The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-15
COMMISSION FAILS
TO REACH SHERIFF
B. M, Pike is Delayed in Enter
ing Office
BRILLIANT METEOR
Phenomena OF Unusual Interest Wit
messed BY Many People at Gads-
den-Fell Perpendicularly
From the Sky.

Gadsden, January 14.-(SpeciaI) Failing
to receive his commission from the gov
ernor sheriff-eleet B. NJ. Pike did not
assume his duties as sheriff today as he
had intended Mr.. Pike wired the secre-
tary of state concerning his commission
this morning, and received a reply, stating
that his commission had been made out
in due form and had been mailed to him
on January 8. 1t is evident that the let
ter has gone astray or has been mis-
placed. Sheriff Pike was sworn In and
took the oath of office before Judge j.
W. Penn several days ago, and made d
bond of $4,000, which was approved
Guy II. Johnson vice president of the
Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron
company, spent today making an inspec-
ton of the furnaces here. He was ac-
companied by an expert iron maker who
will have charge of the new stack be-
ing built by that company here. and
which will go in blast shortly. Mr. john
son has four furnaces in charge, two
here and two at Ironaton
Large Meteor.
The largest and most brilliant meteor
ton fell from the northwestern skies
at Gas o'clock last night. and looked as
If it had dropped out of the milky way"
The object looked like an immense cleo
trio globe as it dropped straight from
the heavens, while thousands of small
lights flew in every direction from it in
its descent to the earth. A very noticeable
feature was that 1t did not shoot across
the heavens as these bodies usually do,
but dropped straight down. No sound
was heard, but the heavens were lighted
up for some distance around. The eve
ming being so mild, many citizens were
out of doors and witnessed the Won
derful and beautiful sight
Probate Judge j. w. Penn has prepared
statement of the expense of manten-
ance of the free labor and convict road
gangs and of the county farm and poor
house to the county for the year 1906.
1t Is shown that during this period there
were built eighteen and a half miles of
new roads, not including the repairs. Fol
lowing are the institutions and their cost
Convict gang. $i673; free labor road crew
9SS5.99; bridge crew. S31S2 81; county farm
and poor house, $l165. "a.
Guards Were Busy.
Owing to the fact that a great many
from business the Queen City guards did
not attend the inaugural ceremonies at
Montgomery today, as was first intended
The Albertville Rifles arrived here Sat
urday night and spent Sunday, leaving
over the Louisville and Nashville for
Montgomery. This is one of the largest
and best companies in the state and its
members are fine set of manly fell
lows.
M c. Culp, member of a bridge build
ing crew on the Louisville and Nash
vile railroad, who was injured at Reed 5
Mill Saturday morning. proved to be more
seriously hurt than was at first sup
posed. His head was badly crushed and
his skull fractured, which was trepanned
yesterday by the surgeons. The iron ring
which struck Culp weighed 80 pounds
and fell a distance of thirty feet
viii Jeffries. fifteen year old white
boy, was heavily fined i'm the police court
today for snatchng a bottle of whisky
from the hands of stranger Saturday
and making off with 1t. The stranger was
on his way to the Southern depot and
had stopped to take a drink from his
bottle when Jeffries stepped up and
grabbed it just as he was placing it to
his lips.