The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-22
PROMINENT MEN
ENJOY A BANQUET
The Heains and Thirty of Their
Friends Gather
A DELIGHTFUL OCCASION
II Was In Honor of Or. w. L. Helms
18th Anniversary-FloW OF
Wit, Humor and
Pathos.
A DELIGHTFUL OCCASION

More than thirty friends of the Helm
family gathered with the sons last night
at dinner at the Hillman to paruclpate
in the celebration of the seventy-nllh
anniversary of the birth OF Dr. w. Il.
Henin, who has given eight sons to Ala
bama, all prominent in their various
walks of life.
Though he has spent his three-score
years and fifteen, Dr. Heflln is still strong
and healthy, and showed great enjoyment
in the flow of wit, humor and pathos at
last nights dinner.
Among the guests were some Of the
most prominent men of Birmingham and
the state, and either by voice or express
sion the entire party showed their adj
miration for the venerable physician and
their friendship for the father of eight
sturdy Alabamians.
A Little History.
A little of the history of the Helms was
disclosed by Charles w. Ferguson while
making an after-dinner speech He told
of the time during the reconstruction
days following the war, when DR.. Helm,
standing as martyr, was under indict-
ment by the federal courts and oppressed
by usurping Judge. DR.. Helm had in
sisted on the rights of his fellow Ala
bamians in Randolph county, and follow
ing his firm stand on matters pertaining
to the welfare of the state, several In
dctments were found, and he was tried
in the courts with his liberty at stake.
The Hon. Lewis Parsons, at that time
governor of the state, stood by him to
the last, and finally saved him from con-
man who had befriended DR.. Heflin, was
present at the dinner and this gave Mr..
Ferguson the text for an interesting
speech.
DR.. Wilson L. Heflin was born in Ran
dolph county seventy-five years ago and
is the father of these sons: DR.. Wyatt
Hehin of Birmingham; Harrington P.
Henln, solicitor for Jefferson county;
John T. Henin, assistant solicitor for
jefferson county; Howell T. Hefiin, M D.,
of Birmingham; Walter w. Hefiln of
Chambers county; J. Thomas Hefiin, sec
rotary of state; Robert L. Hefin of Ran
dolph and the Rev Marvin l.. Heflin of
Birmingham.
Have All Been Successful.
The Helms have been remarkably sue
cessful in politics and few of them have
ever been defeated for any office. As ply
sicians lawyers and farmers they are
among the most prominent in their voca-
tions, and though quite young, the Rev.
Marvin l.. Hefin is already leading fig
ure among the young Methodist preach
ers of the state.
Those present at the dinner last night
were: Col. W. Fl. benson, DIR. l.. C. Lee
Grande, j. d. Moore, James Randall,
Jesse f. Stalings, Richard F. Johnston,
Robert ]. Lowe, Thomas F. Parker, w.
r. Gum. Charles W. Ferguson, Judge
Dan A. Greene, b. C. Bulger, f. c. Win
ston, Jr., II. s. Hall, DR.. T. II. Payne,
w II. Kettig, Joseph u. Parsons Scion
Jacobs, DR.. NJ. ii. Collins. Lueien Julien
Walker, B. f. Moore, James Weatherly,
Mitchell Handley and william Weathers.
After an elaborate opinion on a funny
accident case rendered by Mr.. Weatherly,
a humorous story by J. Thomas Helm
and classic poem, "Old London Town, =
by Charles w. Ferguson, each of the
guests spoke of the Hefin family in a
happy vein and all wished the venerable
doctor another quarter of century of
health and happines.
Among those who spoke were James
Weatherly, DIR. l.. c. LeGrande, Jesse F.
Stallings Robert ]. Lowe, w. III. Kettig,
Joseph H. Parsons, Col w. Fl. benson,
Richard f. Johnston, b. C. Bulger, Judge
Dan A. Greene and L. c. winston, Jr.