The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-01-10
MEN ARRESTED ON
SERIOUS CHARGE
Deputy Sheriff Says They Tried
to BIackmaiI Him
WADuCT TO BE REBUILT
Railroad Officials Confer But No
Agreement Is Reached-Work-
man is Seriously Hurt BY
Fall Through Skyllght

Chattanooga, January 9.-(Special.)-
Charles Smith and Sam Lawson of East
Chattanooga have been arrested charged
with attempting to blaekmail Deputy
Sheriff John Cordell. Some time in De-
cember while Cordell and his family
were attending theatre In the city, his
house was burned. Mr.. Cordell carried
only q few hundred dollars insurance on
the house. A few nights ago he was
called from his home by Smith, who
asked him to take walk with him. After
going a short distance Cordell charges
that Smith accused Cordell of hiring a
man to burn his house. 81 know the man
who did it. and unless you give me 500
I VIII obtain the proof and stop you from
getting your insurance" is what Corden
says Smith said to him. At this point
they were Joined by Lawson, who was
called on by Smith to corroborate his
(Smith's) story. On the following morn
ing the two again appeared at Cordell S
house and reiterated demand for 800,
saying they would stop Cordelrs insur-
ance money If the amount was not forth
coming. The men persisted in their story,
gradually coming down to $50 In their de-
mands. Cordell refused to comply with
their demands, but notified Sheriff Con-
ner, which resulted In their arrest
At conference between Mayor Thomp-
son. city Attorney Bachman. President
John W. Thomas of the Nashville, Chat
tanoga and st. Louis railway; Superin-
tendent McCullum of the Western and
Atlantic and General Manager Horace
Baker of the Cincinnati, New Orleans and
Texas Pacific, the case of the rebuilding
OF the condemned viaduct by the railroads
was discussed None of the officials would
divulge anything that took place, other
than to say that no agreement was
reached as to whether the railroads
would rebuild the viaduct.
On Friday night about o'clock Charles
Walters, aged II, fell through sky
light while working on the third floor
of the building to be occupied by the
Theoto, a moving picture show. He was
assisting in preparing the new home
which was to have been opened Satur-
day. While carrying some of the rubbish
out of the building he lost his footing
and fell through the glass skylight. He
fell on his head and arm, fracturing his
skull and breaking an arm. If he does
not die from his hurts he will be disabled
for some time.
The Provident Life and Accident COM
pany of Chattanooga will soon commence
business in this city. Application for a
charter has been filed. The capital stock
is to be $4,000 The incorporators are
Thomas Mcclellan. Robert j. MAGELLAN,
M Llewellyn, ]. B. f. Lowry and A. w.
Chambliss.
The Rhea county court, at its quarterly
session this week, acted favorably on D.
j. Duncan's trackless trolley, granting
him a franchise over the main valley road
from the Hamilton county line to Rhea
Springs. The Hamilton county court also
granted Mr.. Duncan an extension of time
on his former franchise, and the city
council of Dayton last Monday voted to
grant Mr.. Duncan right of way through
the corporate limits of that town.
Chattanooga lawyers who went to
Washington in the interest of the appoint
ment OF Judge Sanford as Judge Lurton 8
successor said after their return that he
probably would not get the place. but
that another vacancy was anticipated and
Judge Sanford would probably be selected
to fill it.