The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-05
SELMA ASSURED
OF HAVING COURT
President Has Signed Measure
Making it Law
DUEL CASE Is EXAMINED
Tobe Johnson II Given Sentence of
Ten Years-Lee Bell Accepts Life
oentenco fos Killing a
Negro Woman.


received this morning from Congressman
Sydney ]. Bowie announced the crafty
ing intelligence to Selmians that the Pres
ident had signed the bill granting a Uni
ted States court at Selma and Tuscaloosa,
and that the measure was now a law.
Under the bill courts will be held in Selma
on the fourth Monday In May and the
first Monday in November, unless the
dates were changed when the compromise
measure was agreed upon. Judge Harry
Toulmin will preside over the court and
Hon. Richard r. Jones will be the clerk,
the court here being simply a division
of the southern district, which has head
quarters in Mobile. A deputy clerk will
probably be appointed by Mr.. Jones' who
will reside here in order to issue process
of law without having to go to Mobile. A
place to hold the court will be furnished
free to the government until the public
| building is built and court room estab-
lished The contract has been let for the
Selma public building, but pending the
establishment of a United States court
here at the request of the Commercial
and Industrial association of this city,
Congressman Bowie had the award held
up. Work may be delayed on the public
building for some months, but Selmians
would prefer waiting than to have
small, cheap affair.
Case No: Concluded.
The examination into the case of the
duel in Rosendorfs saloon on Thursday
night was not concluded this morning,
| John Jones, one of the alleged partci-
! pants not having been found by the
| police yesterday. New evidence was
| brought in the examination this morning.
! Mr.. Robert Coleman, who was found to
| have been at the counter when Mike
Jones was talking to the Greek employe,
| John Trlkuls. stating to the court that
! he was sitting at the counter and saw
! John Jones come in. The shooting oc-
! Cured in a few seconds. Unless some
| thing further is brought out by the de-
| PENDANTS the Mayor will ON Monday
morning bind over to the grand jury
! Mike r. Jones, Jr., John Jones and Frank
| Wynn and will probably release John
| Trikulis Mr.. Freeman. with whom John
Jones was having a difficulty when Trl-
| kulis put the men out of 1ie saloon, was
in court this morning, but the Mayor
| did not assess a fine in his case. He
was not In the saloon when the shooting
| took place.
Given Ten Years.
The jury in the case of Tobe john
! son, charged with the murder of AL
| drich Walker returned a verdict of
| guilty of murder in the second degree
and fixed the punishment at ten years
! in the penitentiary. Old man tAldrich
| Walker was killed In front of O'Flynns
saloon on Washington street. 1t was
thought that he had dropped dead 1T
when his body was being dressed for
| the grave a stab wourI was found over
the heart. lobe Johnson had been seen
to strike the old man a blow as he
| fell and 1t was proven that the knife
was in his hand that inflicted the fatal
| wound.
Took Life Sentence.
| Lee Bell, q negro boy about II years
| oc age, accepted l. sentence in the
| city court for the killing of an old negro
| woman near Browns in this county The
negro met the woman in the woods and
robbed her of $15O He then beat her
| with a stick and finally shot her to death
! He appears to be a most savage look
! ing negro and the court believed with
! the solicitor that life imprisonment would
perhaps be the most humane punishment
| in his case.