The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-11-06
ROWLANDFOUNDNOT'
 GUILTY AT ANN|STON|
Acquitted of Murder of Pidd
 Rutledge of Jacksonville
GRADING FOR PLANT
Missionary Convention Conyenes in Tuscaloosa-Fee System Unpopu- lar-Toland Funeral Held at
 Oxford Yesterday

Anniston, November 5.-(Special.) )-John Rowland, the former deputy sheriff of Calhoun county. who has been on trial in the city hourt here. was acquitted of murder by a jury this afternoon. He was charged with the killing of Pidd Rut- ledge, former chief of police of Jack sonville. on election day in the latter city last spring. The jury had his case less than one hour.
 In addressing the jury, Solicitor Tunstall told them that if they did not give John Rowland the extreme penalty they would never again have an excuse to talk about the cheapness of human life in Calhoun county. Attorney w. P. Acker for the defense made very strong plea for his client, who, he said, was justified in of the evidence adduced he should be ac- quilted.
 Few cases tried In Calhoun county have elicited more widespread interest and while there was slight decrease in att tendance Tuesday, the court room was still well filled.
 He Wanted to Vote
 Dr. T. W. Ayers, who is at home on Q furlough from Hwang-hien, North China, where he is in charge of the Warren Memorial hospital under the foreign mis- sion board of the Southern Baptist con ventlon, said before leaving for Tusca- loosa Tuesday morning that seldom in his life did he want to vote so badly as he did in this election for Woodrow Will son.
 pr. Ayers formerly edited the Anniston Daily Hot Blast and was for some time chairman of the Calhoun county demo- cratic convention and active in state poll itics.
 Convicted Murderer Dead
 Addison Connor, who was some time ago convicted of the murder of a man by the name of Stewart at Munford, south of here, has been killed at the state peni- tentiary. according to information re- ceived in this city Tuesday afternoon.
 Going to Convention
 Alarge number of Anniston women and others interested In mission work left here Tuesday for Tuscaloosa, where they will attend the meeting of the Woman's Missionary convention for Alabama, which convenes in that city. Mrs. O. M. Key holds of Anniston Is one of the state of- flcers and has canvassed the state re- gently.
 Fee System Unpopular
 The provision giving the voters of the state a chance to pass on the proposed amendment to the constitution to enable Jefferson county to rid itself of the fee sysem met with practically no opposition in Anniston, and the measure will get substantial indorsement from this city and county, where 1t was voted for al- most unanimously at the polls Tuesday. It Is believed that this Is but the initial step toward a statewide war on the evils of the fee system.
 Grading for Big Plant
 Work was started Monday on the grad ing for the tracks and the main building of the Lynchburg Pipe and Foundry com pany, the big plant recently located in Anniston. M. H. Maury, manager of the plant, says the work will now be rushed and that he hopes to begin the construc- ton of the building before the severe weather of winter arrives.
 Poland Funeral Held
 The body of Hugh Toland, the well known young man of Oxford, who was killed by driving off a bridge south of