The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-11-29
RED LETTER DAY
At COURT HOUSE
Six Damage Suits ASSr06atlnS $4,000
Filed Yesterday.
WERE FOR VARIOUS AMOUNTS
City Of BeSSemGF Made Defendant to a
Suit for $4,000
FOR VARIOUS AMOUNTS
FOR THE DEATH OF JAMES HOWELL
Who Was Killed in Cell in City Prison
by Thomas COLLABORATION Creel
Former Convict, Sues Sloss Co.
for Alleged Maltreatment.

Yesterday was a red letter day at the coun-
ty court house, as far as damage suits were
concerned Six suits aggregating $4,000
were filed in the various courts against as
many defndants, based on divers allega-
tons.
In the circuit court Susie l.. Howell adj
minstratrix of the estate of James l..
Howell, entered suit against the city of
Bessemer for $4,000 for the death of How
ell who was killed in a cell in the city
prison on the evening of December q last,
by Thomas Collins, who is now serving a
ten-year sentence in the state peniten-
tiary
Howell was arrested at the instance of
Collins wife, for an alleged insult offered
to her and her daughter, Nellie, the
street. Howell was locked up in the prison
and a few minutes later Collins, who had
been informed of the arrest went to the
prison, accompanied by Hugh Frazer, a
friend, and asked to see the prisoner, who
he stated he thought was an old friend,
and if such proved the case he desired to
squash the matter and withdraw the
charges On the promise that he would
offer the prisoner no harm, the jailer adj
mitted Collins and Frazer to the prison.
On catching sight of the prisoner who was
confined in a narrow cell, Collins drew a
revolver and sent bullet crashing into the
breast of the helpless man, who sank to
the floor of his prison cell mortally
wounded. Before his cell door could be
opened the poor fellow died, and Collins
and Frazer who had entered the prison as
free men a few minutes before, were them
selves made prisoners.
The affair caused the most intense excite
ment, and much sympathy was expressed
for the murdered man who bore a model
character.
Frazer, who was indicted as an accessory
was acquitted of the charge on trial. De-
spite the efforts of his attorneys to sustain
a plea of temporary insanity, Collins was
given a ten years sentence.
In the suit for damages, the complaint
alleges that the city, through its jailer, was
negligent in allowing Collins to enter the
prison.
For the Death of Albert Sidney johnson
In the same court, Matthew Johnson, adj
mnistrator of the estate of Albert Sidney
Johnson, entered suit against the Hardie-
$25 900.
1t is alleged that on February 49, 1898,
plaintiffs intestate, who was a young
boy, was directed to adjust a belt on a
pulley and was not warned of the danger
incident to the act. 1t is further alleged
that he was caught by a thumb screw on
the shafting and badly injured and as an
approximate consequence death resulted.
AS1O,OOO Suit
In the circuit court also John B. Bunt
filed suit against the Southern Railway
company for $4,000 damages. In this suit
the plaintiff alleges that while employed
as a brakeman near Admission on July "a,
1898, one of his hands was mashed between
two cars, due to the carelessness of the en-
gineers and that by reason thereof plain
tiff has been permanently injured and rem
dered less able to earn a livelihood.
Former Convict Sues
In the city court three suits were filed.
Marion Creel entered suit against the Sloss
Iron and Steel company for $4,000 damages.
The complaint alleges that during the latter
part of 1897, while a convict In the custody
of the defendant company at Coalburg,
plaintiff was compelled to walk through
passage ways in the mines in which there
was much water and filth, and that he was
compelled to work In wet clothes which
were insufficient in consequence of which
he contracted an incurable disease all to his
damage in the sum of $4,000.
Two Sc, 900 suits
Jerry v. Jones filed suit against the
Smith Sons Gin and Machine company for
IS, 900 damages for the alleged loss of two
fingers while employed in the defendants
shop on July %, 1898.
Tony Stanley entered suit against the
Birmingham Rolling Mil company for $1,000
damages for injuries alleged to have been
sustained by reason Of a pile of steel slabs
falling on him.