The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-27
FARMERS ARE SUED
ON THEIR NOTES
Transaction Appears to Be a
Gold Brick Scheme
NOTE BUYER IS FOOLED
A Young Couple From Alabama Get
License to Wed and Disappear,
Leaving Angry Parents of
Girl on the Trail.
NOTE BUYER is FOOLED

Meridian, February 26.-(Special.)-A
number of suits have been filed in
the federal court by Ohio A. Houston
of Houston, Tex, for the collection of
notes given by farmers in this section
of the state to a man from Texas last
year who proposed to build warehouses
for the Farmers union. saying he rep
resented the Warehouse Building asso-
citation of Houston, Tex, 1t appears that
the man was in Mississippi some time
last year and that he proposed to fur
nish money to the farmers to build
warehouses if they would give him
their notes for the same. In other
words, the man proposed that each
farmer should take a certain amount
of stock in the proposed warehouse and
give his note for the amount that he
wanted to carry whereupon the Ware
house association would cash the notes
and the money to build the warehouses
would be forthcoming. With this I'M
derstanding a large number of farmers
gave their notes, but in doing so failed
to make their payment contingent upon
the construction of the warehouse, or
the payment of the necessary cash to
construct the same. The notes were
in regular form and were not condi-
toned upon anything. The warehouses
were not built, neither was the prom
ised money forthcoming, and the man
who had taken the notes DISAPPEARED.
1t is said that a number of farmers
gave their notes especially in Leake
county, and around Heidelberg, Quit
man and Shubuta. The matter will
likel ybe threshed out in the next term
of the federal court, which begins in
Meridian on Monday, March. 8.
Houston, the man who is bringing the
suits, claims to have been an innocent
purchaser of the notes. Three suits
have already been filed at this place
and one has been filed in the Northern
district.
Houston is represented by L. Brame
West and ]. B. Stirling of Jackson.
As there was a failure of considera-
ton the outcome of the suits will be
watched with interest.
Runaway Marriage.
The issuance of a marriage license
to a prominent young Alabama couple,
the pursuit OF the runaways by the
irate father of the young lady and the
complete disappearance of the couple
has created quite a sensation in this
city. Wednesday afternoon a smartly
dressed young man about rs years old
giving his name as H. r. Majors of
Cuba, Ala. applied at the circuit clerks
office for license to wed Miss Alexena
Hunnicutt OF Livingston, Ala. He
promptly made affidavit that both par
ties to the contract were Of marriagable
age and left with the legal right to
marry Miss Hunnioutt. This morning
the probate Judge of Livingston called
Circuit Clerk Cameron by telephone
and told him not to Issue a marriage
license to the couple as the young
lady was a daughter of ]. A. Hunnicutt
of Livingston and was but 16 years of
age.
He was told that the license had been
issued. The first train brought the
father and another daughter to Meri-
dian in search of the runaways. Every
minister and others who can legally
perform a marriage ceremony were in
terviewed, but not trace of the cou-
pie discovered. The police and wires
were pressed into service, but up to
late hour tonight the whereabouts of
the couple remains mystery. The
father says his daughter left home
Tuesday night at II o'clock and that he
had pursued the couple since that time,
going first to Demopolis, then to York.
then to Meridian. He threatens to
prosecute young Majors when he locates
him.
New Knitting Mill.
It was announced tonight by repre-
sentative of the Alden Knitting mills
OF New Orleans that work on the $40.-
600 mill the company proposes to build
in this city will begin shortly. This Is
the newest acquisition to Meridian in
dustry and will give employment to
about 100 people.