The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-18
CAVALRY TROOP ID
 HOLD AN ELECTION
Captain and Two Lieutenants
 Will be Chosen
ARTILLERY COURTMART TIAL
Witnesses May be Summoned from Different Points In Alabama. State Meets the Expense of
 The Trials.

Captain E. J. McCrossin. commanding Troop D, First cavalry. Alabama Ma tional Guard, has issued a special order for an election to be held in the armory of the troop at the city hall to fill the vacancy of the office of captain, of first and of second neutenants, the present officers terms having expired. The elee- tion will be held on the night of Decem- Der 2S.
 Captain McCrossin will be a candidate to succeed himself and he will be op- posed by First Lieutenant c. s. Price. Walter Metcalf will be candidate for second lieutenant.
 Other candidates may enter for the three commissions in the cavalry and the election promises to be a spirited one. Captain McCrossin has been the com manding officer of the troop for a num- Der Of years
 The courtmartial of the ten or twelve members of the Brandon Light artillery, which will be held Tuesday night in the armory of the battery. Is creating much interest in the local Military circles, in- asmuch as this will probably be the largest company courtmartial ever held in Birmingham.
 Capt. Edward D. Smith, commanding the battery. has called the regular monthly drill and muster of the battery for Tuesday night but on account of the court martial the muster may be post poned.
 Have Employed Attorney. Several of the artillerymen have em- ployed attorneys to defend them at the | trial. They are all charged with vlo- lating the rules and bylaws of the bat tery with reference to being absent from muster without an excuse. Several fine points, may be brought out, with refer ence to the military laws of the state.
 The charges are for failing to attend" muster. One of the soldiers said last night that he would ask that the charge against him be quashed upon the ground that they show prma facie evidence that he was not there, and in this way he will prove clear alibi.
 Several defendants will insist that a stenographer be employed to take down | the evidence as offered in their cases. The state law provides that a stenogra- pher shall be employed by the court to take evidence. The law further provid- l ed that witnesses can be summoned tc appear before the court, provided they do not live over one hundred miles from the point where the court is ir session. Witnesses are paid out of the state fund by warrant drawn upon the state auditor ard approved by the gov ernor
 Will Summon Witnesses. It is understood that several of the de- | fendants will ask that witnesses be sum- moned from Annston, Montgomery, De- 1 catur, Selma, Tuscaloosa and other points within a radius of 100 miles of Bir- mingham to testify In their behalf. They claim the testimony to be offered by these witnesses will, be material, too. The court martial proceedings may cost the state of Alabama several hundred dollars. 1 In case the court decides to try all of the men under charges at the same time, severance will be asked for by many | of the defendants If witnesses fail to ap- bear some of tho defendants will seek to make showings.
 The court will be composed of the sec- ond officer in command. and he will have to pass on all of these legal points.