In recent years historians have incresed their focus of interest on the role of women in American society. Among these have included pioneering acheivements of women in various public positions. For instance, the 1992-1993 edition of the Ohio Almanac lists the first woman office holders in a number of categories. Some like Florence Allen, Frances P. Bolton, and Gertrude Donahey are relatively well-known. However, in one area the almanac missed its mark by at least a half-century, citing Katharine Crumbley of Belmont County, Ohio, as the first elected lady sheriff of Ohio in 1976. Editor Damaine Vonada overlooked Vinton County's Maude Collins, who had been appointed in 1925 and subsequently elected to a full-term in 1926. This error seems remarkable because Mrs. Maude Collins had received national attention during the period she held office.
During 1995 a ballad about the death of Fletcher Collins was discovered while working on a research project dealing with the shutdown of a small non-union coal mine. While working on this project, the researcher learned that the author of this ballad composed other unpublished tragedy and disaster ballads. The researcher discovered that a relative of the song writer had in her possesion a small pocket notebook that belonged to the local song writer, Floyd Jayjohn. The notebook was fragile from age and contained several ballads. Of the ballads recorded in the notebook the one that was the most intriguing dealt with the death of a sheriff, the husband of Maude Collins. This ballad happened to be recorded first in the notebook. The first verse and a line of the second verse are missing because of a lost page. The top edge of that page is still intact along with the title of the ballad and the date when the lyrics were composed. Existing verses of the ballad titled "Fletcher Collins" composed in 1926 are as follows:
With the warrant for arrest a man his county wanted
He said "I'll do my best -- to bring him to McArthur to meet the law demands
The reason he resisted I cannot understand
T'was an evening in October the nighrt was so young
He saw George Steele on the Coalton road to Jackson
An Essex car he parked along, then came Fletcher Collins an officer of the law
George Steele, the man he wanted across the fence he saw
But alas; although the warning the poor Fletcher would not hear
And closer to his prisoner he started to draw near
And those who saw what happened, the story they did tell
And just a few steps closer and Fletcher Collins fell
And as the story ended they laid him in his grave
Then in a county courtroom a life they tried to save
But behind those bars of prison, this is to be his doom
Till his sentence shall be given in heaven's great courtroom
The events of that evening transpired when the Sheriff located Steele, who was accompanied by Amy Robinett who was also wanted for a seperate charge of larceny. The Sheriff discovered them in a field between Coalton and Jackson. It was reported that the Sheriff turned his car sideways in the road and turned his spotlight on Steele and Robinett. Sheriff Collins stepped out of his car and made his way across the field toward them. He then ordered Steele to surrender, informing him that he had a warrant for his arrest. Steele would not comply with the Sheriff's demands, and told the Sheriff not to come any closer. The Sheriff then stepped across a fence moving closer to Steele. A shot rang out, and Sheriff Collins fell back against the fence dead. Shortly after the incident, Steele and Robinett turned themselves in to the sheriff of Jackson County.
Prayer services were held at the Collins' residence prior to the funeral held at the United Brethern church in Mcarthur. Fletcher Collins was laid to rest at the Hamden Cemetery. After the funeral services, Fletcher Collins' wife, maude Collins, was busy packing her suitcase when three county commisioners arrived at her home. One of the commisioners then asked, "What's your hurry Maude?" and handed her the commision as Sheriff.
Prior to being appointed sheriff, Miss Maude Charles became Mrs. Maude Collins when she married Arthur Fletcher Collins in Mingo County, West Virginia, in 1914. They had five children: Arthur, Charles, Frances, Kenneth, and Margie. Prior to the tragic night, Maude's husband had resided in Vinton County for 20 years. Before her husband's death, she worked as the Jail Matron and was familiar with the duties of the office.
Maude Collins' first month in office would prove to be difficult because she was called as a witness in the murder trial of her husband. Her testimony consisted of the verification that her husband was carrying on his person a warrant for George Steele. It was her understanding the he carried the warrant with him in his effort to arrest Steele on the day which he was murdered. The reason she was called to provide this testimony was that the warrant was not found on his body. The stat witness at the trial was Amy Robinett. She testified that she witnessed Steele shooting the Sheriff and removing the warrant and badge from the Sheriff's body. Arguments from both sides came to a close, and the case went to the jury for deliberation. The jury deliberated for six hours, delivering its verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree on December 11, 1925. George Steele was sentenced to life in prison without hope of pardon. Sheriff Maude Collins completed the balance of her husband's term. During that period, she spear-headed the operations and investigations of the department. When her appointment term drew to a close, she then ran in the August primary on the Democratic ticket. Maude Collins won the primary decisively. Collins votes totaled 957 to 232 for her opponent William Sharp. The McArthur Democratic-Enquirer published this article titled "The Democratic County Ticket":
"Mrs. Maude Collins, the candidate for sheriff, by the unanimous wish of the people of the whole county, was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of her husband, the late Fletcher Collins who lost his life while bravely doing his duty as an officer enforcing the law designed to promote the safety of lives and property of the people of the county. Their [sic] is a firm determination in the minds of people that the widow and the orphans of this fine courageous man who dared all and lost all while striving to curb lawlessness and help make our county a scene of peace for law-abiding people to dwell shall not suffer for it. It should also not be forgotten that never has the work of the Sheriff's office been better performed than during her administration. To insure brave and efficient service from public officials, the people must and will show their appreciation. We believe that there is no future event that is more certain than the election of Maude Collins as Sheriff of Vinton County on November 2."
