Sheriff Jack Gillespie was the Lumpkin County Georgia Sheriff who was stabbed twice in the side on the evening of March 20, 1940. Sadly he was misdiagnosed by the intern on duty at Downy Hospital as having two small cuts beneath his arm that looked innocent, but that were actually deep stab wounds that had severed major blood vessel causing Sheriff Gillespie to die from blood hemorrhage in the abdomen over the next two days. He was stabbed in broad daylight in the public square in the little mountain town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, 60 miles north of Atlanta. Sheriff Gillespie, his wife and two children lived above the jail in a modest apartment. After he was stabbed, Sheriff Gillespie was taken to Downy Hospital by his friends, 21 year old Charles H. Phillips, (who drove him in his new 1940 Ford in less than 19 minutes to Gainesville, which is 30 miles away), "Buckshot" Robert Welch, Ralph Fitts and his 17 year old son, Willard. Mr Phillips, who at 85 years of age recalls Sheriff Gillespie in the back seat on the way to the hospital, singing for a while, cursing, then praying for a while. Sheriff Gillespie was stabbed by Paul Lance. The Sheriff had gone to the square that night during some "election talk" and some individuals began to argue. The Sheriff went to arrest the culprets when Paul jumped out and cut him in the side. After he cut the Sheriff, the Sheriff was able to throw him down and handcuff him.
Sheriff Gillespie was drafted in WWI, he served as a cook on Tybee Island in Georgia for 6 months. He was survived by his wife (whom he married December 19, 1920), Amanda Minerva Kanaday Gillespie, (who was born in 1901 and passed away July 24 1945 of cancer or ulcers--family members are not sure), a son Joseph 'Willard' who was born Joseph Willard was born February 11, 1922. He was drafted and fought in WWII in the Navy which took him to Pensacola, and a daughter, Vernell, who was born March 13 1926 who married and moved away. She attended North Georgia College where she met her husband. He is regarded as a kind man who always had a big garden of corn, beans, peas and okra. He treated everyone alike, rich, poor, it didn't matter. It rained the day of his funeral. There were more than 40 cars in the procession and about 1,200 people there. Also the belief is that Jack was murdered because of his hard stance on rum running, which was very much a viable living in Lumpkin County (white lightening). He busted stills and interrupted their trade. He also made it a point to protect the area churches (even the ones way out in the sticks). The churches were the organizations voicing disapproval of illegal liquor production and often they were interrupted mid-service by drunkards. He made a circuit that included even the rural churches.

Many thanks to Mr. Kevin Gabbard, great-grandson of Sheriff Gillispie, for providing the historical information for this memorial.