The Hattiesburg news., December 11, 1908, Image 1

About The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917

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THE HATTIESBURG NEWS
Be a Booster;
Mot a Knocker
every inch a
NEWSPAPER
VOL. II. NO. 244
HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY AFTERNOON. DECEMBER II, 1908
PRICE FIVE CENTS
HAZLEHURST PHYSICIAN
SHOT DOWN DY DENTIST
Tragedy is Said to Have Been Un
pi oYoked and Considerable
Excitement Prevails.
DR. PITTS, THE VICTIM,
WAS POPULAR CITIZEN
*>
Birdsong, the Slayer, Was Drinking
and Imagined That Pitts Was Inter
fering With His Business.—Old
Negro Only Eye Witness.
Hazlehurst, Miss., Dec. 11.—Great
excitement prevails here on account
of the sensational killing yesterday
v afternoon of Dr. A. B. Pitss, one of the
most prominent physicians in the
state, by Dr. Tom Birdsong, a dentist
who occupied an adjoining office on
the second floor of the Baas building,
over Pitts Bros.' drug store. #
The killing occurred In the office
of Dr. Pitts. Three shots were fired,
two of which took effect, the first in
the chest and the second in the groin,
the third gong wild. - Birdsong was
promptly arrested and placed In jail,
where he refuses to discuss the affair,
There was only one eye witness to
the shooting, a negro named William
Sumrall, who was in Dr. Pitts' office
when Birdsong came in, and who saw
the tragedy at close range. He was
placed in jail as a witness, after ma
king a statement to the effect that
Dr. Birdsong came into the office and
upbraided Dr. Pitts for not attending
to bis own buslpess and leaving that
of other people alone. Dr. Pitts made
some reply to the effect that he had
been attending to his own business,
and Birdsong left. In a few moments
he returned with a pistol and, stepping
between Dr. Pitts and the negro,
opened fire at close range, with the
above result. Death followed Im
mediately, and Dr. Pitts never spoke
after being shot.
It Is stated that back of the tragedy,
while there had been no previous dif
ficulty between the men, there was an
unpleasant feeling, due to the fact
that Birdsong was accustomed to
drinking a good deal of liquor and
bringing friends up Into his office,
where they would drink together,
became annoying to Dr. Pitts, who
was forced to submit to the humilia
tion of having his patients and other
callers witness scenes which were not
altogether pleasant, and be had either
remonstrated with Birdsong or spoken
of It to others who communicated It
to Birdsong.
Within a few minutes after the kill
ing probably 500 people had gathered,
and there were many threats Indulged.
Dr. Pitts being an unusually popular
man, both as a citizen and as a prac
ticing physician, standing high
among his patients, as well as among
the members of his profession
throughout the state.
Dr. Birdsong, while a member of a
splendid family, was a hard and al
most constant drinker, and had lost
much of bis professional prestige on
that account. He is a brother of Dr.
Jim Blrdson, husband of Mrs. Angle
Birdsong, the woman who was con
i
♦ THE DAILY NEW8
♦
♦
PROGNOSTICATOR. ♦
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦«*♦«
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Washington, D. C., Dec. 11.—Mis
sissippi: Partly Cloudy tonight and
Saturday.
vlcted about two years ago, after a
most sensational trial, of the killing
of Dr. Butler at Monticello, where both
lived, and who was afterward par
doned before entering upon her pris
on sentence by Governor Vardaman.
He is about 45 years old, and has a
wife and five children.
Dr. Pitts was about 55 years old,
and has a wife and a large family, one
of whom, a young daughter, Is to be
married here on next Wednesday.
Another Arrest.
Hazlehurst, Miss., Dec. 11.—Homer
Smith was placed under arrest, here
this morning as acessory to the kill
ing of Dr. A. B. Pitts by Dr. Tom Bird
song last night.
It is alleged that Smith loaned Bird
song the pistol used in the tragedy
with the full knowledge of what he
intended to use it for.
