FORMER PEMISCOT COUNTY SHERIFF DIES AFTER ACCIDENT

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Clyde Orton, who served a total of 23 years as Pemiscot County sheriff from 1957 to 1988, died late Thursday of an apparent heart attack following an auto accident earlier in the day.

Orton, 72, was driving west on Route J near Braggadocio about 4 p.m. Thursday when his car was involved in a collision with a vehicle driven by Carol Miller. Hayti firemen were called to extricate Orton from his vehicle. He was taken to Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital at Hayti with what was described as moderate injuries.

He died at 11 p.m.

Pemiscot County Coroner James N. "Jimmy" Dean ruled that the former sheriff's death was from a heart attack and not from injuries suffered in the accident.

Service for Orton will be Monday at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Paul Currie officiating. Friends may call at the H. S. Smith Funeral Home from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Orton, a former auto dealer, was first elected as sheriff in 1957. During his first term in office, the present Pemiscot County Jail was constructed.

Orton remained in office until 1971, when he was ousted following an investigation by then-Missouri Attorney General John Danforth. The ruling following the investigation was that Orton did nothing wrong but that he didn't "enforce the letter of the law," allowing some establishments to operate without liquor license.

Orton ran for the office later in the 1970s and again in 1981 when he was re-elected. He served two four-year terms before losing to Jack Davis, who was Orton's chief deputy. Davis is still Pemiscot County sheriff.

Orton had worked as an auto salesman since he left office in 1988.