The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-29
ENGINEER DIES 4
 HORRIBLE DEATH Dennis Believed to Have Been
 Victim of Poison
MAY HAVE BEEN PTOMAlNE
Commissioned Officers of Abbott Rifles Jast Their Votes for Lieutenant Colonel Bricken-Chicken
 Thief Rides Bicycle.

Selma, August 2s.-(Speclal.) l.)-Informa- tion reached the city today of the mys- terious death of Engineer Dennis of the logging road of the Meyers Lumber com pany, located at Gates in Marengo coun- ty. Gates is the first station on the B. s. & N. O. division of the Louisville and Nashville railroad west of Linden.
 The details of MT Dennis death are meagre as received here, but it is known that he died In his room last night at Gates in horrible convulsions, with ev- cry evidence of poisoning. It is stated that he had been to party in the vicin- ity being given by some negroes and that he partook of Ice cream It is from eat ing the latter that his death Is supposed to have resulted. There are strong grounds for the suspicion that some of the negroes at the party had a grievance against MT. Dennis and that poison was put in the cream out of revenge. It may be, how ever, that ptomaine poison was the cause of his death, but none of the others who partook of the cream have been reported as i'll from its effects.
 There was no post mortem made nor inquest held and it is doubtful if the true facts leading to MT. Dennis death will ever be known.
 Voted for Bricken.
 The commissioned officers of Company c, the Abbott Rifles, Alabama National Guard. met in their armory today and each in the presence of the other cast their ballots for c. R. Bricken for colonel of the Second regiment to succeed Colonel Graves. At the recent encampment In Montgomery opposition developed to the reelection of Colonel Graves and the op- position settled upon Lieut.. Col. Charles R. Bricken to succeed Graves. The lat ter, however. stated that he was not candidate, although there is likelihood of his being elected anyway.
 Shot at Chicken Thief.
 Officer Logan of the police force fired two shots at a chicken thief on Saturday, who was caught with a number of the fowls in his hand. The thief was a negro and was discovered by the officer on bicycle riding up Union street. The of- tlcer tried to overtake the negro but he increased his speed and disappeared. Max ing through an alley the officer cut the negro off on another street, but the lat ter jumped from his wheel and fled. The officers pistol shots failed to stop him, The officer carried the abandoned wheel to police headquarters where 1t will be held as hostage for the chickens.
 Local and Personal.
 T. A. Walthal of Birmingham was visitor to Selma. his old home, today.
 Capt. J. D. Riggs has returned after visit to New York and Saratoga.
 Ben Edwards, a negro wife beater, was fined s20 or forty days in jail in the mayors court this morning.
 Henry Boyd. young negro, threw rocks at a negro nurse girl barely missing the child of a prominent attorney. He was fined $15
 J. E. Hecker, editor of the Linden Re- porter, was a visitor 10 the city today.
 Superintendent F. J. Eagan of the Mo- bile division of the Southern returned last night after spending his vacation in Michigan for the past month.