from page 232 of DEVIL MAKE A THIRD:

Buck carefully set his glass down on the bar, and his eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Something wrong?"

"Aw, Buck, you know what was happening when you left. Preachers and deacons and sisters and Epworth Leagues. Like a bunch of wood lice eating at a tree, and you can't see them until the tree falls down."

"Is it getting worse?"

Tobe nodded and lifted his glass and drank quickly.

"Buck," he said, leaning on the bar and frowning, "they started the minute you left town, working to beat hell." He began to mimic the women. "Licensed the fancy women, taxed the gamblers, graft, ungodly, drinks too much, gambles all night, and a woman ain't safe with him. Hell-fire." Tobe suddenly spat on the floor.

Buck's face relaxed.

"Nothing new in that."

clippings from the August 9, 1912 DOTHAN WEEKLY EAGLE:

reprinted from the Montgomery Advertiser:

"Now it develops, that Dothan stands forth as comforter to Montgomery and New York. As a report of the Houston County grand jury dealing with Dothan gamblers and blind tigers and the 'general state of lawlessness' in that town, the mayor has beheaded the chief of police and three patrolmen."

Report of the April 1912 HOUSTON COUNTY GRAND JURY:

"We regret to say that from our investigations it has been made clear to us that there is a disposition on the part of a great many of our citizens to openly defy the law. There are gambling houses and houses of ill-fame run openly above board in the City of Dothan and there has been no effort on the part of officials to interfere with the great evils which are bringing ruin to so many of our boys and young men."

MAYOR IS ACTING AS CHIEF AT THE PRESENT

Mayor Joe Baker is now acting as Chief of Police for the city of Dothan on account of the vacancy caused by the removal of ex-chief Domingus. No appointments have yet been made to fill the vacancies caused by the removal of the four policemen last week and the force is still short.