The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-03
THE VACANT JUDGESHIP
PERSONS MENTIONED AS JUDGE
 BRUcE's SUCCESSOR.
The Place May Fall to Some Promi- nent Contempt Case Against Dr. ]. T. searcy
 Was Dismissed.

Birmingham, Oct L-(Special.)- )-The death of Judge John Bruce of the Dis trict United States Court of North Ala bama, which occurred in Walters Park, Pa, yesterday. has precipitated the con- test for the succession to the office he held. Had the deceased lived until Feb ruary 18th, next, he would have reached the age of retirement. and could have left the Federal tench with full pay for the remainder of his life. It was the ex- pectation of his retirement that made candidates for the prospective vacancy appear in the field at an early date. The field is full of gentlemen who would like to wear the ermine and whose claims will either be urged in a definite manner by themselves or by their friends and con- stituents.
 Among the applicants. either in a direct way or through the of1ces of their friends are the following: William Vaughan or Birmingham, District Attorney for North ern Alabama. Mir. Vaughan stood close the chairman of the State Republican
 Executive Committee. He will have strong friends for him. and there will be strong opposition to him.
 M D. Wickersham. District Attorney
 for Southern Alabama; and Warren 8.
 Reese. Jr., of Montgomery. District At
 torney for Middle Alabama, will be urged DIV tnelT ITleHuS. HULL ObCnE Le. AAoAosOy of Huntsville is also in the race. He was former Democratic State Senator, but
 joined the Republicans in the first Me- Kinley campaign and made speeches in the far West for the Mckinley hammer. J. A. w. Smith of Birmingham, a prom inent lawyer, Is also mentioned. He IS son of the late W. H. Smith. Republican Governor of Alabama. Another appn- cant is Judge c. H. Craig of Dallas a (lrCtIf TudRe and A leading Alabama Republican.
 r The Democrats of the State do not be- leve that the appointment will necessa- rily come to Republican and conse- quently will urge good Democratic tim- ber for the vacancy.
 Among the Democrats who will be push cd for the office by various influences are the following: Congressman A. A. Wiley of the Second Alabama District. Colonel
 Wiley served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Spanish-American war, and IS
 thought to have good influences at Wash ington in the present contingency. The
 name of John P. Tillman of Birmingham,
 one of the m6st eminent lawyers in the
 Gtate of Alabama. will also be urged for
 the appointment. MT. Tillman will un-
 doubte dly have strong backing. It is also likely that a movement will be in augu-ated to have the name of Chief Jus | tice Mcclellan of the Alabama Supreme
 Court. presented to President Roosevelt for the appointment for the vacancy. These is little doubt that Judge McClel- lans name will be strongly urged. Then. again. former Governor Thomas c. Jones will be urged for the place, and the same | Is true of Gen. Fred s. Ferguson of this
 city. There are many Democrats who are going to push the claims of Judge Thom- as R. Roulhac of Sheffield, and Gen. Fred
 S. Ferguson of this city Is mentioned as
 Democrat who will have friends at | Washington.
 | The above is onl va partial list of the | aspirants for the vacancy and the gentle
 men whose claims will be urged for the vacancy bv their friends. The race for | the appointment is going to be very
 vigorous one indeed and 1t is impossible
 at the present juncture to predict results. | As far as the Republicans are concerned | 1t would appear the I ace Is between MT. Vaughan and Mr. Smith of Birmingham. | Between the Democratic aspirants there | Is no race. but 1t is evident. as far as Gan be ascertained thus early in the fray, | that Messrs. Tillman. Roulhac Jones and several others are all in the line of light 1 nirg. Judge A. D. Sayre of the City | Court of Montgomery, Is mentioned a 1 good deal in this city as a probably for i midable candidate for the office. and so is W. L. Chambers, former Chief Justice to Ga moa