Citrus County’s Beloved Sheriff
By Ken Marotte, Citrus County Historical Society
Mayberry had Sheriff Andy Taylor, the wise and folksy lawman who didn’t feel the need to always carry a gun. Long before that TV show hit the airwaves, Citrus County elected a real-life version – Sheriff Burton (“B.R.”) Quinn – who became legendary for his transparency, leadership and empathy as the county’s Top Cop.
“His reputation for fairness, honesty, moral uprightness, giving credit where due, mature judgment, outstanding leadership and diligence to duty has followed him throughout his career earning the respect of his employees and the residents of the county” – Governor Lawton Chiles, 1997
Early life
Burton Richard Quinn, who liked to be called simply “B.R.” was born in Citrus County in 1921. He attended local schools and was a standout football and baseball star at Citrus High School. His classmates voted the popular B.R., with an imposing stature of 6’1” and burly physique at over 200 pounds, as “Best Looking” in his class. He graduated in 1938.
At that time, most local cities and towns entered teams in the semi-pro West Coast League. After graduation, he joined the Inverness team and became a star hitter. He married and started a family, but World War II intervened. B.R. joined the Army in 1944 and was stationed in the Pacific theater. He became a Communication Specialist and was charged with expanding and maintaining telephone / power lines in the Philippines. This skill served him well after the war. He obtained a job as a lineman for Florida Power Company and was known for his dedication and hard work. He continued his baseball career with the local Inverness team.
Election to the Sheriff’s Office
The incumbent Sheriff Frank Morris decided not to run again in 1952. Charles S. Dean, who had previously been Sheriff for 16 years until 1946, was considered an early favorite. B.R. Quinn (known locally as a power lineman and baseball player) threw his hat into the ring. His message was simple and sincere: “If I am elected to be your Sheriff, I can assure you that I will be fair to everyone and not a favored few. If I am elected your Sheriff, I will enforce the traffic laws, bolita and gambling laws. Some have asked about my experience as a law enforcement officer and I can tell you that is far better to elect a man that is earnestly and sincerely anxious to do a good job than to have one who thinks he knows all the answers and angles.”
Quinn’s message resonated with voters. They elected him in a close runoff race and he took office in 1953. He led a department that consisted of the Sheriff and just two Deputies. B.R. was destined to find out how dangerous his new profession could be.
Sheriff Quinn Is Shot
On August 28, 1955 Sheriff Quinn drove to the house of William W. Jones to investigate a complaint of domestic abuse filed by Jones’ wife. As B.R. approached the house, Jones leveled a .22 rifle at the lawman’s body and fired a single shot. The bullet was soft-nosed and fragmented throughout Quinn’s body. As it turned out, the Sheriff’s intestines had been perforated in nine places and the injuries were considered life-threatening. Quinn managed to reach his patrol car and drove back to the jail and asked for an ambulance to meet him there . He also instructed them to contact the doctors at the Brooksville hospital and tell them they should be ready to operate. Quinn was on the operating table for over three hours but made a remarkable recovery.
His assailant fled the scene and was later arrested. B.R. helped to direct the posse using his car’s radio while bleeding in his patrol car. Williams admitted his guilt and was sentenced to twenty years in the State Prison but was released after serving two years. Quinn recounted years later “He was a little bitty fella…I didn’t think he had it in him.”
Changing Times
Citizens were pleased with Quinn’s attitude and performance. They rewarded him at the ballot box by keeping him in office for 27 years. He oversaw the growth of the Sheriff’s office from a roster of 2 deputies (with no uniforms or county patrol cars) to a staff of 56 when he left office in 1981. There were 23 sworn officers in the end, each wearing matching uniforms and driving clearly marked county vehicles. They were linked by the latest electronic equipment and had become a thoroughly modernized department.
