The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-03-03
NATURAL GAS IS
FOUND At JASPER
It Is Already Being Used For
Fuel
JURY MAKES VERDICT
Burt Franklin Was Killed at cordova
BY Unknown Person or Persons.
Perry Wins Suit Against
Telegraph Company.

Jasper, March Especial Some time
ago a statement was sent The Age-Her-
aid from here relating the discovery OF
natural gas beneath soil within the cor
porate limits of Jasper. The discoverer
and owner of the land upon which the
find was made was II. earn Smith. I'M
mediately after assuring himself and a
few of his friends that his gas deposit
was of real value, he closed up the pipe
from which it gushed forth and has been
awaiting a time when he could bore
down deeper and find a flow more
abundant
Within 80 yards of Mr.. Smiths well is
the home of Vert Copeland. and he, too,
has tapped natural gas in a well 60 feet
below the surface. Not only has Mr..
Copeland discovered gas, but he was
quick to harness 1t by applying pipes and
leading it into his kitchen, where three
times day Mrs. Copeland cooks excellent
meals for the family, and at night the
yard may be brilliantly lighted by this
splendid gift of nature.
1t is confidently believed that within
short time Jasper will have a system of
that the brilliancy of the city will be in
creased wonderfully at nominal cost,
while coal. which so greatly abounds all
around this town, will go to the markets
of those communities not so favored by
nature as is this town of Jasper.
Coroner Day went to Cordova yester-
day morning and reconvened his jury of
inquest on the death of Burt Franklin,
thought to have been foully murdered, a
report of which has heretofore been pre-
scented in these columns.
The following is the verdict of the
jury:
We, the jury, duly empanneled by the
coroner of Walker county. on towit, the
22d day of February, 1909, to inquire INTO
the cause of the death of Burt Franklin,
having diligently investigated said cause
taking all the testimony obtainable, we
agree that the deceased came to his death
by some person unknown to us.
In the circuit court yesterday a Jury
rendered a verdict against the Western
Union Telegraph company in favor OF
f. B. Perry of Patton for $3.50. The
company to promptly deliver an important
telegram to Mr.. Perry.
In the law and equity court YESTERDAY
Judge Sowell applied the more vigorous
penalty fixed by law for the suppression
of Illicit liquor traffic by sentencing two
prisoners, one white and the other col
ored, to hard labor.
Harry Bradley, white, and age 65. Of
Dora, was convicted of validating and
bootlegging, and the court fined him $50
and costs and three months at hard labor
Tom Sherer, negro, and somewhat
younger in years, if not in crime re-
ceived sentence of $50 and costs and rour
months at hard labor.
Saturday evening the circuit court jury
in the case of C1eve Humphries white,
VS.. the Alabama Central railroad, rem
dered verdict for $500 in favor of the
plaintiff.
This was suit for personal injuries,
wherein it was alleged by the plaIntrf
that his arm was mangled while In dis
charge of duty imposed upon him as an
employe of the defendant company.
At a meeting of the county board of
education, held in the courthouse Satur-
day, 1t was resolved by the board that
the rural schools of Walker county shall
be in session five months and three weeks
instead of four months, as intended at
the beginning of the school year.
This decision was reached after fnvesti-
eating the condition of the scnooI rund
and learning of the earnest desire of pa
irons and urgent need by pupils or more
school days.