Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-02-04
CAPITAL AND STATE NEWS.

jackson, Feb f. Bishop Charles
B. Galloway of the Methodist
church, who returned yesterday from
trip of seven months through
China, Japan and Corea, where he
presided over the mission confer
ences, declines to express an opinion
at the present time ON the movement
for statutory prohibition IN Mlssls-
sippi, stating that he does not desire
to take part in the campaign until
he has studied the situation and con-
ferred with friends. There is every
reason to believe, however, that
Bishop Galloawy's views i'll opposi-
tion to the statutory form of prohibi-
tion have not undergone change,
and that he will not be found among
the temperance workers who are seek
ing to compel the candidates for state
and county offices to declare them
selves on the question. He Will
doubtless attend the convention Of the
prohibitionists to be held in Jackson
on the 17ht of February, but much
depends upon the course of the body
as to whether he will deliver an ad-
dress. It is generally conceded
even among many of the advocates OF
the statutory prohibition, that if
Bishop Galloway delivers an address
to the people in opposition to the
plan of the prohibitionists that 1t
will mean It's death knell in this
state, for all the fOres now at work
could not discount his influence.
Heretofore Bishop Galloway has been
strongly convinced that continuance
of the present local option plan is the
best way to get rid of the open sa-
looms, and he has worked continuously
to this end, having organized the
movement in this state that has re-
suited in all except seven counties
being placed in the local option col
umn.
A case of unusual interest decided
by the supreme court last evening was
that of James A. Roy vs.. The First
National Bank of Aberdeen, wherein
was involved the genuineness OF the
signature of the appellant to note
for $4, 900 held by the banking insti-
tuition. During the reading of the
opinion Chief Justice Whitfield spoke
in disparaging termss of the so-called
handwriting experts who gave testl-
mony, and expressed his disapproval
of expert testimony i'll general as
form of evidence. The note alleged
to have been endorsed by Mr.. Roy
was signed by Mrs. Langtew, and the
evidence showed that the signature OF
Mr.. Roy, who is now a citizen OF
Birmingham, was forged by the
woman's husband, Ernest Langtew
A tragedy is connected with the fea-
ture of the case, as Langtew after
wards committed suicide, the act
being revoked by remorse over his
downfall, and prior to the develop
ment of the proof against him he
threatened to shoot Mr.. Roy If he
made public the feat that the note in
question, and several similar papers
that had been cancelled, were forged.
The lower court decied i'll favor of
the bank and the supreme court now
reverses the verdict and orders the
lower court to find preemptoryly for
the defendant.
The executive committee of the Mis-
sissippi division of the United Sons
of Confederate Veterans meeting
Jackson today with Maj. Gen. o. L.
Mckay presiding and arranged for
the purchase of Beauvoir, the
former home of Jefferson Davis,
which will be used as home for in
digent ex-confederate soldiers. The
purchase price is $4,000 and has all
been collected. The Daughters OF