The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-13
BIG DAMAGE SUITS
 ARE ENDOWED Mississippi State Fair May Sur
 vive Troubles RESPONSIBILITY IS DENIED Fair Association Makes Plea That It Was Not Responsible for People Getting Hurt, Which Caused
 the Suits.
RES POSSIBILITY IS DENIED

Jackson. Miss, March 12-(special.)- j. From the way damage suits had piled up on the State Fair association during the past few months it was feared in some quarters that Jackson would have to out out her big fair next fall, but sev- l eral of the most prominent attorneys of l the city volunteered to defend the suits, and the trouble has been deferred for some time.
 l These suits grew out of the collapse of the theatorium on the fair grounds OH the occasion of the visit of Booker Wash ington last summer. and amounted to l $60Oo0-more than the state fair grounds, | buildings and all are worth. The cases 1 were due to come to trial at the present term of circuit court, but Chancellor Lyell has granted an injunction restrain ing the plaintiffs from prosecuting their asked on the ground that the Fair asso- ciation was not responsible for the crowd ing of the building, that Booker Wash ington's engagement was not under the auspices or control of the association, and that they are not liable for the dam ages that followed.
 Another suit. one for $1O,0OO brought against the Fair association by a citizen of Smith county, who broke his leg by falling through a rotten board in the grand stand. has been settled out of court-the fair management having paid his doctors bills. loss of time, etc., etc.
 Capt. w. A. Montgomery trustee of the penitentiary, was in town today en route to his home in Edwards from New Orleans where he had been in com pany with John T. Wells, state cotton classifier, the past three or four days, for the purpose of selling the remainder of the states cotton crop. He reports that they sold 21Oo baies at prices ranging from 914c to 135sc, which he averages at about 10 cents per pound most of the bales being of the cheaper staple. and expects to turn into the treasury something like s20O,o0O
 This constitutes the last of the cotton crop the state made last year on it's convict farms, save about 40 bales that are stored in the city of Jackson, and means that these four farms made for the state about a half million dollars worth of the fleecy staple last year. Taking into consideration 90.000 bushels of corn, the potatoes, peas, molasses, pork, etc. that were produced the convicts have made the state close to s1, ,OOO.oo0 in one year. Members of the city council who voted against going back further in the investi- gaton of the accounts of the city off cers at their last meeting, have changed front on that proposition and now an- nounce that they will vote with Alder men Taylor and Shurlds in the demand 11- S30O0 net on the first investigation, cov- ering four years
 A 10 or 12-year-old negro girl who was accidentally shot three days ago by Chalmers Potter, the 12-year-old son of Judge w. H. Potter. died this afternoon at the sanitarium where she was sent by Judge Potter in order that she might have the best of attention The girl happened to pass in front of the gun, a 2O-bore shotgun, the boys were handling, when it was discharged Two or three small shot entered her arm and one her stom- ach. It was not thought at first that she was seriously hurt but the stray shot did its work The boy who did the shooting Is a manly little fellow, and is distressed nearly to death at the serious termination of the accident, though no blame can possibly attach to him.
 The Jackson board of trade has about completed arrangements for its Pros perty Supper on the night of March IS, and Secretary Stephenson has sent invita- tions to quite a number of men of prom thence out of the city especially rail- road officials whose business often brings them to Jackson. These include the as- sistant and division superintendents, pas senger agents, traffic managers, etc, of all the roads in this territory, as well as of the Mobile and Ohio, Mississippi Central, Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City.
 Dan Maybee, a white man in jail charged with the murder of Sam Reber severaa months ago, in a row over a woman, publishes card in which he states that he will not plead insanity.
 It is generally conceded that Will Sors- by, the slayer of Postoffce Inspector Fitzgerald at Clinton few months ago, will try the insanity dodge.
 The order for a special venire of 200 men will be given in a few days and Sorsby will be put on trial the third or fourth Monday of court, same being now in its second week.