Pony Hackett (born May 25, 1876 and a resident of Pleasant Shade) handed out this card during his successful
bid for sheriff of Smith County in 1914. Prior to his election, there had been a serious dispute between Pony
and Jasper Jenkins where Pony had shot Jasper. Jasper's wounds were not fatal and he recovered. On August 20,
1914 after Pony's election as Smith County sheriff on August 6, and prior to his being sworn into office, he and
his young son, Clarence, were in downtown Pleasant Shade preparing a horse and buggy for a trip to Carthage.
At this time Jasper appeared with a shotgun and mortally wounded Pony. After the shotgun blast, there were a
number of shots fired by both Pony and Jasper (Pony had a pistol) and during this exchange, the local blacksmith,
William Chaffin was killed by Pony as he ran between the two men. Finally, Jasper was subdued and taken into
custody. Pony died a few hours later and Jasper was later tried, convicted and received a life sentence. Pony is
buried along with his wife, Alice Gregory Hackett, at Sandersons Cemetery in Pleasant Shade. William Chaffin
is burried in the Hines Cemetery.
residence. My dad, who lived nearby, was a young boy and attended the wake along with hundreds of other people.
Thirty-one years later, my parents bought this same house and land and I was reared there. As a small boy, I had
already heard the Pony Hackett story and knew the room where Pony's remains were displayed. This was somewhat
scary to me and I had some apprehension when I was alone in the room. Later, my anxiety was heightened when an
old rug was removed from this room and some dull red stains were visible on the hardwood floor. When my older
sister saw this, she exclaimed, "I'll bet that is Pony Hackett's blood!" Years later, this room became my room, and
I had to sleep there with all my mental pictures and imaginations about Pony in his casket. Anyway, I hope I am not
suffering any permanent brain damage as a result of this trauma.
Pony's and my old 120 year-old boyhood house, on Little Creek Road, built by Buck Deering, is still in use as a
residence. A 1973 picture of the house is shown below. During Pony's time, the house had only single windows
on the front and no dormer. Pony's casket was placed in the room in front of the windows on the left. Pictured
are Amy Dickerson Wardlow, daughter Ivy and Dewey Dickerson.
Pleasant Shade has produced two elected Smith County sheriffs each having the same last name: Pony Hackett
and Joe Hackett. Joe was sheriff in the 1980's. He is shown in the 1932 Pleasant Shade School picture.