Sentiment againBt the slayer is very
bitter In the community and a demand
has been made for Judge Potter to
reconvene the grand jury and give
Birdsong a speedy trial.
After the tragedy Birdsong barri
caded himself in his office and defied
arrest, but friends interceded and he
was pursuaded to surrender.
In handling his pistol to the officer
who arrested him, Dr. Birdsong said:
"Well. I intended to do It and X have
done It."
TRADE DAY
Local Merchants Are Ready For
Big Day Which Has Been
Anxiously Awaited
Tomorrow, Saturday the 12th, the
much-talked of excursion over the Mis
sissippi Central will come Into Hat
tiesburg and there Is good reason for
believeing that many people along the
line of the Mississippi Central will
take advantage of the low rates of
fered to visit Hattiesburg.
Ail Indications, at this time, point
to the success of "Trade Day," and
the bargans that will be offered by
Hattiesburg merchants tomorrow will
be the greatest ever known, therefore
the excursionists will have the oppor
tunity of the season to buy goods at
a bargain. More than this, many peo
ple in and around Hattiesburg will
take advantage of the great bargains
offered for "Trade Day" and will do
a great deal of shopping.
Those who come on the Mississippi
Central from Silver Creek and inter
STATE SUPREME COURT
ISI
Jaily News Special.
Jackson, Dec. 11.—The supreme
court quickly disposed of yesterday's
docket, there being no cases for oral
argument and the only cases docketed
being submitted on briefs. There will
be no more sitting ot the court this
week except for a short while Satur
day afternoon for the purpose of dis
posing of a tew pending motions, and
the remaining cases on the third dis
trict docket go over to Monday. These
cases number about two dozen, and
will be easily disposed of next week.
On the following Monday, December
21, the criminal docket will be again
taken up, and will occupy the atten
tion of the court until after the holi
days. There will he no arguments,
even in these criminal cases, until
after Christmas, and only those cases
In which there Is to be no oral argu
ment, will be submitted on briefs on
the 21st, when the court will take a
holiday recess. After the holidays
the remaining state cases will be
taken up and argued In tbeir regular
order until all are disposed of, before
A TALK TO NEWS READERS
Probably from this time to Christ
mas Day the most Interesting news
In the News to a large majority of
Us readers will be contained In Its
advertlseing columns. There Is a pe
culiar condition In the trade world
just now. The panic of last year hit
the manufacturers harder than It did
any other class of people. The Hat
tiesburg merchants pretty well mark
eted their last year's stock of goods
and were able to buy during the past
spring and summer at very satisfac
tory prices. This means that there
Is a wide margin between the value
of the goods that they offer now and
their cost to the merchant and this
means that merchants are able to
offer big leaders to attract the public
to their stores.
Any one who imagines that there
mediate points will come on the regu
lar morning passenger train, buying
round trip tickets at one and one-third
fare for the round trip. When parties
have traded to the amount of 315 they
can take their cash checks to Secre
tary Larson at the Commercial Club,
and have the total amount of their
fare refunded.
A great many of the visitors will
attend the great Southern play "The
Traitor," tomorrow night at the au
ditorium and there will be a special
train wating to carry them home after
the play is over. Those who prefer
can go to the matinee tomorrow after
noon.
This is Hattiesburgs first concerted
effort to have a regular "Trade Day,"
and if it is the success that is hoped,
there will be many other similar oc
casions,
RUSSIA PREPARES
FOR AN UPRISING
By Hearst News Service.
St. Petersburg, Russia, Dec. 11.—
Russians are today pushing military
preparations In Sweaborg fortress In
anticipation of an uprising of the Fins,
when the Finnish diet reconvenes In
February.
OFFERS REWARD
FOR CAPTURE OF
WIFE WHO ELOPED
Hearst News Servloe.
Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 11.—W. A.
