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"The Old Sheriff" Died This Morning at Eleven Thirty."
Ex-Sheriff John Griffith died at eleven thirty this morning at his home in Monroe on West Franklin street. His death has been expected at most any time for several days. Two weeks ago he became ill and though he constantly talked of getting better and coming up town, his heart was in such condition that little hope was entertained at any time. He remained conscious till eleven o'clock last night.
A man of tremendous physical strength, he retained the apparent vigor of youth till he was seventy years of age. Then about six years ago he had a slight stroke of paralysis from which he recovered and was almost his old time self. Three years ago he had another stroke and this shattered his strength for good, though he became fairly active afterwards. Heart weakness was the bottom of his last illness and caused his death.
The funeral will be held at the residence at two thirty tomorrow afternoon by Dr. Weaver and Rev. J.E. Abernethy of Charlotte. The remains will be buried here.
The active pall bearers will be Messrs. R.W. Lemmond, W.J. Hudson, B.C. Redfearn, Eugene Ashcraft, R.D. Crow, J.W. Lathan. The honorary ones will be Messrs. J.T. Shute, W.S. Blakeney, W.L. Howie, W.C. Heath, J.E. Stack, T.C. Lee, P.B. Blakeney, T.J.W. Broom and P.P.W. Plyler.
He is survived by his wife and five children: Mrs. R.L. Helms, Mr. B.F. Griffith, Mr. Frank Griffith, Mr. Paul Griffith and Miss Mary Griffith. One sister, Mrs. Fannie Threatt of Pageland, and four brothers survive him. His brothers are Messrs. Frank Griffith of Louisiana, James and William of Jefferson, and Joseph Griffith of Cleveland county.
"The old sheriff," as most people had formed the habit of calling him, was a native of Chesterfield county, where he was born January 19, 1848. He was therefore something over 76 years old when he died. He was just old enough to be included in the last year of the war with the seventeen-year-old-boys who went out. On Dec. 11, 1870, he was happily married, and his bride, Miss Mary McMillan, was for all the years after his devoted helpmate, and now survives him. The young couple bought a plantation in Cabarrus county at Garmond's mill and lived there for five years. Then they moved to Monroe about the year 1878 or '79 and he engaged in the stock business. Some years later he bought the tract of land two miles south of town where the family lived until he was elected sheriff in 1908. Here he converted a large tract of ordinary land into a most productive farm.
In 1908 e was elected sheriff and served three terms. His son, the late J.V. Griffith, was elected to succeed him, and on his death in office Sheriff Griffith was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the unexpired term and this rounded out a service as sheriff of about nine years. He was elected mayor of Monroe and afterward county commissioner, and was chairman of this board at the time of his death. No man within the present generation has had such a political grip upon the people of the county as Sheriff Griffith had. He could probably have been elected at any time to any office in the county. His popularity was due to his wide personal acquaintance, for he knew about every man in the county by his first name, and to the belief of the people in his honesty and sincerity and the admiration of his blunt, outspoken manner.
The public did not regard him as necessarily wiser than other men but they always knew where to find him on any subject and they believed in him as a devoted popular leader, for he had a way of pretty will interpreting popular sentiment. He never followed popular sentiment but helped create it and worked untiringly for any cause that he espoused. Then, too, people believed in his religion. He was a man of temper and made no attempt to conceal it, but when he got religion at the time of the Leitch revival in Monroe in 1889, he became a man ardently devoted to the cause of the church and to doing the right thing at all times as he saw it. He became a member of the Methodist church at the Leitch meeting. He believed in "the grace of God" and at the McLendon meeting this winter his old time religious fervor blazed up anew.
Sheriff Griffith was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He believed generally in what is known as the old ways. He was a tremendously hard working man in the days of his youth and middle age, and after retiring somewhat from the rigors of life and work, his active mind kept going and he fretted somewhat that things were not as he would always have them. He believed generally that the world was going too fast and too much in the wrong direction, and as old men usually do, he overstressed these ideas. And while this seemed true to many of his friends they nevertheless did not fall away from him but continued to admire the primary virtues of honesty, simplicity, and sincerity which he showed.
And now "the old sheriff" lies dead, and he will be missed. No man will ever again occupy the same place that he held in the county. He belongs to a day that has also gone. But he will be remembered. There will be none to say an unkind thing about him, and hundreds and hundreds will feel that they have lost a near and dear friend. Perhaps no man has ever lived in the county with anything like his influence who did not have more personal enemies than he.
(The Monroe Journal - Tuesday, February 5, 1924)
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"The Old Sheriff" Died This Morning at Eleven Thirty."
