The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-05
NEGROES FREED OF
MURDER CHARGE
Henry Belts, Another Negro, Is
Held In Meridian Jail
BIG DAMAGE SUIT FILED
Mrs. Helen odom Is Suing Railroad
for Death of Her Observation-Disclosures
Buckley Has Large Docket
in the Circuit Court.

IN the Circuit Court.
Meridian. Miss, October 4.-(special1-
Jim Bradley and Reese Belts. two ne
groes who were brought to Meridian
Saturday for safekeeping and who were
being held as accomplices TO the muir
der of ]. w Smith. wealthy planter at
Columbus Miss, were this morning re-
leased from custody District Attorney
Currie having satisfied himself that the
negroes were in no way connected with
the crime.
1t was determined to bring Henry Belts,
the man condemned to hang for the MUIR
der of Smith and who implicated a white
man, w. S. Muslin, in the murder and
the two negroes named above, to this
city for safekeeping as there were many
threats of lynehing by the people Of Co
lumbus. District Attorney Currie stated
this morning that Henry Belts will be
kept in the county jail here and that
stay of execution will be secured for him
until after the trial of Muslin, as he will
be the principal witness against the
white man. The officers here will not
permit Belts to be interviewed, although
he was seen this morning in the death
cell by local reporter.
Mrs. Helen Odom ct al. today filed suit
in the circuit court against the New Or
leans and Northeastern Railroad COM
pany for $4,000 damages, claimed for
the death Of John odom, husband of
Mrs. Odom.
Odom was hit by a train while riding
in his buggy across the tracks septem-
Der %, and died in a local hospital a
few hours. later.
L. r. Boyd, a local barber who left
here Sunday afternoon for Milwaukee as
a delegate from the local lodge to the
International BARRIERS union convention
was arrested at Jackson, Tenn, and is
being brought back TO this city, charged
with theft. Sam Walker another bar
Der. made affidavit that Boyd stole a
pocketbook containing Sl15 from him
which loss had not been discovered until
the train on which Boyd left the city had
gone. Walker alleges that Boyd picked
his pocket at the union station shortly
after he had changed bill for the lat
ter when he exhibited the roll the purse
contained. Boyd is a married man and
has resided here several years. He has
borne good reputation. Boyds expenses
to the convention had been paid by the
local union.
oh Dt1a al he
civil term of the Lauderdalei county cir
cult court in this city this raorning. The
day was devoted to sounding the docket
and getting the machinery of the court
in shape for what promises to be a very
interesting term. The docket is unusual
ly large but there are no very important
cases to be tried. The first days ses-
sion was largely attended by people from
throughout the county and a number of
visiting lawyers are present. An effort is
to be made to try one or two criminal
cases which had to go over at the last
criminal terms
Late in the afternoon the case was
taken up of D. Mathews vs. the New Or
leans and Northeastern Railroad COM
pany, asking for $4,000 damages for the
death of his son, alleged to have been
caused by negligence of said company.
eral court and was remanded to the
Lauderdale county court where the de-
PENDANT company received peremptory in
structons, but on appeal the supreme
court reversed and remanded it for an
other trial.
The fourth annual session of the Mis-
sissippi Medical college was opened In
Meridian this morning at 9 O'Clock. There
n CT
throughout this state and adjoining
states. During vacation days the col
lege building on Twenty-f1fth avenue and
Sixth street has been remodeled and Is
now one of the handsomest educational
institutions insthe state. The term lasts
for seven months and the prospects for
success are the best since the foundation
of the college. The faculty has been
greatly strengthened since the last term
by the addition of DR.. G. w. Stephens,
former physician at the East Mississippi
insane hospital.
The public schools throughout this
Lauderdale county, were opened today
There are 70 in all and Superintendent
of Education John R. Ellis says they
never had brighter prospects for a sue
cessful session. All the teachers met
in this city Saturday and received their
final instructions and supplies for the
year and all appeared enthusiastic in
the work before them. The regular coun-
ty school term is for eight months. The
attendance at both the white and colored
schools is expected to be a great deal
larger than last year.
Building Inspector I. Fl. Ethridge is
sued permits during the last week for
contracts amounting to $40,012. This is
quite an increase over the previous week.
Meridian is filing up with automobiles
and there is talk of the early organiza-
ton of an auto club A new garage is
being erected at the corner of Twenty
second avenue and Eighth street which
when completed will operate seven new
machines.
Virgil Haley. the young son of the
Rev. I. A. HALEY, pastor of the Fifteenth
Avenue Baptist church, who while riding
a bicycle colllded with a wagon, had
his arm broken and was otherwise badly
injured, is now considered to be out of
danger unless complications set in.
The Lauderdale county board of super
visors convened today in regular month l.
members who come from every quarter
of the county 1t is learned that cotton
picking is we'll in hand and while the
crop is not near so large as usual, there
is not so much discomfort owing to the