Stone, a millionaire coal operator of
Uniontown, has offered $2,500 reward
for the capture of his wife and Emery
Martin, with whom she eloped on De
cember 3. Since Mrs. Stone's dis
appearance her aged mother committ
ed suicide.
rotating to the middle district docket.
Nearly all the eases set for hearing
Monday are railroad damage suits, in
five of which, the Frisco road Is a
party. Judge J. W. Buchanan of Mem
phis, general counsel for the road, will
be here to argue his side of those
cases, and several other attorneys
representing the other parties, sever
ally, will be on hand. The ten cases
docketed for hearing on Monday are
as follows:
Batesvllle Gin Co. vs. W. W. Whit
ten.
St. L. & S. F. R. R. Co., vs. Jim Ruff.
J. M. Jones, Jr. vs. St. L. & F. R. R.
Co.
Mrs. A. A. Lackey et al. vs. St. L.
ft S. F. R. R. Co.
8. J. Stein vs. Hymsn-Lewls Co.
W. R. Howell et al. vs. W. W. Hill et
al.
St. L. A S. F. R. R. Co. vs E. C.
Smith.
St. L. 6 S. F. R. R. Co. vs. Mrs. N. E.
Swindle et al.
Y. ft M. V. R. R. Co. vs. Ed. Wilson.
Y. ft M. V. R. R. Co. vs. Will Counts.
is not great profit In reading the ad
vertising and an opportunity for great
saving makes a serious mistake. The
shrewd merchant knows that adver
tising is now a large part of the sales
department of his store. He knows
that he can go into a paper with a
circulation of 3,000 dally and can tell
of his trade opportunities and advan
tages to the people who buy for nearly
the entire population of Hattiesburg
and the surrounding territory.
The woman reader of The News who
Is a good household economist will
follow these advertisements during
the next three weeks and will make
two dollars go as far as another who
does not follow the advertising will
reach with four dolars.
The business outlook for the city
is good and as a result people who
WILL GIVE
Sheriff WII Not Compel Forrest
Couniy Taxpapers io Pay
10 Per Ceni Penaliy
NEW ASSESSMENT IS
CAUSE OF THE DELAY
«
For This Reason MP.' Mapnuder Will
Give the Tax Payers All the Time
Possible to Liquidate Their Indebt
edness to County.
Sherlff Magruder was asked this
morning if it was his purpose to add
10 per cent to all taxes not paid be
fore December 15, and replied that it
was not, and a3 it had not been cus
tomary heretofore in this county, al
though the law allows it, he was at a
loss to understand how the idea got
out that additional cost would be
added after the 15th Inst. He has
never had the slightest intention of
doing this.
It wiir be remembered that owing
to the fact that a new assessment of
real property was made this year
that it was a month later than usual
when the books were ready for the tax
collector and tnis delay In starting
probably prevented some few from
paying early,
stances, it would hardly be right to
Impose additional cost on the tax
payers, and Sheriff Magruder is clear
ly In the right in the matter, besides
the fact that it has never been cus
tomary to add additional cost before
February 1, by which time all persons
must pay their taxes or become dis
franchised for two years.
Under the circum
TAX-PAYING
TIME HEDE
Sheriffs Throughout the State Say
That Collections Are Good
This Year.
Jackson, Miss., Dec. 11.—Although
less than a week remains before the
fifteenth of December, the date fixed
by the statutes by which times taxes
must be paid to avoid the addition
of ten per cent damages, It Is conserv
atively estimated that less than one
third of the taxes assessed In Missis
sippi have been paid, and much less
than that has been paid into the state
treasury.
During the next few days, It the
usual custom prevails, there will be
have Christmas buying to do will feel
warranted in making Investments
now in staple winter stuff, as well as
In Christmas purchases.
