The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-23
HECHANEYCASE
 GOES ID TRIAL Pool Room Man to Fight for
 His Life FREEMAN IS GUILTY Liquor Forces Are Circulating Peti- ton But Prohibitionists At- tempt to Block Another
 Election

Gadsden, March 22--(Special.) )-As was anticipated, the first move of the defense in the case of the state against Claude Chaney on charge of murder in the first degree, was to ask for a con- tinuance. Three reasons were assigned. It was alleged that the wife of the de- fendant was i'll and could not be in court to lend the sympathy and en- couragement of her presence; the claim was made that 27 witnesses wanted by the defense were not pres ent; that there was no stenographer present to take the testimony and other none of the reasons assigned were suf- ficient to grant this and ordered that the trial proceed. The work of select ing the jury was begun at 2 o'clock this afternoon and will probably be completed so that the trial of the case can proceed in the morning. The state is represented by Solicitor Rainey, w. J. Boykin and M. M. Davidson. The de- fense is being made by Culli & Martin Clancy has some money and hard
 
 The Etowah County Farmers union will meet in this city on April and 8 for the regular quarterly gathering. Preparations are being made for one of the largest meetings that has ever been held by the organization. A number of addresses will be delivered on sub jects of special interest to the farmers and other forms of entertainment will be provided. Secretary Downs of the union was in the city today and ex- pressed himself as very hopeful of a union was in flourishing condition in every way and that the farmers of the county were more prosperous than ever before in the history of the county
 Frank Freeman. the man who ran in Attalla some time ago and had battle with the police, was tried in the criminal court yesterday on charge of assault with intent to mur- der, and was found guilty by the jury, but the fixing of his punishment was left with the judge. He will undoubted- ly be given term in the penitentiary.
 H. D. Abernathy, who was arrested at Rome some time ago and returned to this city on a craze of forgery, and who was later found to be bigamist, plead guilty to the forgery charge and was sent to the county chain gang by Judge Bilbro for 8 term of two years. Aber- nathy wanted to be sent to the peni- tentiary but the judge said he was needed to help provide better roads in the county and refused to comply with the prisoners request. It is likely that when his sentence ontthe road has been he will be tried on the charge of bigamy.
 Both the prohibitionists and the li- quor folk are engaged in circulating petitions in this county in order to dispose of the liquor question once more. The men who want to return the traffic to the county are securing pe- titioners for an election and the pro- are getting up a petition against the holding of an election for this purpose. The prohbitionists in- sist that they will secure a majority of the voters to their petition and thus show to the probate judge that the calling of an election would be a use- less expense to the county as the ques- ton is already decided. Both factions are busy and the outcome is awaited with such interest as only the liquor quarrel can inspire.
 The committee from the Business Mems club, which was appointed to make solicitations for the raising Of 3 monster factory fund reports that success is being met with on every hand and that the desired sum Will be realized. Of the $150,000 that are want ed, about $100.000 have already been secured, and 1t is not unlikely that more than the amount originally de- cded upon will be raised to further the work of the industrial development of the city.