The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-03-24
ID FORM SOCIETY OF FALL BEARERS Capt. N. D. Johnston Also Sign
 ed Ordinance BODEKER SUBMITS REPORT Governor Declines to Discuss Findings Made In Lynching Investigation at
 eadsden-other News of
 Montgomery.
BODEKER SUBMITS REPORT

Montgomery March 3.-(special.)-A Huntsville man, who signs his name C. H.. Bush. desires of the secretary of state authority to organize d Society of Pail Bearers" His letter is unique. and is follows
 q write you to find if you would grant me state charter for The Independent Pail Bearers Society If so, please let me know at once If not please let me know at once. and let me know what it will cost to take out charter for this name Please let me hear from you al once It is state authority that l want, so we can have the right to set up every where in the state.''
 Chief Clerk A. C. Sexton, handling the details of the office of secretary of state, has written Bush that he will have to ap- ply to the probate judge of his county for the information desired. This otheiai has to do with all matters of this kind' and so far as now appears there is no law to prevent giving charter to so gruesome a society if there are those who desire to take part in occasions of this kind in "every part of the state.
 Negroes of the state apply for charters for all kinds of peculiar organizations, particularly burial organizations. The negro dreads the idea of not being buried decently and will make preparations to die well when he has no care for the com forts of life.
 Johnston Alive.
 The attention of pr. Thomas NJ. Owen, director of the state department of archives and history has been called to the fact that in quoting a list of survivors of the signers of the Secession Ordinance of 1861 the name of Capt. N. D. Johnston of Birmingham was not given Captain Johnston was delegate from Talladega county and signed the document. The records show that he made speeches on the coercion resolution. secession. the African slave trade and the size of coun- ties.
 He entered the service of the Confed- eracy later as a captain in the Talladesa company of the Fifty-1rst Alabama cav airy. commanded by John T. Morgan, later a brigadier general and now United States senator. He was captured al Shelby vile, and has record of prominence in the civil and military history of the south Captain Johnston is engaged in an in different way in gathering and assembling data of the command he served and also oC many of the incidents leading up to the war He was very active in both and Will be able. if he chooses to print what he has gotten together to give to the state some very valuable history. 1t may be that some other man who signed the paper is living but so far as Is now re- called the list includes only Captain John ston. Dr. George H. Ketchum of Mobile Judge A A. Coleman of Birmingham Judge J. w. Inzer of Ashville and United States Senator John T. Morgan.
 Another member of the convention is yet alive, Henry C. Jones of Florence, though he did not sign the ordinance. He was later member of the Confederate Congress and Is the father of George Jones' the well known Florence lawyer. Governor Declines to Discuss Report.
 There is much interest at the capital in the investiga tion that has been going on at Gadsden into the lynching of Bunk Richardson some weeks ago. It is gener- ally known that the authorities know who took part in the mob's work and that every effort will be made to get the grand jury to convict. When asked about the report of Detective George Bodeker, who made an investigation, Governor Jelks said that he did not care to discuss it.. However, it Is known that the report has been made and 1t is common report that he called the names of number who took part in the outrage upon law and order of the state
 Many citizens of the state deplore the action of the mob in this case particu- larly. The majesty of the law had been upheld in the case of the guilty negroes and 1t was deeply deplored that there should have been lynching of negro who was not even convicted or indicted of any connection with the murder of Mrs Jane Smith last July. The gov ernor has spared no means or effort to bring the guilty to the attention of the indictng authorities and to give them a chance to punish if they see fit. Detective Bodeker, quoted in the Birmingham pa pers as having gotten the names of mem bers of the party has left no excuse for failure to punish If it is fact that such information has been gathered. This is the way it is discussed here.
 Pardon Issued.
 Governor Jelks has pardoned Linton, some times called Leonard Drane. young man of Lee county, who has served four years of d sentence of fifteen years for alleged rape. It is shown by the papers and the proof presented that the boy is not guilty and that he has been punished for a crime he did not commit. He was convicted May 1, 1902. The governor makes the following statement, which is filed with the papers:
 This boy has already suffered four years on the fifteen year sentence, on the charge of rape It is reported that he was under IS years of age at the time of the alleged offense He was convicted on the testimony of a woman whose char acter, according to the testimony of per- sons of unimpeachable reputation. is now a notoriously bad character. These eiti- zens of reputation say that the woman has been the mother of two bastard child ren, which she probably destroyed. Be sides she has been known to say that the charge against the boy was untrue; that ..l.- s.I.,