Ex-Sheriff John Griffith died at eleven thirty this morning at his home in Monroe on West Franklin street. His death has been expected at most any time for several days. Two weeks ago he became ill and though he constantly talked of getting better and coming up town, his heart was in such condition that little hope was entertained at any time. He remained conscious till eleven o'clock last night.
A man of tremendous physical strength, he retained the apparent vigor of youth till he was seventy years of age. Then about six years ago he had a slight stroke of paralysis from which he recovered and was almost his old time self. Three years ago he had another stroke and this shattered his strength for good, though he became fairly active afterwards. Heart weakness was the bottom of his last illness and caused his death.
The funeral will be held at the residence at two thirty tomorrow afternoon by Dr. Weaver and Rev. J.E. Abernethy of Charlotte. The remains will be buried here.
The active pall bearers will be Messrs. R.W. Lemmond, W.J. Hudson, B.C. Redfearn, Eugene Ashcraft, R.D. Crow, J.W. Lathan. The honorary ones will be Messrs. J.T. Shute, W.S. Blakeney, W.L. Howie, W.C. Heath, J.E. Stack, T.C. Lee, P.B. Blakeney, T.J.W. Broom and P.P.W. Plyler.
He is survived by his wife and five children: Mrs. R.L. Helms, Mr. B.F. Griffith, Mr. Frank Griffith, Mr. Paul Griffith and Miss Mary Griffith. One sister, Mrs. Fannie Threatt of Pageland, and four brothers survive him. His brothers are Messrs. Frank Griffith of Louisiana, James and William of Jefferson, and Joseph Griffith of Cleveland county.
"The old sheriff," as most people had formed the habit of calling him, was a native of Chesterfield county, where he was born January 19, 1848. He was therefore something over 76 years old when he died. He was just old enough to be included in the last year of the war with the seventeen-year-old-boys who went out. On Dec. 11, 1870, he was happily married, and his bride, Miss Mary McMillan, was for all the years after his devoted helpmate, and now survives him. The young couple bought a plantation in Cabarrus county at Garmond's mill and lived there for five years. Then they moved to Monroe about the year 1878 or '79 and he engaged in the stock business. Some years later he bought the tract of land two miles south of town where the family lived until he was elected sheriff in 1908. Here he converted a large tract of ordinary land into a most productive farm.
In 1908 e was elected sheriff and served three terms. His son, the late J.V. Griffith, was elected to succeed him, and on his death in office Sheriff Griffith was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the unexpired term and this rounded out a service as sheriff of about nine years. He was elected mayor of Monroe and afterward county commissioner, and was chairman of this board at the time of his death. No man within the present generation has had such a political grip upon the people of the county as Sheriff Griffith had. He could probably have been elected at any time to any office in the county. His popularity was due to his wide personal acquaintance, for he knew about every man in the county by his first name, and to the belief of the people in his honesty and sincerity and the admiration of his blunt, outspoken manner.
The public did not regard him as necessarily wiser than other men but they always knew where to find him on any subject and they believed in him as a devoted popular leader, for he had a way of pretty will interpreting popular sentiment. He never followed popular sentiment but helped create it and worked untiringly for any cause that he espoused. Then, too, people believed in his religion. He was a man of temper and made no attempt to conceal it, but when he got religion at the time of the Leitch revival in Monroe in 1889, he became a man ardently devoted to the cause of the church and to doing the right thing at all times as he saw it. He became a member of the Methodist church at the Leitch meeting. He believed in "the grace of God" and at the McLendon meeting this winter his old time religious fervor blazed up anew.
Sheriff Griffith was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He believed generally in what is known as the old ways. He was a tremendously hard working man in the days of his youth and middle age, and after retiring somewhat from the rigors of life and work, his active mind kept going and he fretted somewhat that things were not as he would always have them. He believed generally that the world was going too fast and too much in the wrong direction, and as old men usually do, he overstressed these ideas. And while this seemed true to many of his friends they nevertheless did not fall away from him but continued to admire the primary virtues of honesty, simplicity, and sincerity which he showed.
And now "the old sheriff" lies dead, and he will be missed. No man will ever again occupy the same place that he held in the county. He belongs to a day that has also gone. But he will be remembered. There will be none to say an unkind thing about him, and hundreds and hundreds will feel that they have lost a near and dear friend. Perhaps no man has ever lived in the county with anything like his influence who did not have more personal enemies than he.
(The Monroe Journal - Tuesday, February 5, 1924)
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"The Old Sheriff" Died This Morning at Eleven Thirty."
Ex-Sheriff John Griffith died at eleven thirty this morning at his home in Monroe on West Franklin street. His death has been expected at most any time for several days. Two weeks ago he became ill and though he constantly talked of getting better and coming up town, his heart was in such condition that little hope was entertained at any time. He remained conscious till eleven o'clock last night.