The predicition made by the article proved to be true. Maude Collins received 2182 votes to 1600 for her GOP opponent William Scott. Compared to the other election results, she won by the largest number of votes of all the public offices up for election in Vinton County in 1926.
Shortly after she was elected to the office, "Sherriff Maude" as she was referred to by the locals, would investigate and solve a double homicide that would bring her national attention. Events that transpired from the murders were published in Master Detective, which had a national circulation. The article published in this pulp detective magazine was titled "Damning Footprints: The Twin Horror of Axtel Ridge."
The accounts of this doulble homicide began, on Wednesday November 17, 1926, when a 14 year-old boy named Manville Perry, noticed the living room door of the Stout's farm house open and was shocked by the sight that he saw. He then ran to a nearby coal mine and the men there accompianed him back to the Stout farm where they found the body as the boy described. Mrs. Stout's body lay in fornt of the living room stove. The face, neck and portions of the body were burnt and charred beyond recognition. One arm was extended on the floor in front of her and was not burned, this showed that she did not try to extinguish the flames of the fire. All her hair was burned off except where her head came in contact with the floor. Immediate observation of the body indicated that it was placed in front of the stove. Prosecuting Attorney Blake was called in, and he and Dr. Cox and Dr. James studied the murder scene. An autopsy conducted by the doctors indicated that Mrs. Stout died of strangulation, not burns.
Mrs. Sarah Stout was last seen alive in McArthut, Monday November 15, when she swore out a warrant against Arthur Stout, her stepson, on a charge of living in an illicit relationship with one Inex Palmer. It is said, the Mrs. Stout then told her neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs that Arthur would kill her on account of the objections that she was raising. Arthur was arrested on the charge of murder and was brought to McArthur by one of "Sheriff Maude's" deputies.
Early in February the Grand Jury indicted Arthur Stout for first degree murder. Meanwhile, William Stout, the father of Arthur Stout, was reported by Inez Palmer to have traveled west never to return. Once Maude Collins received word of William Stout's absence, she and Deputy Cox drove to Axel Ridge to obtain further information from Inez Palmer. Inez Palmer informed the Sheriff and her Deputy that William Stout was acting strangely before his departure, Miss Palmer continued to say that William Stout was mending fences the last time she saw him.
After questioning Inez Palmer, "Sheriff Maude" and her Deputy followed the trail of patched fences. Two and a half miles from the house they found a lunch pail under a tree. In the pail was a hand written will, in which William Stout cut off his other two sons and named Arthur as the sole-heir. The document was not signed by any witnesses. "Sheriff Maude" then examined the footprints leading to and from the dinner bucket. Afterwards she returned to William Stout's farm house and retrieved a pair of his shoes. The shoes fitted exactly to the footprints, but "Sheriff Maude" and her Deputy noticed that the footprints were not as deep in the soil. Then they noticed the difference of their own footprints in the soil. maude then realized that her footprints were about as deep as the ones being observed. She then hypothesized that the footprints could not have been made by William Stout, but by someone close to her own physical stature like Inez Palmer. Maude then dropped the shoes of William Stout to the ground and slipped them on. Next, she walked up and down beside the original set of footprints and came to the conclusion that Inez Palmer made the prints, not William Stout.
"Sheriff Maude" then preceeded to William Stout's home and examined the contents of the house. It was obvious that William Stout never took any of his belongings. She then went back into town and presented the will that was found to the cashier of the bank where Mr. Stout maintained his account. Maude compared the handwriting of the will to that of his canceled checks. It was obvious to "Sheriff Maude" that the sidnatures did not match.
Maude Collins and Deputy Cox returned to Axtel Ridge the next morning to search the Stout's farm for the missing William Stout. While en-route, they stopped and conversed with the missing man's grandchildren. They informed the Sheriff and her Deputy that the water behind the house was not fit for consumption, this was told to the children by Inez Palmer. Maude and Mr. Cox proceeded to the farm and arrested Inez Palmer so that they could searh the premises without interference.
Deputy Cox discovered the body of William Stout in the well behind the house as they suspected. The Deputy was able to conclude that William Stout was murdered and placed in the well; because evidence indicated severe head trauma caused by a blunt instrument.
Later that evening Inez Palmer confessed that she killed William Stout because he made advances toward her. She then explained that she attempted to cover up the crime by putting on a pair of her victim's shoes and made footprints near the repaired fences. Next, she said that the will was forged and placed in a dinner pail under a tree. When Arthur Stout became aware of her confession, he then confirmed Palmer's story, and declared that she also killed Sarah Stout. He further explained that Inez Palmer instructed him to burn the body. The prosecuter then questioned on of Arthur's sons. The boy informed the prosecuter that his father was the person who proposed the idea of murdering Sarah Stout, because she had him arrested for living with Inez Palmer without the benefit of marriage.
Arthur Stout and Inez Palmer were tried for the murders. Arthut Stout was found guilty of second degree murder and Inez Palmer with first degree murder in April of 1927. They both were sentenced to life terms.
After the murder case was solved, Maude Collins finished her eleceted term as Sheriff and was later elected Clerk of Courts. After completing her term as Clerk of Courts, Maude Collins worked as a matron at the Columbus State School until she retired. She later passed away at the age of 78 at Mt. Carmel Hospital in Columbus on Thursday, June 8, 1972 , after several weeks of illmess.
Maude Collins, known as "Sheriff Maude", was a pioneering woman in the field of law enforcement. During her tenure, she was obviously able to perform the duties of an officer of the law. Her ability to overcome her husband's death and perform the duties of Sheriff was a testament of courage to her fellow citizens. Mrs. Collins, as the first known female sheriff in Ohio, led the way for others to follow.
