Maude Collins (1894–1972) was the first female to be elected sheriff in the state of Ohio.(25 January 1924). Woman Sheriff Set and Ready, The Piqua Daily Call(14 December 1936). Former Sheriff Frankie Freese Called By Called, The Galion Inquirer(20 December 1926). Widow Makes Good as Vinton Sheriff, The Plain Dealer (Maude Collins was first to be elected to a term in Ohio) She served as sheriff of Vinton County after her husband's murder, when she was appointed to fill his post. She was then elected in 1926 to serve a second term. Collins was a direct descendant of the McCoy Clan of the Hatfield and McCoy feuding families. She was the daughter of Fanny McCoy Charles and Roland T. Charles.
Collins received national recognition for solving the murders of Sarah and William Stout, a couple living near McArthur, Ohio, in 1927. She determined that the killer, Inez Palmer,"Woman Gets Life in Well Murder." Cleveland Plain Dealer 22 Apr. 1927: 1+. Print. had worn larger shoes in order to mislead the detectives; however, Collins deduced that someone large enough to wear the shoes would have left deeper footprints. Her story was subsequently published in the Master Detective magazine. She was also the first woman to "deliver prisoners to the state penitentiary, a task she fulfilled fully armed in 1929"."Maude Collins, Ohio's First Female Sheriff." Vinton County CVB. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
Her work included investigations into other murder cases.
Collins died in 1972 and is buried in Hamden Cemetery. She was 78.
References
See also List of first female sheriffs in the United States
External links http://vintoncountytravel.com/history/maude-collins-ohios-first-female-sheriff/