Benjamin S. Turner Elected Councilman

From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:

The old market house was ordered to be rented on the first day of October 1868 for 12 months, at public auction. The Council reported that they found in the city treasury, in city bills (over one dollar) $3,755.50; in city fraction, (under one dollar) $335.30--total amount $4,090.80. The Council exhibited considerable anxiety to have Beach creek swamp ditched, but it seemed to be too large an undertaking without one dollar of money in the treasury; R. S. Pettibone, elected wharfinger, who reported eleven dollars and seventy-five cents as the receipts for the month of September 1868. There were thirteen patients in the hospital, seven admitted and one born during the month of September. During the month of September 1868, there were twenty-three interments in the cemeteries--fourteen whites and nine blacks. Joseph R. John was selected as city attorney, who read the new charter, which was ordered to be placed on file in the Clerk's office. In November 1868, Councilman Saffold and Mayor Gill were appointed to go to Montgomery and have the new Charter passed into a law. And to enable them to accomplish their purpose, $550 was appropriated to pay their expenses. Twenty-three thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars of Alabama and Tennessee coupons were destroyed in the first day of December 1868. On the 4th day of December, 1868, the Legislature passed a new charter for the city, and in the 66th session of the charter it was provided that an election should be held for Mayor and Council on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in December, 1868, to be managed and conducted by the sheriff of Dallas county, George P. Rex, was then acting as said sheriff, and at the same election the voters were to vote for and against the new charter. The sheriff gave the ten days, notice as required and the election was held. The newly elected Mayor and Councilmen assembled in the Council room on the 24th of December 1868, when the following communication was read:

SHERIFF'S OFFICE, SELMA, December 28, 1868.

     GENTLEMEN I would most respectfully tender the official report of the election held in the city of Selma, on Tuesday, December 22nd, 1868 for city officers, and for the adoption or rejection of the new city charter. Whole numbers of voted cast, 1,775
     For Mayor--J. L. Perkins, 1,183; W. B. Gill, 512; Geo C. Johnson, 55; Dan. Hughes, 1.
     For Marshal--J. C. Waite, 1,146; J. M. Dedman, 624
     For City Clerk--R. C. Goodrich, 1,158; Henry Fatchell, 607.
     For City Physician--Dr. John H. Henry, 1,146; Dr. John A. McKinnon, 372; Dr. L. E. Locke, 1.
     For Councilman--First ward--B. F. Saffold, 1,146; J. S. Corbin, 1,142; W. H. fellows, 620, S. F. Hobbs, 609. Second ward--W. R. Bill, 1,428; John Silsby, 1,139; W. R. Ditmars, 601. Third ward--J. F. Carmichael, 1,154; B. S. Turner, 1,134; Robt. Lapsley, 617; A. C. F. Smith, 603. Fourth ward--Geo F. Beach, 1,684; Edward Northup, 1,141; Robert Hall, 542,.      For adoption of Charter, 1,638; against, 29. Respectfully,

George P. Rex,
Sheriff of Dallas county.

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