An immense amount of brains and
thought is put Into adds that appear
in The News columns. Read the ad
vertisements in every Issue carefully,
note the offerings made by business
men who have faith In their goods,
their prices, their inducements. The
News for the next 10 days will be a
practically complete shopping direc
tory. The wise merchant knows The
News and tells his story in its col
umns. You, our readers, will benefit
by their offerings. And above all, al
ways remember that before buying
look over the News. If the merchant
is really progressive you can find his
story here.
a general rush to the offices of the
sheriffs and the municipal tax collect
ors, and probably half the taxes due
will have been paid in by the fifteenth,
the time to which the sheriffs have
had the limit for reporting collections
extended, in order that the pension
warrants, or as many of them as pos
sible, may be cashed and turned in
to the state treasury as cash.
Following this there will be a lull,
unless the tax collectors get behind
the tax payers and enforce collec
tion. After Christmas there will again
be a rush, and the collectors will be
very busy during January, due to the
fact that every man who has not
paid his taxes in full by Feb. 1, will
be disfranchised during the two years
following.
According to an official opinion is
sued a few days ago by Attorney Gen
eral Stirling, the tax collectors may
not collect ten per cent damages even
after Dec. 15, where the taxpayer vol
untarily pays his taxes, but only
where the sheriff takes Some legal
steps to make the collection, such as
levying on property, etc. This is con
trary to the understanding of the law
as interpreted by a number of sheriffs
and municipal tax collectors, as many
of them in the past have taxed those
damages onto the taxes atid collected
them together without any process at
ail.
RUNAWAY ENGINE
be
it
al
a
be
of
of
to
KILLED WADSWORTH
Wingate, Miss., Dec. 11.—A Mr.
Wadsworth was killed Tuesday last
at Lancaster, Miss., on the main line
of the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas
City Railroad, by a runaway engine in
a saw mill,
of the Beaver Dam Lumber Company.
James Wellman was found guilty by
a jury last week for running a "blind
tiger" at New Augusta, Miss. Colon
A. McSwain was found guilty of grand
larceny. Mr. McSwain is a resident
of New Augusta, Miss., two miles
above here.
He was an employee
I
Chancery court will adjourn this af
ternoon until next week. Chancellor
Wood will return Monday to finish up
the docket.
An Important case was argued on
demurrer this morning. It was the
case of Mrs. Virginia Barnes vs. The
Gulf and Ship Island and Kansas City
railroads In which the sum of $75,000
is asked for the death of the com
plainant's husband, an engineer, who
loBt his life in the collision of a Gulf
and Ship Island Bwltch engine and a
passenger train on the M. J. & K. C.
some time last year.
It appears that an Injunction was
granted In this case some time ago
and that this Injunction was dissolved,
when a second Injunction In the chanc
ery court was secured. The motion
to dissolve this Injunction and per
mit the case to go to trial on its
merits was argued in court this morn
ing.
The complainant was represented
by Judge N. C. Hill, Sullivan ft Talley
and T. H. Campbell of Yaxoo City. The
railroad companies were represented
WILL VISIT
CANAL ZONE
Roosevelt Urges Congress to Make
An Investigation of Exist
ing Affairs.
SUGGESTS NEW CODE
FOR ISTHMIAN RULE
Majority of the Members, Both Dem
ocratic and Republican, Have Ex
pressed Intention to Comply With
the President's Request.
Hearst News Service.
Washington, Dec. 11.—President
Roosevelt has urged members of the
house committee on interstate and
foreign affairs to visit the Canal Zone
during the winter recess of congress
and a majority of both the Republi
can and Democratic members have
expressed their intention of doing so.
The Canal Zone is at present gov
erned by the canal commission, but
the president believes that it is now
time for congress to provide a code
of laws.
PREACHER KILLED
IN DISPUTE OVER
NEGRO FARM HAND
Washington, Ga., Bet. TL—ReV, G.