A man of tremendous physical strength, he retained the apparent vigor of youth till he was seventy years of age. Then about six years ago he had a slight stroke of paralysis from which he recovered and was almost his old time self. Three years ago he had another stroke and this shattered his strength for good, though he became fairly active afterwards. Heart weakness was the bottom of his last illness and caused his death.
The funeral will be held at the residence at two thirty tomorrow afternoon by Dr. Weaver and Rev. J.E. Abernethy of Charlotte. The remains will be buried here.
The active pall bearers will be Messrs. R.W. Lemmond, W.J. Hudson, B.C. Redfearn, Eugene Ashcraft, R.D. Crow, J.W. Lathan. The honorary ones will be Messrs. J.T. Shute, W.S. Blakeney, W.L. Howie, W.C. Heath, J.E. Stack, T.C. Lee, P.B. Blakeney, T.J.W. Broom and P.P.W. Plyler.
He is survived by his wife and five children: Mrs. R.L. Helms, Mr. B.F. Griffith, Mr. Frank Griffith, Mr. Paul Griffith and Miss Mary Griffith. One sister, Mrs. Fannie Threatt of Pageland, and four brothers survive him. His brothers are Messrs. Frank Griffith of Louisiana, James and William of Jefferson, and Joseph Griffith of Cleveland county.
"The old sheriff," as most people had formed the habit of calling him, was a native of Chesterfield county, where he was born January 19, 1848. He was therefore something over 76 years old when he died. He was just old enough to be included in the last year of the war with the seventeen-year-old-boys who went out. On Dec. 11, 1870, he was happily married, and his bride, Miss Mary McMillan, was for all the years after his devoted helpmate, and now survives him. The young couple bought a plantation in Cabarrus county at Garmond's mill and lived there for five years. Then they moved to Monroe about the year 1878 or '79 and he engaged in the stock business. Some years later he bought the tract of land two miles south of town where the family lived until he was elected sheriff in 1908. Here he converted a large tract of ordinary land into a most productive farm.
In 1908 e was elected sheriff and served three terms. His son, the late J.V. Griffith, was elected to succeed him, and on his death in office Sheriff Griffith was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the unexpired term and this rounded out a service as sheriff of about nine years. He was elected mayor of Monroe and afterward county commissioner, and was chairman of this board at the time of his death. No man within the present generation has had such a political grip upon the people of the county as Sheriff Griffith had. He could probably have been elected at any time to any office in the county. His popularity was due to his wide personal acquaintance, for he knew about every man in the county by his first name, and to the belief of the people in his honesty and sincerity and the admiration of his blunt, outspoken manner.
The public did not regard him as necessarily wiser than other men but they always knew where to find him on any subject and they believed in him as a devoted popular leader, for he had a way of pretty will interpreting popular sentiment. He never followed popular sentiment but helped create it and worked untiringly for any cause that he espoused. Then, too, people believed in his religion. He was a man of temper and made no attempt to conceal it, but when he got religion at the time of the Leitch revival in Monroe in 1889, he became a man ardently devoted to the cause of the church and to doing the right thing at all times as he saw it. He became a member of the Methodist church at the Leitch meeting. He believed in "the grace of God" and at the McLendon meeting this winter his old time religious fervor blazed up anew.
Sheriff Griffith was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He believed generally in what is known as the old ways. He was a tremendously hard working man in the days of his youth and middle age, and after retiring somewhat from the rigors of life and work, his active mind kept going and he fretted somewhat that things were not as he would always have them. He believed generally that the world was going too fast and too much in the wrong direction, and as old men usually do, he overstressed these ideas. And while this seemed true to many of his friends they nevertheless did not fall away from him but continued to admire the primary virtues of honesty, simplicity, and sincerity which he showed.
And now "the old sheriff" lies dead, and he will be missed. No man will ever again occupy the same place that he held in the county. He belongs to a day that has also gone. But he will be remembered. There will be none to say an unkind thing about him, and hundreds and hundreds will feel that they have lost a near and dear friend. Perhaps no man has ever lived in the county with anything like his influence who did not have more personal enemies than he.
(The Monroe Journal - Tuesday, February 5, 1924)
------------------------------------
"The Old Sheriff" Died This Morning at Eleven Thirty."
Ex-Sheriff John Griffith died at eleven thirty this morning at his home in Monroe on West Franklin street. His death has been expected at most any time for several days. Two weeks ago he became ill and though he constantly talked of getting better and coming up town, his heart was in such condition that little hope was entertained at any time. He remained conscious till eleven o'clock last night.
