Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1898 — A CLASH OF AUTHORITY. [ARTICLE]

A CLASH OF AUTHORITY.

A warm fight has been engendered at the court house. Dick Wood, a young man having but one leg, who has been employed as fireman at the boiler house for several weeks, was discharged by Sheriff Reed, who installed Morgan, an old soldier drawing a liberal pension from the governor ment, in his stead. Wood was not hired by the sheriff and it is claimed by his friends that the latter has no jurisdiction in the matter of who is employed at tluf heating plant. Commissioner Waymire is said to favor Wood’s retention, Dowell is for Morgan, while ‘‘Honest Abe” is noncommittal. Wood and Morgan have each circulated petitions asking for the position, the former, we understand, having secured over 600 names to his list. Wood’s crippled condition excites much sympathy, and as he does the work in an entirely satisfactory manner, his retention by the commissioners would meet with the wishes of nine-tenths of the taxpayers of the county, so long as it is necessar-y to employ s man for this work Wood, we are informed was put tc work in the plant by Joiner, the court house janitor, on order of the commissioners, and they have never given any orders for his dismissal. Just what the outcome of the fight will be is difficult to determine at this writing.