The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-21
COMPANY 4 WINS IN DRILL FOR FLAG Cadet Ernest Preston Wins In
 dividual Medal HOTEL THIEF CAPTURED Says He Is Known By Birmingham Poliee-commenoement Exercises of Selma Military Institute
 Are Concluded.
HOTEL THIEF CAPTURED

Selma Military institute this afternoon
 to the best drilled company, the trophy
 was won in a close contest by Company A, Capt. Staggers commanding.
 Cadet Ernest Preston won the indi- vidual medal for best drilled soldier. To- night the Bible medal was awarded Ca det Burwell, of Ramsay, Ala.
 The medal for declamation went to Ca det Ely Eagle, Cadet Joe Bbb being sec ond.
 The enthusiasm and the large crowds
 that have attended the exercises morning, afternoon and tonight, is an evidence that selmans have awakened to the fact that
 Selma is a college town.
 Hotel Thief Captured.
 Selma has rounded up a hotel thief who
 gives his name as c. D. Thomson and
 his former place of residence as Green vile, s. c. He has been in the city sey eral days, staying around different places.
 Yesterday afternoon a telephone mes- sage to police headquarters asked that an officer be sent to the St. James hotel and 1 Officer Blanton responded and found 1 Thomson in a room and other patrons of the hotel having him in charge and accusing him of having entered their rooms MT. Alexander identified a suit of clothes the man had on as being his
 properly and MT. Gillams identified pair
 of cuff buttons as belonging 10 him. In
 the mans pocket was a poeketbook be-
 longing to MT. Alexander with the lat
 ter's name on it, and several papers be- l longing to him and a $10 bill.
 Chief Walters reached the hotel shortly after Officer Blanton and the man kept
 winking at the chief and asking him to make the men prove their property. Tho | chief said to him that the property had been proven all right and then, without a word of warning asked him if he had l been to the Southern hotel. G. ", Wise, 1 proprietor of the Southern hotel, lost watch during Saturday night or Sunday morning, but the chief did not mention ths to Thomson. The latter In reply said: T don't know anything about any watch" showing he evidently did have knowledge of the loss of Mr. Wise's time piece. He would not admit however, that he had the watch and thus far no clue to the whereabouts of the missing timepiece is known.
 | MT. Wise left 1t on his dresser when he went to sleep. When he awoke yester day morning 1t was gone, as were MT. Wises glasses. When they were taken MT Wise does not know. Thomson told Chief Walters that policemen in BIrming- ham knew him and would tell him who he was. The chief talked to Chief Weir in Birmingham last night over the phone and the latter Is making an investigation. f.4.. coats, four or five pairs of pants and a rainproof cap and hood with Driver No. r painted on it. He says he got the lat ter in Bessemer.
 This morning In mayors coat the guilt of the man was proven and he was bound over In the sum of $500 for grand larceny and fined s10o for petit larceny.
 State Capital Society.
 The state Optical society of which E. H. Hobbs of this city is president, will con vene in the Y. M. c. A. hall tomorrow morning in it's second annual convention. The programme Is an extensive one and some of the most noted optical men of the south will be present to discuss mat 1 ters pertaining to the profession. institute Commencement.
 Tie commencement exercises of the Selma Military institute began with the | commencement sermon yesterday at the 1 Broad Street Presbyterian church, which l was preached by the Rev. A. F. Carr, | pastor of the Government Street Presby- | terian church of Mobile. Dr. Carr is a l forcefui speaker. deep thinker and his sermon attracted and held the attention of the large audience. The subject of the l sermon was Immortality" the text be- | ing taken from Job, IA: IA: "If a man die, shall he live again?" This morning the court room at the l court house presented a beautiful ap- l pearanoe the declaimers' contest being l the occasion of the presence of a large number of patrons of the school and cit l izens. The judges desk from which able | charges have been given and profound 1 law has been ennunciated was a bank | of beautiful ferns, while the table be- hind which the clerks of the court have | sat and recorded the sentences and judg- ments. were piled high with lilies and daisies and other beautiful flowers. Flow CTS and palms and ferns decorated the wall in the rear of the judges stand and formed pleasing background for the l eight young Inen who were to declaim for th1 medal offered by Mr. E. H. Hoobs. The Judges of the contest were A. l., Mcleod, l. Schwarz and J. G. Converse. l Those taking part in the decamation | and the subjects of each were as fol- | lows:
 Cadet Parham-"The Young Man of the South-The Future Hope of the Repub- 1 lic.'
 Cadet ouarles-"An Appeal to the Hun l gaIians"
 Cadet Grayson c.-"Pyramids Not All Egyptal."
 Cadet Moore-"Reguus to the Car l thagianians'
 Cadet Bibb, J.-"The Conquered Ban | ne." (Father Ryan) Cadet-Hooper -"Erin's Flag" (Father Ryan"
 Cadet Eagle-"spartacus to the Clad 1 iators."
 adet Bibb, C.-"Renzis Address to the Romans"
 Tonight at the court house at S;30 o'clock was carried out the following programme, thu graduates being the three pupils named below
 Orchestra. eE Invocation.
 Orchestra.
 Essay, .The Voice of Musie'-Miss Ma mic Russell. Essay, "Mammon"-Miss Kathleen Wtherspoon.
 Grafton, "Our Hero, Stonewall Jackson" | Cadet Robert H. Grayson. Presentation of Diplomas. Address-Dr. Henry Louis Smith. l Awarding of medals. 1 T e nnJr D e nn mTyT EnTTND