The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-21
TRUSTEES DECLARE TEE SALE OF
TIE UNIVERSITY LANDS ILLEGAL
Continued From First Page.)

field company had never been received by
him, and said that he could not say that
any money had ever been paid.
He said the law prescribed that money
i'm payment for lands should be paid to the
land commissioners He said he had struck
out the numbers in the DeBardeleben lease
because the governor instructed him to do
so. He was OF the opinion the lands could
have been leased had these numbers re-
manned in. He said the governor stated in
letter to him that the university lands
designated by the excepted numbers, 1850
acres, were mixed in with some school in
demnity lands which could not be sold with
out the university lands Mr. Wood finish
ed reading the report at I o'clock and the
board took a recess for supper.
DIR. Powers gave the trustees and others
a good supper, after which the board re-
turned to the work in hand.
Sidney ]. Bowie, chairman of the inves-
tigating committee of the alumni by per-
mission addressed the board.
He said he merely wanted to refute the
charge brought against his committee that
they had failed to seek information from
head sources. He said the committee had
gone to the offices of the Sloss- Sheffield
company to see President Sol Haas, but he
was in Florida. They saw Secretary Nc
Queen and he declined to give out any in
formation.
The committee requested Governor john
ston for a statement and Mr.. Bowie said
he ignored the request.
He said. they went TO every one who they
thought could tell them anything bearing
on the lands
They sought information from officers of
the company that purchased the lands
who, the committee thought, said Mr..
Bowie, were the proper people to give out
information. The committee could not I'M
dertake TO call on all the stockholders of
the Sloss-Sheffield company for informa-
tfon.
AT the conclusion of Mr. Bowies remarks,
Mr.. Wood took up the exhibits to the
alumni investigating committees report A
large number of options on university,
company and individual lands were sub
mitted.
Opdons university lands granted by
Governor Johnston to e. w. Rucker and
John w. Johnston were among the number.
The reading of these by Phares Coleman,
who had relieved Mr.. Wood, provoked some
discussion participated in by several trus-
tees.
Colonel Sanford Judge Richardson and
others asked several questions as to the
number of options granted by the governor,
the period of time covered by same, and the
right of the governor to grant an option on
university lands.
An option given on these lands by the
governor in the opinion of some of the
trustees, meant nothing. The governor
could not sell the lands and the prices
stated in the options are not binding, as
the options themselves were illegal.
Gave Option in March
From the opinions in the hands of the
committee, handed them by ]. w. Worth
ington last might, 1T appears that Governor
Johnston began giving options on university
lands in the early part of March, 1898, and
with renewals and new options continued
until the consummaton of the Sloss-Shef-
field syndicate deal.
All these options had besH obtained by
E. w. Rucker and John ". Johnston, the
consideration paid for them in each in
stance being one dollar. The $50 acres ex
cepted in the contract drawn for H. F.
DeBardeleben to sign when he tried to
lease university lands, were included in an
option held by John w. Johnston, whose
option was in force at the time Mr. De-
Bardeleben was trying to lease the lands.
Reading from the minutes Of the board
of trustees, Mr.. Coleman fosad reports
from the land committee of sales of univer-
sity lands in 1891 and 1892 at SIS per acre.
In 1892 922 acres were sold at this price.
This completed the presentations from
the Alumni society. 4
Pratts Resolution
Daniel Pratt, of Prattville, offered the