The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-19
ROBBER GETS BUSY ON RAILROAD TRAIN Mystery Surrounds Loss of
 Several Individuals NOTABLE LAWYERS ATTEND Billy West Sings Song of Gratitude to the Governor for the Pardon of
 "BilIie" Bates, the Girl
 Train Rider.
NOTABLE LAWYERS ATTEND

Montgomery, December 1S.-(Special. IA single busy pickpocket had things going on sleeper of the Louisville and Nash vile railroad and in the union depot here Thursday night. While there seems to have been only the one and he is said to have worked by sneaking into pockets, he had grown at times to two and three and four, and was anywhere from a tall man with a blue shirt and no collar to four men with masks and long pistols
 He made neat haul, whoever and now many he was. P. Patroma, an Ital- lan with roll, en route from Tampa to New Orleans, found himself short s10o that he would admit. Henry Falkner, who claimed New York as his home, lost $40, he said, and John Gaston, who calls Pittsburg his home, says he Is out as much as $S. MT. Gaston was not sure where he lost the money. He had 1t at Deatsville when he came out of the diner. He had 1t not when No. 8 was ready to pull out for New Orleans. Patroma lost his on the train, and FallSner inside the station.
 The officers of the Louisville and Nash Vile road and the police agree to the robbery of three men, and possibly others but hoot at the idea that there was a hold up story from down the road says four men got on the train as it pulled out of the shed and held up the pas sengers. This is denied. A. Bernstein d traveling man, is reputed to have said that the hold up story was true, but the police laugh at him.
 Notable Lawyers.
 Men of national note were attorneys in the hearings of the supreme court Fri day. In arguing against the franchise tax recently levied by the state and de- clared by the city court of Montgomery to be legal appeared the following: For the railroads, Judge Alex P Humphres of Louisville, general counsel for the South ern railway; Henry l.. Stone of Louisville general counsel of the Louisville and Nashville, and Gregory l.. Smith of Mo bile, district counsel for the latter road For the stae, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court s. D. Weakley.
 The state is also represented by Attorney General A. M. Garber and Assistant At terney General Thomas w. Martin, who have already made arguments by brief and orally. Judge Humphries Is remem- bered the orator of the last session of the Alabama Bar association. He Is also Interested in the suits brought by the rail- ioduS III OppOSluOn to the new state laws.
 Sings for Governor.
 Billy West, who feels grateful to Gov ernor Conner and the pardon board for pardoning Billie Bates, and her brother, Joseph Bates, sang before the executive and a number of other state officers Thursday Billie Bates is a woman, who. al essed as d man, was traveling over the country with her brother, Joseph They were sent up from Covington county for riding trains and the sex of the girl was discovered. They were pardoned and now West comes from Marshall county to sing a song of appreciation for the act
 Sending Out Tags.
 With the approach of the new year, fer tilizer men are getting tags in a hurry Commissioner of Agriculture J. A. Wilkin- SOL sent out 46000 Friday morning. net ting the state $13S0. The movement will run to about $lO0O0O. The money secured in this way, or s67, ,O00 of it, is given, by act of the legislature. to the counties for building and repairing school houses
 To Inspect Prisons.
 When Governor Conner returns to the city next week he will be accompanied by the members of the pardon board to the state prisons at Wetumpka and Speig- ners, where inspections will be made These are regarded as among the best and most successful prisons in tine south The governor will also next week ap- point successor to Judge II. H. Black mon of Coffee county.
 An od-Tme Safe.
 A safe in the office of the Dixie Coal company was robbed Thursday night. It waG the private safe of the late Governor Watts and was locked with a paddock The old safe is historical and has many