest sympathy and are sure that the members of the family will 
continue to them a large measure of the regard in which they held their 
lamented husband and father.

Respectfully submitted,
R.G. HARTSWELL
JNO. R. WILSON
P.D. RICH