Page 186 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

182 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
Government gave up the chase, and sent agents into the Miners1
Country to collect a certain per cent. on all lead dug ad
emelted.
In 1820, I was appointed sheriff of Brown County under the
following circumstances: The Unitcd Statcs' court was held at
Green Bay, in a log shanty; the grand jury holding their
deliberations in the same room. 'There was then no trouble of
seeking a private room; everything was done openly and above
board. GEORGE JOHNSON was the first sheriff; but when
ROBERT IRWIN, represented Brown county in the Terri-
Jr.,
torial Legislature of Michigan, he procured the appointment of
his father, ROBERT IRWIN, Sen., as sheriff in place of JOHW-
SON. IRWIN twenty (lays, according to law, after receiving
had
his appointment, in which to qual~fy; but a few days after the
arrival of his appointment, a man by the name of HEMPSTEAD
was to be hung for murder, and Maj. IRWIN refused to qualify
before the culprit was executed, as he did not wish to signalize
his advent into office by hanging a fellow-being. JOIINSOW
refused to serve in this case, for he had been sheriff a number
of years, and had not beforo been called on to execute a man
for a capital offence, and he declared that his last act should not
be one of that character. Thus mas Judge DOTY left without
a sheriff to execute the sentences of the court. I was, at this
period, residing at Grand I<akalin, and received a message
from Judge DOTY, desiring my immediate presence at Green
Bay, as he had no sheriff, and was empowered to fill any
vacancy, and wished me to accept of it. I acc~rdingly
repaired to Green Bay, received my appointment, gave bail,
and qualified, before the middle of the day, and led the pris-
oner to the scaffold at 1 o'clock, P. h1.
Brown county was then very large, embracing the whole
region from the Illinois State line to Mackinaw, and west rn
far as the center of the portage of the Fox and Wisconsin
rivers; Crawford county embracing all the country north and
west of the portage to the Mississippi, including most of the
Lead Region. I held the office of sheriff under Judge DOTY'E