T. J. Hickman appointed a justice of the peace for Beat 21

Transcription

Read from the image (line breaks not kept), from the headings to the list of candidates; the item goes on under "Ensley Officers." about the Ensley appointments and Judge Mandy, which do not concern him.

Ensley and Birmingham Matters Disposed of

WAS AN IMMENSE TASK

Some Likelihood of Delay In Case of Judge Mandy at Ensley—Governor Arranges for Courts In Walker and Winston.

Montgomery, January 23.—(Special.)—Justices of the peace, beat 21, R. L. Williams and T. J. Hickman; ex-officio position, R. B. Watts. Ex-officio position beat 37, C. J. Martin. Justice in beat 45, Ensley, J. P. Brodie of Wylam; ex-officio place, J. M. Donaldson.

These important Jefferson county appointment [sic] were made by the acting governor today.

Shortly after his noon lunch today Acting Governor Cunningham called on Recording Secretary M. H. Screws to put on his desk all the papers in the matter of beat officers in beats 21 and 37, Jefferson county, embracing the city of Birmingham. The response surprised the acting executive and he cried out, "the great goodness alive—all of this?" Well he might have shouted. There were several bulky envelopes tied together making a bundle at least a foot through, containing telegrams, petitions and letters in behalf of favored friends who thought there [sic] own man's appointment the only hope for the welfare of the county. "I'll make these in an hour," said the Governor as he slipped off the rubber bands and dismissed the reporters and visitors.

Get In Early.

Early this morning there were several of the "friends" of the different candidates at the governor's office, some arriving so soon they "had to scratch under" as one of them expressed it. The Governor spent much of the morning hearing what they had to say.

There were the following candidates marked up for the race through: Beat 37, notaries public and justices of the peace J. H. Ward and C. J. Martin; beat 21, justices of the peace, Frank Gardner, C. C. Bates, who said he was asking for either that or the ex officio place; R. L. Williams, who received a few votes at the time of the election for inferior court judges who have been declared unconstitutionally chosen; T. J. Hickman, erstwhile keeper of the jail; W. J. Whitaker; notary public and justice of the peace, W. J. Conniff, Rev. E. A. Wright, one time chaplain to the state convicts at Pratt Mines, and R. B. Watts, a young lawyer, who is endorsed by the Retail Grocers' association.

…

Citation: "Ensley and Birmingham Matters Disposed of: Was an Immense Task" (Montgomery dispatch of 23 January), The Birmingham Age-Herald (Birmingham, Ala.), Tuesday 24 January 1905, p. 3; image, Chronicling America, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn85038485/1905-01-24/ed-1/?sp=3).