The age-herald., 1901-02-08
Attorney Makes it Warm for a
 Prosecuting Witness
A CASE IN POLICE COURT
Liberian Colonization Society Charges an Agent With Embezzlement-A Tale of Woe in Which the So-
 cety is on the Other Side.

of the Liberian Colonization Society. who was arrested on Wednesday afternoon on the charge of obtaining money under false pretense and who was held to the grand jury in the sum of $500, appeared yesterday as prosecutor in the Inferior Criminal Court against J. J. Carmichael, an agent of the colonization society who had been arrested on the charge of embezzement.
 Carmichael, who is a negro. is charged with being short in his accounts with the society to the extent of s300, which it is said he collected and failed to account for.
 The society was represented by Attorney Lee Cowart and the defendant by P. G. Bowman, who put the prosecuting witness through 8 severe cross-examination, in which he endeavored to show that 1t was a case of the pot calling the kettle black"
 Cross Questions.
 Hummer took the stand and testified to various amounts that had been collected by Carmichael, for which he had failed to account. MT. Bowman opened up the cross- examination with the following questions:
 You ran a game like this before, didn't you?'
 Never ran game in my life," said the witness.
 You say you never ran skin game?"
 'You are the same Hummer, though only little smoother?'
 'Yes, I have just shaved this morning"
 The judge interrupted this questioning, but continuing the examination the witness admitted that the books of the society did Shpu inc ia bad been credited and that he was guessing at the amount
 It was developed that the society origi- nally intended to make shipment of emi- grants from Savannah on January 30, but not being able to raise sufficient number for a special ship that they had sent them via New York. The society only furnishes transportation from a port and emigrants must pay their railroad fare to the port, the $50 which they pay for their passage not including transportation by rail.
 You take their money and promise to ship them from Savannah on the 30th then change to New York, and when they ask for their money back, you tell them it de- pends on the board of directors, and you tell me that is not a skin game?' asked MT. Bowman.
 No, 1t is not replied the witness
 On redirect examination the witness said that Carmichael admitted to him in con- versation after his arrest that he was short $250 in his receipts.
 He said that in July or August he wrote letter to Carmichael employing him as collector. This did not state the amount of his commissions. He made settlements at various intervals from a week to two months, and that there had been no general account or settlement between them; that he had paid in about $250 and that witness regarded him as one of their best agents.
 MT. Cowart then testified that Carmichael had run away and that he had him arrest ed and brought back, and that while in jail he admitted to him that he was short about $25O and offered to settle If the so- ciety would dismiss the prosecution, which he declined to do.
 At this point the case was adjourned un- til 10 a. m. Saturday.
 A Tale of Woe.
 The complaint on which Hummer was held to the grand jury was made by Simon McDamon, an old negro of Hale County, who recently sold his little farm and with his wife started for the far-away shores of the Dark Continent under the protecting care of the Colonization Society to which he said he paid $1OO for passage. McDamon claims that he and the "ole 'oman' were to be sent from Birmingham to Savannah, where they were to ship with a colony for Liberia. After disposing of their effects except such clothing as was Tod he hadQ farewell to the friends of years and with tears in their eyes took their departure from the rich black belt country where they were born and reared.
 On reaching Birmingham, the old man states he was told that the idea of char tering a ship to sail from Savannah had been given up for this year. and that the immigrants had already been sent to New York, where they would sail upon steam CT from that port. He was told, he states, that the train bearing this delegation had already left. and that he and his wife could not go at this time without the payment of s9OO If they could not pay this they would have to wait until next January, when the next crowd would be shipped. Being without funds McDamon sought Attorney Bowman and swore out a warrant against Hummer who was tried before Justice I. H. Benners and bound over to await the action of the grnd jury under a bond of $500,
 The Libernian Colonization Society was organized last July with an "authorized' capital of $l,OO0,O0O one-tenth of one per cent of which was paid in. Hummer. who is the secretary and treasurer of the so- ciety, was president of the International Migration Society, which sent several col- onies to Africa.
 JOLLY TIME IN STORE.
 Delegation of Elks Leave for Decatur