CHAPTER XXVII.
M. F. MAPLES.
Millard Filmore Maples was born in Sevier county about six miles east of Sevierville in the month of August, 1856. He is forty-two years old and in the prime of life and vigor of manhood. He is a son of G. R. Maples, Sr., a farmer and an old ex-federal soldier. He was born and raised on the farm and trained by his father to that occupation, but farming did not suit his taste very much, and after he had grown up and married, he soon drifted from the farm into other business channels. Mr. Maples has only a common school education, but being bright and intelligent he thoroughly mastered the common school course and acquired what might be called a good business education. In the summer of 1894 he made his first race for sheriff of Sevier county. Maples being naturally of a social disposition and a good mixer, his work for the previous fifteen years had afforded him an excellent opportunity to become well acquainted with the people in all parts of the county. His opponents in this race were G. L. Delozier, who was then sheriff, and Captain E. M. Wynn, who was an ex-sheriff, having served two terms in that capacity. Both of these men were of splendid character and very popular with the people, besides being thoroughly acquainted throughout the county. Three stronger men are seldom pitted against each other. This race occurred at a time when the White-caps were holding high carnival in Sevier county and made themselves felt in elections. Maples took a bold stand against this organization and its practices and asked of them no assistance. This, of course, drove the White-caps from him, but brought to his support most of the anti-White-cap leaders. It was also understood that Maples would appoint one democrat as a deputy, and this brought him the full democratic vote. While Captain Wynn was not believed to be a White-cap, but on the contrary a quiet and law abiding citizen, yet for some reason the White-cap element as a rule was supposed to be for him, as well as many others who were known not to belong to that order. Delozier’s supporters were men who stood between the two great extremes and consisted of a large number of conservative men of all classes in the county. Maples was elected by a plurality of 147 votes, and inducted into this office the following September. His first term as sheriff was not marked by any special incidents, except so far as the war he and his deputies waged against the White-caps. It was he and his deputies who arrested thirteen at one time, charged with white-capping, and brought them into Sevierville for trial. This was immediately after the battle near Henderson’s Springs between the White-caps and Blue Bills, in which three men were killed and one or two others wounded. Maples has always waged an unrelenting war on the White-caps and was hated by them second to none except Tom Davis, his faithful deputy and anti-White-cap leader. He was a candidate again and re-elected in 1896, thereby receiving the endorsement of the people of the county for an honest and faithful administration of his first term. His opponents in his second race were C. C. Yett and R. H. Shields, the former being a son-in-law of Captain Wynn and a deputy under him when he was sheriff, and the latter being a warm supporter of G. L. Delozier. It is therefore seen that the field was divided much in the same manner as in the former race, and the same issues in a measure entered into it. This time Maples was elected by a plurality of 162 votes. Soon after his second election the Whaley murder occurred. This afforded sheriff Maples and his deputy’s additional reasons for pursuing the White-caps with more zeal than ever, which they did. This murder aroused so much public sentiment against White-capping that sheriff Maples thought that now was the time to strike the death blow. And to that end he and his deputies went to work as never before to drive out this hated organization from the county. So he and his deputies became vigilantes and detectives to hunt down White-cap criminals wherever they might lurk, and especially were they determined to hunt down the Whaley murderers and bring them to justice. What success the have had remains for the public to judge. By the time sheriff Maples term of office expired, white-capping in Sevier county was almost a thing of the past, and many of those found guilty of this offense had been tried and convicted. Sheriff Maples took a leading part in the prosecution of Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton, and on this account incurred the enmity not only of the defendants but of some of their friends and relatives also. This led to an unfortunate difficulty between sheriff Maples and William Wynn, a brother of Pleas, during the March term of circuit court, 1898, in Sevierville, in which Maples shot Wynn, who died in a few hours. Pleas Wynn and Catlett Tipton were being tried for the Whaley murder at this time and William Wynn not liking the interest Maples was taking in the trial both as a witness and an officer, and being somewhat intoxicated, accosted Maples on the street and began cursing and abusing him. Whereupon Maples drew his pistol and shot him, but not until Wynn had threatened to kill him and made an attempt to draw a weapon, as Maples claims. Maples now stands indicted for the killing of Wynn, and insists that he was justifiable in doing it under the circumstances. The case will probably be tried at the next term of the circuit court, at Sevierville, when the public will get the merits of the case as presented by the testimony. It is generally admitted that Wynn sought the meeting between him and Maples and brought on the difficulty, and being a bold, dangerous man, will all militate in Maples favor. When Tom Davis became a candidate for sheriff against Mr. Shields, sheriff Maples, remembering the great services rendered him by Davis while a deputy under him, espoused his cause vey enthusiastically and contributed much by his vast influence to the election of Davis . Maples has always been a strong republican, but in this instance he took the bit in his mouth over the protests of many of his friends and appointed Tom Davis a deputy because of his peculiar fitness for the position. He had no cause to regret this appointment, and when Davis became a candidate for sheriff he could not withhold his support from him, even though a democrat. He felt that it was not inconsistent after having appointed Davis a deputy to give him his support, and right or wrong this is the record he has made. Maples was married when quite young to Miss Julia Lillard, of Cocke county, a quiet, unassuming Christian woman, who made him a cheerful and zealous help meet through all his struggles in life. Mr. and Mrs. Maples have only one child, a daughter, who is now Mrs. W. H. Gass, of Sevierville. |