The Tupelo journal., 1905-12-15
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS
Contest Over Convict Contract.

Gov. Vardaman has raised one of the
biggest issues of recent times in this
State by securing an injunction from
the supreme court enjoinlng the board
of control from leasing the Sandy
Bayou plantation, belonging to State
Senator McLaurin. This action was
taken after a majority of the board had
voted to accept the proposition made by
Senator McLaurin to pay the State $685.
900 a year for working his place. The
governor protested against this action,
claiming that the board of control had
no authority under the law to lease any
place or work any convicts on any but
the States lands. Commissioner McNalr
voted with the governor, but Attorney
General Williams and Commissioners
Bradley and Kincannon voted for the
lease. The writ of injunction was is
sued by Chief Justice Whitfield, but it
was not served until after the majority
members and Senator McLaurin had
signed up the papers. A fight in the
courts will follow.
There are about 1000 acres in the
Sandy Bayou plantation, and it takes 10
or 80 convicts to work it.
The biggest and strongest laud COM
pany in the State is in course of forma-
ton in jackson, and will be organized
and begin active business the LIST OF
January. The company is to be formed
by home and Eastern capital, of which
there will be an unlimited supply, SO
that the very largest tracts of pine and
delta lands may be bought for cash and
sold on time payments. The company
hoc o1,oolu ,nnpohaco Q10 000 anpqS Of
pine and hardwood timber lands, and
by the first of the year will be ready
for the biggest business in that line in
the State.
There were l, 1923 names on the States
prison rolls on Nov. 30, a gain of thir-
teen over the month previous. During
the month of November twenty-five
were discharged; there was death,
two pardons and two escapes. A death
| rate of one for more than 1000 speaks
well for the management of the Mlssls.
sippi convict farms, and it is doubtful
if there is another State in the Union
that can make such a showing.
A citizen of tie Delta country has
| written the railroad commission to
know whether or not the railroads have
| a right to charge 4 cents fare where the
passenger does not have a ticket. That
has been the impr7Ssi. 40 for some years.
The commission j. SIS on it, and so do
the railroad companies. The idea is to
encourage passengers to pay their
money to the company'S agents and not
to the conductors, the latter Directing
to being bothered with cash fares.
Lauderdale county citizens were the
winners of nearly all the first prizes
offered at the Jackson fair for Poland
China. and Berkshire hogs and Ply
mouth Rock chickens. w. S. White
of Zero entered six Poland Chinas and
carried off six blue ribbons, and his one
Plymouth Rock entry secured the bonus
and the ribbon. A. H. Harrington of
Daleville entered five Berkshires and
received four first and one second prize.
J. B. Sale has been found not guilty
of the charge of numbering ]. B. Bell.
This brings t a close one of the most
important criminal cases yer heard in
this State. Sale and Bell. met n af-
ternoon last July, on the streets OF
Aberdeen and engaged in a pistol duel,
in which Bell was killed and Sale
wounded. The trouble was the out
come of a business correspondence be-
tween Sales mother and Bell involving
the rental of a house. Both families
are exceedingly prominent and wealthy.
The dead body of a well-dressed man
of IS or 60 years of age was found on
| the public highway near Gloster. On
| the dead man were found letters ad-
| dressed to Rev. John Moody and mail
| ed at Ocala, North Carolina. Other
| letters bear recommendations from the
pastor of the Baptist Church at Ocala,
stating that Rev. Moody was a minister
in good standing. The dead mar wore
a Confederate badge. The remains
were inferred in the Baptist cemetery
| at Gloster, members of that cOngrega-
ton taking charge of the funeral ar
rangements.
Will Horn was convicted at Gulfport
| last week of the murder of j. G. Smith
of Hattiesburg.
One of the saddest tragedies in the
| history of Arcola occurred IN the
| family of Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Poague,
| when their little 9-month-old boy met
| an untimely death from the explosion
of a lamp. Mrs. Poague lighted the
| lamp and placed it on the machine, and
| stepped out of the for a moment,
| when the little fellow, trying to pull up
| by the scarf covering the machine, up
| set the lamp with the above result.
Representative Gambler of Mississippi
| has introduced a bill in congress in aid
| of the common schools in Mississippi.
| This bill provides that all public land
in the State shall be disposed of by sale
| under laws to be enacted by the legis-
lature of Mississippi and the proceeds
to be used for the common schools OF
| the State.
Lewis Scott, a desperate negro, was
| lynched near Cleveland last week. He
was being taken to Jail on the charge
of obtaining goods under false pre-
| lenses and shooting IN officer when a
mob overpowered the officers, took the
| prisoner from them and hung him.
New Hope Presbytery of the Cum
| berland Presbyterian Church, embrace
| ing a number of East Mississippi coun-
| ties, convened at Alderman with about
thirty-five ministers and laymen IN at
| tendance.
The governor has offered a reward OF
$3.50 for the arrest and conviction OF
Rufus Ousley, the Attala county regro
| who killed Lucius Love, a white man,
near Shrock, recently. The negro is 5
| feet II or II inches high, weighs l65 or
LIZ mounds. is about 35 years of age,