Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-22
Sensational Suit in CoIored High
 Life. REV. THOMAS DEFENDANT
Josephine Chant Alleges He Slandered Her Over Nom de PIume-0ther Judi
 cal Chronicles.

bunals. No new cases were filed, and the entire time of the courts was consumed with the hearing of only few cases.
 In the city court the case of Rankin & Fritsch Foundry and Machine com pany vs. Woodward Iron company was continued
 The case of Noble Smithson vs. Mark Buford, executor of R. B. Buford; Yer dict for $275.
 Mir Smithson is an attorney. formerly of Birmingham, but~now of Knoxville, Tenn. It is said that while practicing in Birmingham he drew up some deeds for the deceased, who was of Philadel- phia. but had property interests in Bir- mingham. 1t is said that Attorney Smithson charged $500 for his services, but that deceased's exeeutor- resisted the demand as excessive.
 In the second division a judgment was rendered for the claimant in the case of George N. Boyd. trustee, vs. Leonora Searcy.
 A judgment for $21 was entered in the case of J. H. Douglas vs. S. Forrest ct al.
 Criminal Court.
 Freeman Lewis, charged with burglary and grand larceny, was convicted of re- ceivipg and concealing stolen property. Lewis is a white man about 36 years of age. It was charged that he and Rob- ert ODonnel burglarized Mir. McKenZie's shoe shop about December 15 last and
 
 O'Donners case was continued until the next term of the court.
 This was the only case on the criminal court docket yesterday, and was finish ed at noon, the jury returning verdict in the afternoon.
 Real Estate Transfers
 United States to heirs of John w. Gill lespie, patent to southeast quarter of southeast quarter, section IS, township 15, range 2 west.
 John C. to Ira P. Gillespie, southeast quarter of southeast quarter section 18 township 15, range 2, west; $100.
 S. Clements and wife to s. P. Clements northwest quarter of northwest quarter, section 10, township 16, range 4, west; $50.
 S. H. Cheek and wife to T. A Lang ford lot on Stout's road at crossing of lines of northwest quarter and south west quarter of northeast quarter. sec tion 26, township 15 range 3, west; $l
 R. H. Vann to l.. E. Price, ten acres off southwest corner of southeast quarter of northeast quarter, section 34 town ship 15, range l. west: S15
 E. A. Lee to l.. E. Price lot on Hunts vile road and Third street; $50.
 Inferior Criminal Court
 A case was filed in the inferior criminal court yesterday that bids fair to create some excitement in colored high life Rev. c. o. H. Thomas will be arraigned on the charge of libel. Thomas is a preacher in this city. and he recently wrote an article to the Missionary Her aid over the nom de plume of Zion in which he takes occasion to pay his re- spects to Josephine E. Chant, who ayers in her complaint that in said publication Thomas unlawfully. wickedly and mali ciously, devising, contriying as much as in him lay, to scandalize, yillify and de- fame her; to bring her into public scan. dal, infamy and disgrace by publishing in a public journal or newspaper. the Missionary Herald, published at Bir- mingham."
 Josephine appears to be writer, a teacher and a church worker, and is praised very highly by some of the col ored papers to which she contributes. and this credit the Rev. Thomas does not think she is justly entitled to, and so ex- presses himself in plain, and possibly re- fiecting, language in the Missionary Her aid over the signature of "Zion."
 The picture of Josephine Chant appears in the Missionary Herald of the 22d, to- gether with column criticism of the ad dress of Bishop Petty delivered at the Atlanta exposition on the subject, The Nation and It's Duty to the Negro, from which the following extract is taken:
 He reminds the nation of it's duty by careful rehearsal of what 1t has neg lected (wilfully and without excuse). He has not fallen at the shrine of the Amer ican government pleading for mercy, but SlOOQ III lne IullneSS OI HIS DldHHOoo dnu eloquently appealed for justice and the same protection for the colored citizen as is accorded the white. While speak ing he had no troubled vision of an office appointment or money to compensate for what he should say, but spoke from broad intellect and a full heart. In brief, he asked that the negro be given equal chances in labor, political freedom and protection to life, liberty and property, civil equality having first shown that he i-4EIorthy of it. AS the bishop says, we AsAVe been on thirty years probation, and it is time we were regarded as full members and citizens and given the full exercise of our rights in accordance. One thing particularly striking m the address is his political stand, and 1t is a most reasonable one. It has always appeared strange that it should be expected that the colored man should be slave to any one political party regardless of his best interests. any more than anyone else, and it is encouraging to note that we can so express ourselves and be intelligently understood
 We have been tried long enough. If we are ever to be fully recognized, now is the time. Every man should be per- suaded and led by his own convictions, and not by that of others, and we coin eide with the bishop that what is good fer the white man in any section is alike good for the colored man in the same sec- tlon. Let this be understood as general. In cases where this is not true we should be able to see and know what is objec- tionable. and act accordingly. We must act in harmony with the times. It is not good sense to vote one way, regardless of ones best interests.
 While the negro is an indispensable factnr-in politics, as well as in other things, he is not benefited to any great extent. no matter what way he votes"
 The following cases were disposed of:
 Ed Smith, charged with an affray; fined $2.50.
 Alfred Casey, fighting fined $5.
 John West colored, petty larceny: fined $26 and thirty days.
 Amos Thomas. colored. fighting; fined $lo.
 Tom Toby, colored, fighting; fined $5.
 Molle Mcdonald. disorderly conduct; fined S3
 Dennis McCann, disorderly conduct; fined s5; for tresqassing. fined $5.
 E. S.. Carter, colored, disorderly con duct; fined g.
 Jake Kennedy, colored, vagrancy; fined S.
 Bob McFarlan, vagrancy; fined S.
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