The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-14
IMPORTANT CASES IN FEDERAL COURT Heavy Damage Suits Will Come
 Before Judge Niles REVISING THE TAX ROLLS Cotton Dealers In Meridian Are Very Much Discouraged Over the Crop
 Situation and Expect
 Very Short Crop.
REVISING THE TAX ROLLS

Meridian. September 13.-(Special)- Judge Henry c. Niles convened the fed- eral court in this city today with all court officials present and the prospect for an interesting term. The court of ficials present besides Judge Niles are: United States Attorney R. C. Lee, As Sstant Attorney R. B. Banks, United States Marshal Edgar s. Wilson, Clerk l.. B. Moseley of Jackson, Deputy Clerk James A. Gully and Deputy Marshal H. L. J. Barnes of this city. The first days session was devoted to the organization of the court by the empaneling of the jury, the judges charge, an able reel tation of the federal laws and the sound ing of the docket. It is expected that from the importance of the cases set for this term the court will be in session a week and possibly longer.
 Among the more important of the cases expected to be tried are two twe,.ty thousand dollar damage suits and the famous Ullman damage suit against the city involving something like sioo,ooo One of the twenty thousand dollar damage suits Is that of Sparrow vs. the Ala bama Great Southern Railroad company for the death of a brakeman at Ke- vance. This suit Is brought by the moth- CT of the young man who lost his life.
 The other twenty thousand dollar dam age suit is that of Howe vs. the Me- ridjs, Light and Railway company Howe Is d negro and seeks to recover for al- legged personal injuries sustained as result of being knocked down by one of the defendant company's cars. He al- leges that the car was being run in the dark without a headlight.
 The Ullman suit against the city is for the alleged breach of a contract In award ing the city lighting contract. The con- tract was awarded to Ullman but the city feeling that Ullman had violated the cc rtract in not starting work on its pro- posed plant at the proper time and that the bend offered was not entirely satis- fsctcry. revoked the order authorizing the contract and made the award to the Meridian Light and Railway com pany, which company agreed to stand for any damages that might result and gave bond to that effect.
 On former hearing of the case in the federal court Judge Niles gave peremp- tory instructions to the jury to return verdict in favor of the city. Ullman appealed to the New Orleans court of appeals and the case was remanded for another hearing. This Is a vitally in teresting case because should 1t finally go against the city of Meridian the Me ridian Light and Railway company would have to pay the freight according to their agreement with the city.
 The board of supervisors resumed their work of revising the county assessment rolls this morning and it Is expected that the entire week will be consumed in this work. In several instances the as- sessment has been lowered and in oth- CTS it has been raised and the final ad- justment Is expected to be close to the original figures already published in these dispatches
 The Fiebelman Cortez. the winners of the City league pennant, have accepted challenge to play a series of three games with the pennant winning team of Pensacola. Fla, the games to be played Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week at Pensacola. The Meridian team will leave for Pensacola tonight.
 pr. J. F. Bradford of Van Alstyne, Tex, has been called to the pastorate of the Christian church of Meridian. Rev. W. K Clements, who has been occupying the pulpit at the Christian church for the past four months, will leave to attend the Johnson Bible college at Kimberlin Heights, Tenn pr. Bradford will as- sume charge of the church October | The local cotton market to the pres ent date has been very discouraging to dealers in this city. Marketing is un- usually slow for this season of the year which tends to bear out the repeated pulp lication of not only very backward crop but very short crop in this section. The cotton that has been marketed is of a very low grade. A well known authority says that to him this is significant of 41,1 ky-A ox>IA yr being held back for better price. At the beginning of this season conditions were favorable for quite a period. But in time the lack of rain caused the cot ton to burn and shed and contributed to other means of deterioration.