The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-17
Decatur Lawyer Refuses to DiS-
 cuSS the Matter
LONG CHASE FOR PISTOL
In Seeking to Capture Gang of Men Who Are Robbing Railroad, Spe- cia Agent Travels Thous-
 ands of Miles.

special from Washington last night said Judge oceola Kyle of this city is an as- prant for the office of additional federal judge of Alabama
 Your representative called upon Judge Kyle in his law office here this morning and showed him the dispatch and asked him if he had any statement to make in regard to the matter. Judge Kyle de- clned to be interviewed on the question and would neither affirm or deny the re- port. He merely stated that he had noth- ing to say.
 Some of Judge Kyle's friends here are inclined to believe that he would accept the office if he felt that he would be ap- pointed.
 Judge Kyle has held many prominent offices in late years. He has been member of the state Legislature sew eral terms. a member of the state board of railroad commissioners and judge of this judicial circuit. He resigned as cir cult judge to accept the appointment of United States judge in the Panama canal zone He resigned the judgship in Pan anna a few months ago and has been practicng law in Decatur since. He re- signed the iudgeshp in Panama because he did not like the country and the sur roundngs there.
 First Snow Fall.
 A light fall of snow, the first of the season, fell here this morning, but 1t melted as fast as it fell.
 The heavy rains during the past few days have placed the country roads in bad condition. In some place the coun- try roads are almost impossible.
 The Commercial club of New Decatur Is in correspondence with the manager of A large names factory in the north, which factory is desirous of locating in the De- caturs
 The secretary of the Commercial club says the chances are good for the early location of the factory here.
 The New Decatur Commercial club has ordered 300 copies of the report of the immigration and quarantine convention. which was held In Chattanooga recently. These copies are for distribution by the club.
 Want Consolidation.
 The Business Mems league No. has ap- pointed a committee of five to confer with the Commercial club of New De- catur in regard to taking some steps looking forward to the consolidation or the two Decaturs.
 At the same meeting the league elected the following officers of the Decatur Transportation and Manufacturing com pany President, J. Douglas Scruggs' Vice President. C. B. Peschmann Secre- tary. L. c. Griffitts; Treasurer, Frank Brown.
 Plans have been accepted and are now In the hands of the contractors waiting for bids for the new opera house to be built in Decatur at the corner of Church and Canal streets.
 The house will be a modern one and will have a balcony and gallery and parquet It will be built by local stock company Thomas Polk Little1ohn, who will be manager of the house, IS large stockholder in the house.
 The new theatre in New Decatur Is al- most completed and will open with the first show December 26. Nearly a hum dred tickets have already been sold for the opening night.
 Fire company has elected officers as follows: Chief, H. A. Shates; assistant chief w. A. Shates; foreman. w. s.. Crones; assistant foreman; T. Leritten; secretary, G. C. Hartung; treasurer C.. Huller.
 Invitations have just been issued an- nouncing the coming marriage of Miss Mary Emma Harris to MT. James Dan ! nllal Means on December 27, at the home of the mother of the bride, Mrs Kate 1 Harris, on Sherman street MT. Means is an employe of the Southern railroad at Tuscumbia. They will make their home in Tuscumbia.
 Revolver Story. The story of the long chase for stolen revolver from city to city. covering a distance of several thousand miles. has come to close by the location of the much sought for weapon in the posses I trtyfI1 av,I Nashville railroad shops in New Deca- tur and the finding of this revolver may proye the means by which a gang of desperate thieves in New York may be run down.
 |. The story of the revolver and It's re- coyery In which V. M. Pettus, special agent of the Chesapeak and Ohio rail- road. with headquarters at Newport News, Va. travelled many miles and endured much hardship and encountered many dangers, sounds more like fiction than facts.
 Several months ago this revolver, to- gether with other freight. was supposed to have been shipped by a dealer in New York to merchant in distant city. When the box which contained the pistol arrived at It's destination 1t was found that the box had been opened and the pistol gone and a piece of iron of equal weight lying in the box in It's stead.
 MT, Pettus states that for many months numerous complains had come from shippers to the effect that New York freight had been footed and the railroad company at once placed the matter in the hands of the Pinkerton detective agency After many weary months of search the Pinkertons gave up the case and 1t was then that MT Pettus de- cided to take the matter in his own hands and at once set to work on the case.
 Traced to Alabama.
 Taking the stolen revolver as a means to work from MT. Pettus set to work and soon obtained clue as to the re- volver and followed this clue all over the United States and far up into Canada. few weeks ago he traced the stolen and much sought for revolver to Mont gomery. and found there that sometime previous it had been purchased by a Montgomery pawnbroker, but that the pawnbroker had but recently sold 1t. The pawnbroker could give MT. Pettus no information as to who the man was who lpurchased 1t and then commenced an-