The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-02
RECORD OF COURTS

The entire day was taken up in the first division of the criminal court yes terday in the case of Ike Williams. charg- ed with murder. The case was not called until an hour or more after court convened, and the taking of testimony argument being completed in time for the Jury to retire about o'clock
 There was unusual interest taken in the first division of the criminal court yesterday because of the fact that sev- eral of the prisoners to be tried were white men. Among these were Jess Yarbrough and Thomas Shelton, both charged with murder. Neither case was reached. however, the Williams case be- ing taken up first.
 Shelton is accused of killing a woman some months ago. After the killing, it is alleged. he went to Oklahoma Ter ritory. where he was captured and brought back to Birmingham. The de- fense is said to have adopted plea of insanity in the case.
 Yarbrought is charged with killing d man named Phillips in a general shoot ing match near Lewisburg some months ago. Yarbrough's father and Phillips were both killed in the affray.
 In the second division of the criminal day trying misdemeanor cases. A num- Der were disposed of, others were passed until later dates.
 The clerks in the criminal court are working over time yet catching up with the mass of work piled upon them by the grand jury. Night work was necessary before the grand jury filed its new batch of 139 indictments, and it may be two weeks or more before the clerks com plete the labor of docketing and other wise recording the many additional cases to come before the two divisions of the court.
 The Jefferson county board of revenue met in regular monthly session yesterday and transacted much routine business. There were present J. T. Reed, H. W. Crook. Charles K. Dlckey. Job >roing and Secretary Morrow, the only absentee be- ing Hugh McGeever. who was shot in the leg near Johns about week ago while attending a celebration of Robert Burns birthday.
 The only business transacted by the board at yesterdays session was in the nature of auditing bills and accounts and passing them to payment. This took much time, but was finally finished before the board adjourned for the day.
 There are several matters of importance that may come before the board at the session to be held today. In all prob ability report will be received from the county engineer and the road over seer relative to the bridge which the board proposes to build over the War rior river in Precinct 5, At the last meeting of the board these county off, cials were instructed to investigate and report as to the site and the probable cost of an iron bridge.
 Should the bridge proposition come up today there will be some opposition to its adoption, according to statements made yesterday by persons living in the section most interested. It was said that in that section of the county there are few settlers, most of the land being owned by large mining corporations, and hence there was little need for the bridge. Walker county operates ferry across the larger branch of the river almost directly opposite the point where the pl opposed bridge will doubtless be located and it is asserted that Jefferson county would experience a financial saving and