Dear Editor,
Last week’s excellent “S” is for Sheriff's story about Sheriff Howard Sills could easily be the introduction to the book that I believe will eventually be written.
The story captured the essence of Howard: a man of outstanding integrity, ability, courage, dedication, and upholding the law “without regard to social status.”
Putnam County is indeed fortunate to have Howard as our sheriff for the past 26 years. With two more years in his current term, and “he figures he has at least one more term in him,” we thankfully look forward to our continued blessings.
Many of us have one or more people who have mentored us, whether our parents, grandparents, teachers or those who saw our potential. In Howard’s case, there was a local attorney and solicitor (district attorney) named George Lawrence.
For many of us, those people made a huge difference in what we are, versus what we might have been. This was certainly the case with Howard. George Lawrence saw the potential in Howard, bringing him into his family and mentoring him as a son, teaching Howard the law and the respect it deserves.
It is our good fortune that Howard’s dream was to be a sheriff, our sheriff. It likewise is our good fortune that George Lawrence not only mentored Howard, but he was a man of such great ability and courage.
More than once a Georgia governor appointed George as a special prosecutor to handle particularly tough and dangerous criminal prosecutions in our state.
One notable case was in Jackson County in the 1960s. The local district attorney was killed with a car bomb during his investigation into multi-illegal activities.
George convicted the head of the crime ring, a local furniture store owner named A. D. Allen. Allen was sent to prison, where he ultimately died.
For more on this story and the “Dixie Mafia,” listen to the podcast “In The Red Clay” (intheredclaypodcast.com) As I write this on Thanksgiving, I am indeed thankful for both George Lawrence and Howard Sills. Putnam County would not be the same today were it not for George and Howard.
Tom Thompson