The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-14
MERIDIAN WANTS
 COLLEGE BUILDING Is Making an Effort to Get Con-
 ference College MONEY WAS C0NTRIBUT TED Prominent Young Planter Accidentally Shoots Himself While Loading His
 PistoI-Fireman Thomps-
 son Is Better.
MONEY WAS CONTRIBUTE

Meridian, Miss, December 13.-Jesse Smith, a prominent young planter of the vicinity of Coffeedelyle. Neshoba county
 accidentally shot himself this morning, while endeavoring to load his revolver on the public road. It is stated that while en route to the nearby town. the young
 man stopped in the road to load his pistol. In some manner one of the cart ridges in the chambers exploded, the ball passing through Smiths hand and into
 his body.
 Smith was taken into a nearby resi- dence and medical aid called. It is stated
 the wound in the intestinal regions is of a dangerous nature and some apprehen-
 sion is felt for the unfortunate young mans recovery.
 Fireman Jack Thompson, who was se-
 riously injured at a fire on Thirtieth ave- nue on Tuesday, is reported considerably improved tonight. no bones being broken, and only a slight fever remaining with
 him during the day. The internal in
 juries so far has been ascertained,
 are not considered of serious nature
 The wounded fireman has been com
 fortably installed at headquarters where
 Assistant Chief Charles Massey and Mrs.
 Massey are nursing him, the chief doubly
 regretting the accident on account of the
 fact that it was his horse that caused the
 accident. The physicians entertain hopes
 now that Thompson will speedily re- 1 cover.
 The Meridian delegates to the Metho-
 dist conference at Gloster. now in ses-
 sion. are endeavoring to have the con
 ference college erected in this city. A
 hard fight is being made by several of
 the cities of the state for the building, but Meridian claims that the chances are more
 in her favor.
 It Is claimed that some years ago a
 pioneer citizen of Meridian, MT. Rags
 dale, who then owned half of the town,
 donated to the Methodist church certain
 parcel of property to be used as a college
 site. After being in operation a number
 of years the college was burned, and the | property, afterwards sold by the con- | ference. The money was given to the
 Millsaps college, it is claimed, when it
 should have remained in this city On
 this account it is believed, the new | Andrew Richardson a negro, is in the city jail charged with robbing another
 negro named Hardy. The story behind the alleged crime is an interesting one. The | two negroes were employed in the steel | gang at the new depot and a discussion arose as to whether one could catch an I iron tap thrown by the other.
 l Hardy bet 25 cents that Richardson not tnIa ton nd mt 1t, | his watch to guarantee the amount. The | tap was thrown with considerable force, | but Richardson succeeded in catching 1t. | and claimed the watch. Angry words fol- | lowed but a compromise was arranged whereby Hardy was to pay s6 to redeem | his own watch, but the timekeeper of | the gang said he did not have that much time in on the job. He kept the watch.
 | Later, 1t Is claimed, Richardson met I Hardy away from the works and asked | to see the watch. He drew a pocket knife | 1t is claimed, snatched tine watch and dared Hardy to try to recover it. Rich ardson was arrested a short time later His case has been transferred to the court of Justice Townsend and will be | tried tomorrow morning.
 l A. M. Denton. brother to former member of the state legislature, who died Sunday morning. was buried today at Gum Log church cemetery, twelve miles northwest of the city. The funeral was under the auspices of the Masonic lodge of which deceased was a prominent mem | ber He was also a Woodman of the | World and belonged to the Cumberland | Presbyterian church for thirty years. The l funeral was conducted by tine Rev. R. A. | Cody of the Cumberland church. MT Denton was reared in this par | ticular vicinity and stood high In all
 walks of life. His death followed a finger l ing illness of several months, superin- duced by old age. He leaves family of several sons and daughters.