The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-21
TRUSTEES DECLARE THE SALE Of
THE UNIVERSITY LANDS ILLEGAL
Active Steps Will at Once be Taken to Recover The Property
from the S-SheRed Company

to go to Florence and Sheffield to investi-
gate titles to some lands.
voted no to break the tie. Captain Webb
was not excused.
John II. Caldwell, of Jacksonville, trus-
tee, was unable to attend the meeting. He
started, but had an attack of vertigo while
on his way and is now seriously i'll in Birm-
ingham. He had prepared a statement and
this was read by the secretary, Robinson
Brown.
He said he was Influenced to make the
statement by the severe strictness in the
public prints of the board for selling Uni
versity lands and charges of corruption.
He said he had had no intimation that
the question of selling the lands would
come up at the September meeting. At that
meeting, after electing a professor of ped
agogy, the board went into executive ses-
sion.
Colonel Caldwell says that Governor
Johnston then stated he had received pro-
position to buy the lands mentioned. THE
| governor said," Colonel Caldwell stated,
that the lands were scattered and not
available for leasing; that efforts to lease
| them had falled.' 1t was suggested that
the matter be postponed until the next day
and the other members of the board wired
to come
| Mr. Russell-"My information is that all
the lands had to be sold in order to sell
any part of them, for that reason can un-
derstand why Captain Webb should be ex-
cused."
Captain Webb-"I don't want to make
any threat, but say / won't sit. I will
resign my position on the board before I
will VOTE
Colonel Samford-"I would rather excuse
him than to have him resign"
Captain Webb-"But I will. I have my
resignation written out here and you can
have it in five minutes"
offered to Resign
This declaration of Captain Webbs Great
ed considerable commotion, several men,
bers rising to their feet and addressing the
chair He evidently realized that he had
spoken too hastily and withdrew his re-
mark. The vote on Colonel Russefl's mo-
tion to excuse Captain Webb from sitting in
the meeting resulted in its defeat Russell,
Pratt, Davis and Webb voting for it, and
Sanford, Lomax, Little and Richardson
against it. President Pro Tenn. Stansel
For these reasons he wanted to be ex-
cused from sitting with the board.
Judge Richardson asked Captain Webb
If he knew the question of selling lands
would come up at the September meeting
of the board. Captain Webb responded
that he thought it would. He had not at
tended the meeting because of other busi-
ness. Mr. Russell moved to excuse Cap
tain Webb.
Colonel Sanford opposed the motion, say
ing that the relationship existing between
Captain Webb and Webb Crawford did not
disqualify him from acting with the board.
Judge Richardson urged that the adoption
of RusselPs motion would set a bad prece-
dent. Captain Webb said If he should vote
to confirm the saAe of lands to the Sloss-
Sheffield company it would be urged
against him that he did so because of
Crawford's connection with the deal.
Colonel Samford-"The fact that Craw-
ford was interested in getting up other
lands to sell to the Sloss-Shefheld COM
pany has no bearing on the case and Craw-
ford would not be effected by any action
taken by the trustees of the university"
To tGlls, Colonel Caldwell says the gov
ernor replied that he was afraid that could
not be done, as Lomax was out of the
state, DR.. Little was at Blount, Captain
Webb could not come, and that the others
were unavoidably away. An adjournment
for ten days was then suggested.
Colonel Caldwell says Governor Johnston
urged the sale of the lands was positive
they should be sold, that he had lands
near the University lands which he sold
for $40 per acre and the University lands
were so badly scattered that they could
be 1oae hat no TIDfvarcifv n a1
owned these lands for fifteen years and
had been unable to realize anything on
them, and that when the chance was Of
fered they should be sold.
The governor stated, Colonel Caldwell
says, that the price offered, $3.50 per acre,
was a fair one, and that the lands should
be sold so the state could dlscon ,inue Its
appropriation of $4,000 and also subject
these lands to taxation
Johnston Urged the Sale
Colone. Caldwell says further that Gov
ernor Johnston never said anything about
the proposed DcBardelaoen lease but told
the board that Captain Webb, chairman
of the executive committee, favored The
sale.
Colonel Caldwell urged tile fullest ipves-
tigation OF the matter, and if any fraud or
corruption was shown to exist, the blame
placed where it belonged. Let the :nves-
tigstion," concluded Colonel Caldw ell ne
without prejudice and without reference
to any political issue"
At the conclusion of the reading OF Colo
mel Caldwell's statement, Sterling A. Wood,
member of the advisory committee OF tae
alumni, was requested to present the reso-
lutions, reports, statements and whatever
else he might possess bearing on tha sale.
He read the report published in The Age
Herald today, the board paying the closest
attention and frequently asking questions
to make a clearer presentation of the mat
ters at issue.
Money Had Not Been Paid
Awhile the reading of the report was in
progress Land Commissioner Fits, in re-
sponse to question, stated that the money
said to have been paid by the Soss-Shef-
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