The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1911-02-01
MANY CITIES WISH
big WAGON WORKS
Find Blind Tiger Under Chief
of Policies Office
IN FLORENCE CITY HALL
c. s. Mailman, Superintendent of Flor
ence Wagon Works, Dies--COn-
Wet Captured and Held in
the Florence Jail

Florence, January 3.-(Specal.)- John
w. Fry of Columbia. Tenn, president of
the Florence Wagon Works and of the
Tennessee Valley Fertilizer company of
Florence is in the city on business con-
nected with the latter. When asked about
the reports from Mobile, Decatur, Shelf
field, ETC., to the effect that each had
secured the Florence Wagon Works, Mr..
Fry said: mo location for the wagon
works has been selected yet nnm-
Der of cities, including Florence, are bid.
ding for the plant. but SO far no decision
has been reached"
The wagon works was established here
about quarter of a century ago and
has prospered until it is now the fourth
in magnitude in the United States. So
large is the business that 1t has out
the present site and hence the determine
ton to move. Through the Florence Com
mercial club the city has offered a To-
acre site on the Louisville and Nashville
railroad, which is now being considered,
and it is confidently expected by the
Commercial club, that other things being
equal, Mr. Fry and his board of direc-
tors will give Florence the preference.
A delegation of three, representing the
Commercial club of Fl Smith, Ark, is in
Florence today asking Mr.. Fry to move
the wagon works to their town.
Tiger Close to Police
Florence is not infested by blind tigers,
as some Alabama cities are reported TO
be, but Chief of Police w. w. Lemay
claims to have caught the champion blind
tiger of the state, which was owned by
Robert McAlester, colored. McAlester' S
performance in several respects Is unique.
according to Chief Lemay, in that he
chose as his customer a preacher and
member of the city council and had his
base of supplies in the city hall. directly
under the office of the chief of police.
McAlester, late Monday afternoon, ac-
costed the Rev. w. C. Dowdy, the only
clerical on the council, and asked him If
he wanted some whisky. Mr.. Dowdy
denied the imputation, but later, on the
advice of Chief Lemay, told the negro he
would take a pint. From distance the
chief watched him lead his customer into
the basement of the city hall, where the
liquor was concealed. McAlester was
fined $104 and given six months at hard
labor by Mayor c. w. Ashcraft this
morning.
Clifton Seals Mailman Dies
Chiffon Seals Mailman, superintendent
of the Florence Wagon Works. died at
midnight last night at his home in this
city from complications of the grippe
and Brights disease The deceased was
An old boH vyit h
the wagon works for q years, eight years
as superintendent. Mr.. Mailman was a
devoted Christian and had been superin-
tendent of the North Wood Avenue Meth
odist Sunday school since the church was
founded several years ago. His wife sur
wives him. Mrs. William Craig, his sis
ter, from Athens, Tenn, and J. H. Hall
man of Florence, and several half BROTH
ers in Texas are his only near relatives.
The funeral will be held Wednesday aft
crnoon but the arrangements have not
been made yet.
Mrs. Emory Mcdonald, aged %, died
last night at the family residence in East
Florence from consumption. She is sur
vived by her husband. who is lumber in
spector for the Florence Wagon Works.
Tennessee Convict Captured
E. s. Warren, an escaped convict from
the Nashville penitentiary. was captured
yesterday by ]. M. Lancaster. near
Gravelly Springs and is held in the coun-
ty Jail here awaiting the arrival of a
Tennessee officer.
Warren was sent up in 1902 to serve a
three years sentence for forgery. He
escaped after serving two years and after
six years of liberty was recaptured and
escaped again in October, 1910, after less
than three months incarceration.