The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-26
JUDGE SHARPE IS NOT IN RACE
 ~ Will Retire From Supreme
 Court Bench. AN AUTHENTIC STATEMENT Birmingham Justice to Re- sume Practice of Law. Jefferson County Will Undoubtedly Put Forward a Candidate for
 High onace to Be Filled
 Next Year.

Hon. Henry A. sharpe Associate Jus tfce of the Supreme Court of Alabama will not be a candidate to succeed him- self on the Supreme Court bench
 Justice Sharpe authorized the statement last night that he had no. intention or becoming a candidate for reelection.
 The announcement will be surprise to all except the personal friends of Jus tice Sharpe. To them he had previously announced Lis determination not to enter the contest in the August primaries: On the other hand 1t has been published throughout the State. that the i've Jus didates to succeed themselves. It was generally believed that the strongest con test in the campaign of next summer would be between the candidates for the two new places. .a
 Judge sharpe's Statement.
 Justice Sharpe was seen last night by an Advertiser representative. In response to an inquiry, be said:
 '1 have no intention of becoming can didate for reelection"
 Beyond this simple statement he manl- fested dlsinclination to discuss the sub 1ect.
 Justice Sharpe was elected to the Su- preme Court bench from Jefferson county: He has always stood high in the esteem Of his fellow members of the legal profess sion. not only in Birmingham but throughout Alabama. He would have re- ceived. it is confidently stated, the unan-
 
 ham if he had chosen to stand for re- election. He would have entered the race had he so chosen, with the prestige Of support of the largest and most inffuen- tial bar of the State I His declination to enter the race will have an important bearing upon the ap- preaching Judicial campaign. It will. 1t is said. especially affect the attitude of the Birmingham bar.
 Jefferson County Possibilities. Vat m IQfTdTGnHi county attorney mentioned as prospec- tive candidate for Supreme Court honors. With the declination of Justice Sharpe to enter the race the belief is entertained that the big county of the State will pre- sent candidate for one of the Judicial places.
 In the offices and corridors of the ca D. itol yesterday the probability of the can d.dacy of Hon. H. C. Selheimer or J. C. Webb was discussed. Both of them are prominent attorneys of the Birmingham bar. It is not regarded as at all probable that Jefferson county will allow the fight
 without having a direct interest in the campaign. -t Seven justices will be nominated in the primaries of next August and the nomi- following November. There are at pres ent five Justices of the Supreme Court. The last Legislature created two addi- tional Justices. The four of the five jus tiCeS OI tHe present. court WnO VIII SLa0O | for reelection are Chief Justice T. N. Mcclellan. of Limestone, Associate Jus | tices Jonathan Haralson, of Dallas, J. R. Dowdell. of Chambers, and J. R. Tyson of | Montgomery.
 The names of many prominent lawyers Of Alabama have been mentioned in con- nection with a place on the Supreme Court bench. At this early date however, ! the campaign has assumed no definite shape. Has Served One Term. Justice Sharpe who has announced that he had no intention of becoming a can didate for reelection, will have next year completed one full term as Associate ] Justice of the Supreme Court, having been elected in August. 18SS Justice | Sharpe Is a native Alabamian and a l graduate of the law department of Cum
 berland University. He represented Mor- | gan county in the Legislature of 1S7S-1S79. He was appointed the first judge of the City Court of Birmingham in 1884 by Gov | ernor O'Neal.
 Justice Sharpe held this office until 1Sss when he was elected Associate Justice of | the Supreme Court. It is understood that Justice Sharpe will devote his time to practicing law in
 Birmingham after retiring from the l bench.