The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-03
EIGHT CARLOADS OF
 LIQUOR SEIZED
Sheriff Takes Possession and
 Seals the Locks
ACTION EXPECTED TODAY
Illinois Central Agent Notifies Sheriff That He VIII Be Held Responsi- bIe for Value of Cars and
 Contents

| Seven carloads of whisky and beer were
 seized by Sheriff Higdon yesterday. Dep
 uties Chew and Cowan serving the war
 rants, which were sworn out before Judge | W. E Fort by c. ". Austin. Tn addi-
 ton to the car seized Tuesday night the | others were sealed and posted, making
 total of eight cars held by the sheriff. | Five of the cars held yesterday were in
 the yards of the Illinois Central railroad,
 between First and Second avenues, on Fifteenth street, and two of them were
 in the Frisco yards at Morris avenue and Eighteenth street.
 The cars bore the names of J. D. Evans, A. D. Walstrom, E. Wertheimer and W.
 E Farris. The seals on the cars and
 the consignment papers were taken in charge and the sheriff states that in
 hardly a single instance did the tags
 bear the proper markings.
 Following the seizure Sheriff Higdon
 received the following letter from J. B.
 Mallen, agent of the Illinois Central: Birmingham, Ala, November 2.
 "The Illinois Central Railroad com
 pany. by their agent. the undersigned,
 serve notice on the sheriff of Jefferson county, who this day has served search
 and seizure warrants against the above
 named company on five sars and contents standing the Sixteenth street team track, that the Illinois Central railroad will hold the sheriff of Jefferson county personally responsible for the full value
 of cars and contents, and for all liabli- ties that may be incurred by said com " ,I,iI 1,t.- ,ss .sJ. B. MALLEN. Agent"
 Sheriff Higdon at once replied as fol- lows: .ssas sf
 ,"I note your favor of the 2d instant,
 in which you say you will hold the sheriff
 of Jefferson county personally responsi-
 ble for the full value of the five cars and the whisky and beer in same that I
 seized this morning, by order of Judge
 William E. Fort, senior judge of the
 criminal court of Jefferson county. Beg to state that if you will get ths
 same judge to give me an order to re- lease the cars I will be very glad to do so. but as sheriff of the county I must
 and will execute any and all orders of
 any judge with jurisdiction in this county given me.
 'T desire to serve notice on you that I will pay the regular demurrage charge of S1 per day on these cars and will hold your company responsible for any theft or destruction of anything in the cars levied on until the court gives orders ss to what disposition must make of same. Respectfully, E. l.. HIGDON, Sheriff" It was rumored yesterday that the rail- roads would secure an injunction re- strainng the sheriff from making more seizures. No injunctions were served yes terday, although 1t is expected that there will be developments today.
 Sheriff Higdon Is of the opinion that the manner in which the whisky and beer was handled will make the railroads liable to indictment by the government. He states that he has information to show that the railroads have been hold ing some of the liquor a week, which he says Is a violation of the law The sheriff states that if given the proper papers he will serve them, and
 will do it quick The seizure of the cars caused quite a stir at the courthouse.
 The matter will not be allowed to re-
 main In suspense long. If Is understood
 that an effort was made to bring one of
 the cases up for settlement in the court yesterday afternoon, but nothing was done. It is expecte dthat some disposal
 of them will be made today