The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-08
Subject of a Sensational Report
By DR.. S. L. Ledbetter,
OF C0TNTY BOARD HEALTH
Declared It to be Disgrace to the City
Opponents of Police Commission 8
Take Advantage of the OPP
portunity to Rub it In" p

Ahi6hl ocSpllo Lie ldCl Llldl Tie City dd-
ministration bill to regain control Of the po-
lice department had just met an ignomin-
ious defeat at the hands of the Alabama
legislature, now In session at Montgomery.
Although rather paradoxical it might be
said that the "antis' had a dainty morsel
to digest in the shape of a communication
from the county board of health regarding
the condition of the city prison, which was
addressed to the mayor and board of alder
men.
The report Is sensational in the extreme
ana reads as follows: -
Birmingham, Ala, December 6, 1888
To the Honorable Board of Mayor and AL.
dermen.
forward to you a copy of a report on
the condition of the city prison, made by
Dr. D. L. Ledbetter, a member of the COM
mittee of health of this county, specially
detailed In accordance with the law requir-
ing our supervision of prisons ETC., for
TINS work, and ask your careful attention
TO statement of facts and suggestions
Very respectfully,
e. H. SHOLL, M. D.,
Chairman of Committee of Health, Jeffer-
son County.
DIR. Ledbetter's Report
II made two visits to the city prison at
intervals of two weeks. My first visit was
unexpected by the officials and found 1t in
bad shape. The warden explained that on
account of some trouble with the closets
they were unable to prevent the overflow
and had been waiting for the plumbers to
finish their work before beginning to clean
up.
II assisted on making my inspection and
I think I have never seen ANYTHING quite
so bad. believe that in any city where
they have societies for the prevention of
cruelty to animals, man would be prose-
cuted for keeping horse, or a COW, in so
dirty place. The floors of the cells were
all flooded from the overlooked sinks water
saturated with focal matter and urine The
odor was terrific The narrow passage
ways around between the cells, and outer
walls were covered with mud apparently
quarter of an inch thick. The windows
looked as though they had not been cleaned
for years and between the outer sash and
the inner, were accumulated pieces of stale
bread, and meat mixed with bits of coal
and CRIME.
Warden Tries to Do His Duty
1.-THE warden, 1 think tries to do his duty.
but the condition is such that he does not
feel encouraged perhaps by the results
obtained. I was so emphatic in my con-
domination of existing conditions, that
force was at once put to work to clean out
the cells. I went back about an hour later
and found that the water. and the filth,
had been swept. from the cells, but In
sweeping out the upper set of cells 1.-THE
SiuSH WIS IOfCeu out Oh an opening. lnEtne
Iron grating at the far end of the hallway
running down the bars below to the ground
floor depositing thick coat of filth on the
grating as 1t flowed down. 1 inquired as to
how these bars were cleaned Answer:
They were not cleaned at ALL except when
occasionally a coat Of whitewash was given
them. The seats to the water closets
were as filthy as were possible for them to
be, covered over with focal matter appar-
emily the accumulation of weeks in some
cases. +
Not as Clean as Stock Pen &
"On my last visit, November 25 things :
were improved somewhat. There were.
only two cells where the closets had been
overlooking, and l found lime scattered
around where things were the filthiest. 1t
was rainy day and the prisoners were all
in. l had to elbow my way through, they
were SO thick. was told that there were
between 125 and 100 prisoners confined there
the previous night. They have twenty cells
with wooden cots for four in each cell, with
total capacity for eighty men, and a
small room upstairs for women. 1t re-
minded me of the stock pens, though not
so clean.
1.-The building has not sufficient capacity;
is badly constructed; is badly arranged,
and Is disgrace to the city. A portion of
the upstairs is used for court room. This
might be used for a prison and court held
elsewhere. ! noticed that at the city hall
the lower floor Is all used by city officials,
each one having separate apartments. The
street and poll tax collector has a very
large roomy enclosure, which a former
mayor occupied. The second floor has a
large room for the board of aldermen, two
smaller rooms for the mayor and city en-
gineer. The third floor, I am told, is un-
occupied. Apparently they have room to
waste.
short Terms Prevent Large Death Rate
.sThe assistant warden said that the city
prison had one good feature-it was secure
the prisoners could not get out, but 1t is
useless to crticise in detail. 1t is as utterly
unsanitary as it can be. and the short
terms of confinement alone prevents a large
death rate There is no provision in the
prison for bathing, or washing the clothes,
which get absolutely filthy in a few days
time. This defect in the construction of
the prison has been mentioned before. l
think, so need not be dwelt upon.
Respectfully submitted,
S. L. LEDBETTER, NJ D.
The report was read at the meeting of
the city council last night, and as soon as
it was completed Chairman Pearce of the
police and sanitation committee, who was
one of the prime instigators of the bill to
abolish the police commission, was on his
feet in a moment and offered the following
resolution:
Alderman Pearces Resolution
Resolved, That the report of DIR. S. L.
Ledbetter, of the board of health, upon the
condition of the city prison and city hail.
be referred back to the board of health of
Jefferson county, with information that an
examination of the state laws will disclose
the fact to those ignorant thereof that the
board of police commissioners have charge
of and are responsible for the maintenance
and condition of the city prison. and not
the board of mayor and aldermen. Be 1t
further
s.Resolved, That the thanks of this board
are hereby rendered to DR.. 8. L. Ledbetter,
the examiner, for his very complimentary
reference to the condition of the city hall,
which is directly under the control of this
board"
Alderman Altman was inclined to believe
that some responsibility rested on the city
and offered substitute that the matter
be referred to the police and sanitation
committee. ,-s..
Alderman Williams thought that If condi-
tons existed as stated in the report, those
In control of the prison should be arrested