The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-12
GOVERNOR RENTS
 Ell GUTHRIE FINE Acted as Surety-WOuld Have Taken All Property LAND CONTOVE RSY Attorney General Seeking to Eject Hickman and Weldon From Six
 teenth Section Land in
 Jefferson County
LAND CONTOV VERS Y

Montgomery, April 11-(Special.) )-Gov- ernor Henderson today remitted the fine assessed against Eli Guthrie of Jeffer- son county as surety for w. A. Cornell. The payment of the fine, it is declared, would have taken all of Guthries prop erty, and inasmuch as he was valiant Confederate veteran, and is now an old man, with little means of subsistence the governor took the position that it was proper for him to interfere in the | matter. The sheriff of Jefferson county had levied on Guthrie's property for the amount of money due the state. There were other suretes with Guthrie for Connell, but he was the only one of them who owned any property. In remitting the fine, the governor gave oul a brief statement declaring he did not think the county should deprive Guthrie of all of his property in his old age. Montgomery, April u.-(Special )-Pro- ceedings to eject w. P, Hickman o1 Trussvlle and John Weldon of Argo from 4S0 acres of land in Jefferson coun- ty, formerly sixteenth section lands, but now in dispute as to ownership, have been filed in the circuit court of Jeffer- son county by Attorney General William L. Martin. The ejectment proceedings are the result of considerable information furnished the state by persons living near the disputed lands to the effect that Hickman and Weldon cannot establish a clear title to the lands by adverse pos session or otherwise. The proceedings will establish whether or not the state still owns this particular section. This section has been the subject of con- troversy for several months, and there has been considerable correspondence be- l tween persons living near the property and state officials. The controversy re- gently was brought to fever heat when 1t was learned that Hickman and Weldon had erected a sawmill on the land and were cutting the timber.
 Proceedings were then instituted tC eject Hickman and Weldon, and the case will be tried in the near future. It is understood that both of the parties against whom the suit has been brought are perfectly willing that the case should be settled in the courts, claiming that they have clear title to the lands and that they can establish their title.
 Under recent ruling of the supreme court, it was held that persons who could prove that they had been in adverse possession of sixteenth section lands for 20 years prior to 1908 were entitled to hold the property.
 MOAtSOiIleTy, .ApTll l1.-(SpeCldl.J J-Enl- met Jones, chief of the immigration and markets bureau of the department of agriculture and industries, today an- nounced that $500 in prizes will be pre- sented the persons writing the best de- scriptions of any of the counties of the state. The first prize will be $1O0, and other prizes will be valued at $50, $25 and lesser amounts. The regulations and rules of the contest will be announced later. -ts
 The contest will be inaugurated for-the purpose of advertising the resources oi the state. Any person may write as many articles as he wishes on as many coun- ties.
 It is proposed to have the governor officially announce the county descrip- tion contest" in the nature of procla- nation.
 Montgomery, April 11.-(Special.) )-Gov- ernor Henderson today paroled T. J. liar rison, a white convict of Jackson county, who had served 10 years of an IS years sentence for murder. The parole was recommended by the trial judge, solicitor and members of the jury who tried the case.
 Montgomery April 11.-(Special.) )-An- nouncement was made today by the state military department of the mastering into the service of the Alabama National Guard of Company G, Second infantry. at Piedmont. Officers of the new com- pany are: Captain, Charles R. Smith; first lieutenant. Harmon Foster Ottley, and second lieutenant, Ivy c. Turner.