A man of tremendous physical strength, he retained the apparent vigor of youth till he was seventy years of age. Then about six years ago he had a slight stroke of paralysis from which he recovered and was almost his old time self. Three years ago he had another stroke and this shattered his strength for good, though he became fairly active afterwards. Heart weakness was the bottom of his last illness and caused his death.
The funeral will be held at the residence at two thirty tomorrow afternoon by Dr. Weaver and Rev. J.E. Abernethy of Charlotte. The remains will be buried here.
The active pall bearers will be Messrs. R.W. Lemmond, W.J. Hudson, B.C. Redfearn, Eugene Ashcraft, R.D. Crow, J.W. Lathan. The honorary ones will be Messrs. J.T. Shute, W.S. Blakeney, W.L. Howie, W.C. Heath, J.E. Stack, T.C. Lee, P.B. Blakeney, T.J.W. Broom and P.P.W. Plyler.
He is survived by his wife and five children: Mrs. R.L. Helms, Mr. B.F. Griffith, Mr. Frank Griffith, Mr. Paul Griffith and Miss Mary Griffith. One sister, Mrs. Fannie Threatt of Pageland, and four brothers survive him. His brothers are Messrs. Frank Griffith of Louisiana, James and William of Jefferson, and Joseph Griffith of Cleveland county.
"The old sheriff," as most people had formed the habit of calling him, was a native of Chesterfield county, where he was born January 19, 1848. He was therefore something over 76 years old when he died. He was just old enough to be included in the last year of the war with the seventeen-year-old-boys who went out. On Dec. 11, 1870, he was happily married, and his bride, Miss Mary McMillan, was for all the years after his devoted helpmate, and now survives him. The young couple bought a plantation in Cabarrus county at Garmond's mill and lived there for five years. Then they moved to Monroe about the year 1878 or '79 and he engaged in the stock business. Some years later he bought the tract of land two miles south of town where the family lived until he was elected sheriff in 1908. Here he converted a large tract of ordinary land into a most productive farm.
In 1908 e was elected sheriff and served three terms. His son, the late J.V. Griffith, was elected to succeed him, and on his death in office Sheriff Griffith was appointed by the county commissioners to fill the unexpired term and this rounded out a service as sheriff of about nine years. He was elected mayor of Monroe and afterward county commissioner, and was chairman of this board at the time of his death. No man within the present generation has had such a political grip upon the people of the county as Sheriff Griffith had. He could probably have been elected at any time to any office in the county. His popularity was due to his wide personal acquaintance, for he knew about every man in the county by his first name, and to the belief of the people in his honesty and sincerity and the admiration of his blunt, outspoken manner.
The public did not regard him as necessarily wiser than other men but they always knew where to find him on any subject and they believed in him as a devoted popular leader, for he had a way of pretty will interpreting popular sentiment. He never followed popular sentiment but helped create it and worked untiringly for any cause that he espoused. Then, too, people believed in his religion. He was a man of temper and made no attempt to conceal it, but when he got religion at the time of the Leitch revival in Monroe in 1889, he became a man ardently devoted to the cause of the church and to doing the right thing at all times as he saw it. He became a member of the Methodist church at the Leitch meeting. He believed in "the grace of God" and at the McLendon meeting this winter his old time religious fervor blazed up anew.
Sheriff Griffith was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He believed generally in what is known as the old ways. He was a tremendously hard working man in the days of his youth and middle age, and after retiring somewhat from the rigors of life and work, his active mind kept going and he fretted somewhat that things were not as he would always have them. He believed generally that the world was going too fast and too much in the wrong direction, and as old men usually do, he overstressed these ideas. And while this seemed true to many of his friends they nevertheless did not fall away from him but continued to admire the primary virtues of honesty, simplicity, and sincerity which he showed.
And now "the old sheriff" lies dead, and he will be missed. No man will ever again occupy the same place that he held in the county. He belongs to a day that has also gone. But he will be remembered. There will be none to say an unkind thing about him, and hundreds and hundreds will feel that they have lost a near and dear friend. Perhaps no man has ever lived in the county with anything like his influence who did not have more personal enemies than he.
(The Monroe Journal - Tuesday, February 5, 1924)
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Family Members
Siblings
Children
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Cornelia Jane "Nealie" Griffith Helms
1871–1961
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John Benjamin "Ben" Griffith
1878–1952
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Richard Wiley "Dick" Griffith
1880–1908
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Thomas Franklin "Frank" Griffith
1883–1944
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Julius Virgil Griffith
1886–1918
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Addie L Griffith
1888–1910
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Samuel Paul Griffith Sr
1891–1927
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Mary Elizabeth Griffith McLeod
1894–1927
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