Charles Horace Truitt

Charles Horace  Truitt (1885-1956) was the son of William C. Truitt (1853-1916) and Laura Alice Parker Truitt (1853-1932) .  He was born in Cape Charles, Virginia and was the first recorded baby born in Cape Charles.  His father worked for the railroad.  When he was four years old his father was transferred to Delmar. Together they ran a coal and ice company in Delmar while the father continued to work on the railroad.  He was always a great baseball fan and did not miss a world series game on the East Coast since 1903. He played professional baseball with the Eastern Shore League from 1905 to 1925.  He was manager of the Delmar Railroad team in 1923. He also played in the old Tri-State league in Wilmington either with the Wilmington Peaches or Wilmington Chicks team.  He was a pitcher.  In 1907 he married Laura Helen Lowe (1886-1962). 

above in 1921

After 20 years with his father in Coal and Ice business he took a job as the first manager of the New Sunoco station in Delmar.   In 1932 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Wicomico County under Sheriff G. Murray Phillips.  Truitt and his wife moved into the living quarters at the county jail in Salisbury.  While Deputy he had a number of adventures in up-holding the law and was not afraid to use his gun.  One interesting event he was involved in was the flogging of Clarence Bell.  Mr Bell had been found guilty of beating his wife and Judge Joseph Bailey sentenced him to 30 lashes.  Wicomico county had never done a whipping so they had to call the Sheriff in Sussex county for advice on how to do it.  Flogging was routine in Sussex County.  It becomes unclear in newspaper accounts as to who did the flogging.  In one account it was said Sheriff Phillips did it, in another account, it said Phillips had been sick and he gave the whip to Deputy Sheriff Truitt to handle the flogging.  Whichever way it went down Truitt was involved. 

above in 1934

Deputy Truitt took some course at Washington College and played ball at the college. By 1934 he was ready to run for Sheriff again.  This time he won and had a salary of $3,000 a year plus expenses.  He would be sheriff from 1934 to 1938.  Afterward he would attempt a couple more runs at election to sheriff but never succeeded.  In 1937 the new Wicomico county penthouse jail was opened on top of the courthouse in Salisbury.  The Truitts moved into the living quarters there.  Mrs. Truitt worked as baliff in the courthouse.  In his World war two draft registration he writes he is blind in one eye.

above in 1950

After the Sheriff Job he worked at the state controller office.  His wife and he continued to attend baseball games though out the region sometimes traveling a couple hundred miles a day to see three games.  He has a stroke in the 1950s and would die in 1956.