The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-31
GOVERNOR O'NEAL
 ENTERS A DENIAL Didn't Appoint Merrill to
 Get Brothers Vote BOOSTING HOSPITAL Anniston Hen Lays Eggs Containing Letters-Friends Meet After 9
 Years-Streams Overflow.
 Daugette Pleased

| Anniston, March 30.-lSpecial) )--An interesting contribution to the political
 campaign in this judicial circuit was
 brought out this week in letter from
 Gov. Emmet O'Neal in which he de-
 nies that he appointed Judge Hugh
 D. Merrill judge of the Seventh judi
 cial circuit in consideration of the vote
 of the latter's brother, State Senator W. B. Merrill, for the local option pol
 icles adyocated by the administration.
 Judge Merrill was appointed judge
 when Judge John Pelham was elevated
 from this circuit to the court of ap
 peals. Judge Merrill Is now opposed l by Capt. A. P. Agee, president of the
 Anniston city council, whose friends
 have charged in effect that Judge Mer- rills appointment was brought about | by the change of front on the part of
 his brother, who went 10 Montgomery, l it is alleged. state wide prohibition ist, with whom he participated in eau GUS.
 copy of a letter made public here, | in which these charges are brought, was | sent to the governor and he replied to | the effect that there was absolutely no | deal or trade and that he was pained | to believe that any man would believe | Hlil BulltN Ol lIdhliB dH dpDOiulIIltHl lO | such high judicial position under such considerations.
 1 The race between Judge Merrill and l Captain Agee has been about the livest | feature to the present race, and their l race promises to be very close in all
 of the counties affected, Calhoun, Talla-
 dega, Clay, Cleburne and Shelby
 The race next to this which has elcited
 most interest is that between Judge J. | I of ta off Cooper. former representative In the Ala | bama legislature, and Iverson E. Watson, | clerk of the circuit court here. They | have waged an aggressive campaign. | Judge Arnold was appointed to succeed | Judge Emmet F. Crook and he stated | Saturday afternoon that he feels con | fdent of his reelection, which will be | contingent upon his nomination Monday. | He may have to make another race, | however, as will one of the others as 1 the majority plan has been adopted In | this county. Judge Arnold was also member of the legislature for several years. He became an authority on edu- | cational matters and was frequently mem toned for speaker.
 Thousands of voters thronged the streets of Anniston Saturday andsall the candi- dates were kept busy.
 Boosting City Hospital The board of trustees proposed for the Anniston city hospital, which it is pro- posed to organize, are making strenuous efforts to put through the deal to take over two private institutions. which 1t is | believed will be successful. The property can be bought for $25000, the first Install | ment of $5000 to be paid within 60 days
 and the balance to be paid in four annual | installments of s400O.
 Hen Lays Letters | Anniston has a hen that lays alphabeti- | cal eggs The hen nest is at Oxford
 Lake and her products are attracting con | siderable attention. Last week she laid an
 egg with the letter "M'' stamped on it in
 embossed letters. Friday of this week she | went one better and laid an egg with the ietters M. R." embossed thereon.
 Meet After Twenty Three Years After a separation of 29 years, Adju- | tant Halpin, a musical attache of the | Salvation Army, and Capt. J. W. Me 1 Afee in charge of the army hall here, met again on the streets of this city Friday. Adjutant McAlpin is here on an inspection tour. He is in command ! of the gulf division of the army Streams Overflow Banks Streams in all parts of the Anniston district have overflown their banks, ac lcOrding to reports brought to the city Saturday, and interurban traffic is very l difficult. Choccolocco creek is said to have reached the highest point in sev- eral years
 Daugette Is Pleased c. w. Daugette. president of the Jacksonville Normal college. was at Anniston Saturday. He expressed him | self as being highly pleased with the attendance made at the school this year and the showing made by the stu dents under the new standardization. The race for congressman at large comes
 nearer touching the popular interest at Anniston than any other feature of the
 campaign which comes to an end Saturday
 evening. the candidates to be voted for In | the state primary of April 1.
 | At Anniston the race seems to have nar- rowed down to Abercrombie, Atkins and
 Brooke. J. II. Elmondson, county eanl-
 paign manager for Maj. Y. B. Atkins, l has been exceedingly active since his ap- pointment and the distinguished Selmian
 will poll a good vote in Calhoun county, | as will II. Y Brooke, who is being backed
 by the labor element of the city. It Is generally believed, however, that | pr. John w. Abercrombie, a former cit l izen of Anniston, will carry this eoun- | ty which he represented in the upper | house of the Alabama legislature, securing the enactment of the law which brought about the removal of the county seat to | Anrston from Jacksonville. He was also l former superintendent of the city schools here and was an Annistonian when elect
 ed state superintendent of education, from
 which position he was elected to the pres | idency of the State university. Hence, his
 friends claim that his local ties will en-
 able him to carry the county by goodly | majority.