HE KILLED JIM CROW CHILES.
Because of That Independence Is
Grateful to Judge Peacock.
Police Judge Peacock of Independence has been given an increase in salary of $100 a year. He is now in his 83rd year. No one runs against him, out of consideration of service rendered the town.
In 1876, while marshal of the city, he killed Jim Crow Chiles, whose revolver handle had many notches.
Chiles was a terror and generally cleared the square when he sought to do so. Merchants and business men, especially negroes, were afraid of him, for he would shoot them down without provocation. Chiles started out to kill Peacock and the battle ensued which resulted in the wounding of Peacock and the death of Jim Crow. The body was taken to the Morgan house, but even in death the negroes were afraid of him.
While it would be impossible for a man like Chiles to terrorize a town at the present age, yet in 1876 Independence was recovering from the civil war and killings were frequent and Jim Crow kept up his share of it and often worked overtime. Grateful people watched at Peacock's bedside until he recovered, but when he got out of bed Jim Crow's .44 bullet was still in his back and is there yet. The doctors said that it would cost him his life, perhaps, to have it cut out so the venerable man walks with a cane and goes to the police court every day to temper justice with mercy.
Both parties place Peacock in nomination and it is generally conceded that he will be police judge as long as he desires to fill the place, as no one can be found to make the race against him and neither party will nominate any one to displace the old gentleman who delivered the town from its "bad man."
