The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-07
Briqhton Officials Resign.

Following a day of excitement from the lynching of the night before and the findings of the coroner's jury, the citi- zens of Brighton appointed a committee last night during a mass meeting, which had been called to condemn the contin- ued acts of lawlessness that was going on within their midst, to wait on Mayor G. H. Edwards and ask that he appoint two marshals to act until conditions be- come clarified
 Mayor Edwards had heard of eriti cisms that had been made against his not having attended the two mass meet ings that have been held recently, and when the committee appeared before him with their petition for the two marshals, he refused to grant it, and at the same time told them that he would have no more to do with the management of the citys affairs as mayor. Immediately a meeting of the board of aldermen was called, it being necessary to call some of the members out of bed in order to get quorum, and W. M. Crook was ap- pointed temporary mayor. In speaking of his action, Mayor Edwards said:
 nave lnlenueu ldhlllS tllS slep IOT some time, and when they commenced holding these mass meetings 1 did not attend, simply because l do not believe the holding of them is at all helpful to town; in fact 1 think that it has a con- trary effect. When they asked me to appoint two marshals l refused because, prior to the recent outrages, we have had a most orderly town, and I see no reasons why, with all the special depu- ties that are patroling the beat, it was necessary to appoint two city marshals. At the same time that I refused to ap- point them l also stated that I would have nothing further to do with the city affairs. I will confirm my resignation to the regular meeting of the city council Friday night, and so far as I am con cerned. the matter will be ended.'
 J. H. Tomerlin, the regular town mar shal, who was taken to Brighton on a warrant returnable to the criminal court, charging him with assault and battery, made the required bond shortly after ar irving there and resigned his office im- mediately upon his return to Brighton
 There are people in this town who are chronic kckers," he said They will condemn an officers action if he does his duty, and they try to get him busted if he does not do it just as they think it should be done, regardless of conditions With reference to the charges that have been preferred against me, 1 shall be able to produce reliable witnesses at the proper time to prove the charges are false"
 The citizens were much disturbed last night by rumors that crowds of negroes were collecting in different parts of the precinct, which, however, proved erron- eous and few slept at all during the night. J. S. Will!ngham and O. W. Ray were appointed deputy marshalS by Con- stable Mattingly. and they will continue to patrol the city until a town marshal is appointed, which will probably be done at the council meeting Friday night
 few hints were dropped by prominent citizens that sensation might be sprung shortly with reference to the dynamiting of the Findlay Fuller house, as evidence had been gathered which would show that some white men were implicated in the outrage.
 There were no new developments today in the lynching case, and it Is very prob able that no more arrests will be made until the coroner's jury meets again next Tuesday,