By Michael D. Martin, E.C.P.D.
Retired
About the author...Michael Martin (pictured front row, far right in the
1981 photo) is a retired veteran of 25 years on the Eden City Police
Department, and has penned a number of anecdotal writings recalling his
experiences.
LII. Otis Kimball
In 1966, I went to work for Spray, PD and soon met Otis Kimball. Otis sold a bit of Government whiskey out of his
store which was located at the traffic circle at Spray. I think Otis only
sold pints and when a customer went in to buy groceries and placed a special
order, a pint bottle was added to the bottom of the grocery sack and if you
watched closely, everything looked quite legitimate.
Once, Otis got caught three times in a row
transporting way too many pints from the Reidsville ABC store to his store
and a six man jury was empanelled from Spray citizens, in the old recorder's
court, Judge Herman Peters presided and. I listened to the evidence and
there was no doubt in my mind that the officers had acted correctly and the
evidence was seized and presented properly...I did not know it then, but I
was seeing the first instance of Jury Nullification. The Jury must have been
agitated that Reidsville had an ABC store and Eden did not because they
returned a "not guilty" on all three charges. Otis Kimball was
Eden's ABC store and nobody better mess with it.
I got to know Otis over the next few years and I
learned that there was not a man in Eden with a bigger heart. I can not
recount the times I found families destitute and without any food. I always
went to Otis and told him what I had found and Otis would hand me a box....a
big box and said "get what you think they need." I would try to
keep up with what I was getting and Otis said.....no need, just get what you
need for them.
One morning I was called to a house just off
Morgan Road where a social services worker had gone to check on one of her
families and found the husband had left four days past and the family had
been without food or coal. When I got there, it was four degrees and water
in the kitchen was frozen solid in pots. The mother was bundled up in all
the blankets and quilts she had with her two young children and even then,
their faces were frostbitten and rosy red. I got the story and went
immediately to Otis Kimball,
Social Services could help in a few days, Otis
would help right now. Otis called Luther Griffin and said "Luther, Load
three bags of coal in that police car." and he gave me the big box and
said "get what you think they will need." and as always, I did not
have to keep up with anything, it did not matter to Otis.
Otis was a bootlegger, but I have only the
fondest memories of him. Otis Kimball was a fine man.
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to: Funny, Funny Stories From my days at Eden, P.D.