In spite of the modern advancements, B.R. Quinn never lost his folksy ways or his overriding philosophy that he was there to serve the citizens first and foremost. He had the motto “Be Nice To People” painted on the patrol cars as a reminder to his staff. He told a local newspaper “So many people are against law enforcement that people have to be handled with good taste. After all, you can be pleasant even when you’re arresting him for a traffic violation or anything else.”
When racial integration plans were implemented in Citrus County schools, Quinn took a proactive role in making sure that the dire predictions of rampant fighting did not occur. He recognized that a well-intentioned law enforcement presence in the schools would pay dividends by a peaceful transition.
Policing With A Heart
Sheriff Quinn was dedicated to improving people’s lives by giving them the benefit of the doubt where possible. He would often combine his law enforcement duties with his other passion – serving the best barbeque in the county. He was one of the founding members of the Sheriff’s Youth Ranches that gave young offenders a second chance to make better life choices. He organized huge barbeque benefit events for this cause during his tenure that raised thousands of dollars. He later worked with community leaders to organize a 17-mile canoe race on the Withlacoochee River. Paddlers and spectators were greeted by his “Buck A Plate” barbeque at the Finish Line.
When the annual holidays approached, B.R. knew that the prisoners in his jail faced a bleak life. He planned a special dinner with – you guessed it – barbeque for the prisoners and staff on those special days.
A celebration of a different type took place in the jail in 1974. A jail trustee was assigned to bring meals to the women prisoners. He started talking with one of the women and love bloomed. They approached Sheriff Quinn and asked permission to get married even though they were still serving their sentences. Although there were no facilities for a proper honeymoon, B.R. made arrangements for a wedding ceremony in the jail. Staff served as witnesses and Quinn even furnished the cake for a brief party. One Deputy remarked that “this is a jail with a heart” as he enjoyed the cake. The story was picked up by the national news networks and the story was carried in newspapers across the country.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Needless to say, there were some people who took advantage of Quinn’s good nature. There would be times when a trustee would escape, especially in the old County Jail were bars could be removed simply by vigorously shaking them. While a new jail was being built across the street, a group of inmates took advantage of a door that construction workers had carelessly left open.
A larger controversy arose in 1978. Floral City’s Bruce Burcham was convicted of murdering another Citrus County man in 1975. Rather than being transferred to the State Prison, Burcham was allowed to remain in the county jail pending appeals. B.R. Quinn knew Burcham personally and felt that he would never try to escape the local jail. Quinn allowed him to participate in a work-release program and Burcham worked outside the jail during the days and returned to his cell at night. The victim’s widow happened to see Burcham working on the roads and contacted the Governor to ask why the convicted murderer was not confined at all times. When news of the controversy became known, Burcham walked out of his unlocked cell one night and escaped.
In the End, It’s Character That Counts
Quinn did not try to hide his responsibility for the escape. Former Chronicle Publisher Gerry Mulligan recounted that Quinn woke him in the middle of night and asked to meet with the newsman. Rather than try to “spin” the story or blame others for the escape, B.R. accepted full responsibility. His honesty and transparency led the impressed Mulligan to write a story with the headline “In the end, it’s character that really counts.”
Quinn’s honesty cost him the election. Ironically, Charles S. Dean, the son of the man he defeated back in 1952, was chosen to be the next Sheriff.
Aftermath
The Board of County Commissioners formally recognized their appreciation for all that Quinn had done for the county. They designated January 10, 1981 as “B.R. Quinn Day”, noting that Sheriff Quinn had barbecued more pork, beef, fish and chicken than anyone south of the Florida-Georgia line.
Quinn opened a barbeque restaurant in Inverness after his tenure. It was reportedly a popular place that served the best barbeque in town.
He was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1997 and the county wanted to honor B.R. one more time. A massive celebration took place on the steps of the Old Courthouse. All of the living Citrus County Sheriffs attended. The community turned out in droves to once again express their love and appreciation to the man who meant so much to the county.
Burton R. Quinn passed away on June 18, 1997 at the age of 76.