F, Tuttle, who lives five Wiles from
Washington, was shot and instantly
killed this morning by a young man
named Bailey, a neighbor. The two
men quarreled over a negro farm
hand who had left Tuttle and entered
the employ of Bailey,
WILL INVESTIGATE
TEDDY'S CHARGES
Hearst News Service.
Washington, Dec. 11.—The house to
day unanimously passed a resolution
to investigate and report on that sec
tion of the president's message re
lating to appropriations and secret
service men.
bv Hon. R. L. Dent, counsel for the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad.
DED GADLES
Media. Pa., Dec. 11.—The grand
jury has returned true bills jointly and
separately indicting Mrs, M. Florence
Erb and her sister, Mrs. Katherine
Beisel, for the murder of the husband
of the first named, Capt. J. Clayton
Erb, at Red Gables near the village
of Green on October 6.
8UMMARY PUNISHMENT.
Calcutta. India, Dec. 11.—Under
rush proceedings, the Indian council
today passed a bill providing for the
summary punishment of those found
guilty of sedition.
SCOTT AND
ARE FRANK
Botb Men Admit That They Will Be
Candidates For Office Three
Years Hence
PROTRACTED CAMPAIGN
IS NOT ANTICIPATED
Vardaman Will Oppose Senator Mc
Laurin and Scott Will Measure
Strength With Hon. Earl Brewer
and Others.—Lessons of the Past.
Jackson. Dec. 11.—The frank ac
knowledgement of ex-Governor Varda
man that he will be a candidate for
the United States senate in 1911, close
ly preceded by a similarly frank state
ment from Hon. Charles Scott of Rose
daye that he Intends to he a candidate
for governor at the same election,
have been the cause of much comment
In political circles, and in some quart
ers has given rise to the fear that
Mississippi Is about to encounter an
other very protracted political cam
paign, with active canvassing a<#qally
in progress two years in advance of
the primary date.
In well-informed circles, however,
this theory is given but little credence,
nor is it believed that either ex-GoV
grnor Vardanian pr Mr, gcptt dCKfpA.
ffi precipitate an early psnipgign
Frankness is S "tanWtWteUfi fif bottr
men, and, when asked by friends
cerning future political plans they
simply gave straightforward answers
instead of adopting the usual evasive
tactics of the politician who is not
ready to take the public Into their
confidence.
Furthermore, these published state
ments conveyed nothing new to any
person acquainted with matters
litlcal In Mississippi. It has been an
accepted belief ever since the cam
paign of 1907 that Vardaman would
make another race for the senate, with
Senator McLaurin as his opponent,
providing both are alive at that time,
and that Mr. Scott w-ould make a sec
ond effort to capture the governor
ship. Both of these men have political
following of formidable strength, both
have been earnestly urged by many
friends not to thrust aside their po
litical ambitions, and it is therefore
only natural that, in reply to direct
questions, they should give the public
the benefit of the truth.
The experience of the campaign of
1907, however, has undoubtedly taught
Messrs. Vardaman and Scott the folly
of protracted campaigns, and their
native sense and judgment, as well as
kindly consideration for the voters
whose support they will ask, will
cause them to wait until the proper
time before opening their canvasses.
I^ong campaigns are costly under Mis
sissippi's primary law, and they are
growing costlier with each succeeding
ccntest. Unless there is a curtailment
of the electioneering period, in 1911 It
will be Impossible for any man ot
moderate means to aspire to office.
con
po
STANDARD Oil
HEARING PAUSES
UNTIL NEXT WEEK
New York, Dec. 11.—The Standard
Oil hearing has been adjourned until
10:30 a. m. Monday in order that the
attorneys for the defense may check
up the evidence and decide whether
or not to Introduce any more wit-*
nsses.
KIERNA MAY SURRENDER.
New York, Dec. 11. —Friends of P.
K. Klerna, head of the Fidelity Fund
ing Company, whose arrest has been
asked for by the police of Pittsburg,
declare that he will give himself up
as soon as his personal business af
fairs have been arranged.