The age-herald., 1902-02-24
Female Prisoners Given Liberty. on Any Sort of
 Bond
NO PLACE TO OBTAIN THEM
Chief Austin Loses Finger Nail While Worrying With Negro Woman. Another Kept the Patrol Wa
 gon Two Hours.

Birmingham has no place for the ae- commodation of female prisoners, be they white or black. It is useless for the police to arrest women who are disorderly, for there is no place to take them,
 Several women have been arrested dur ing the past week charged with offenses for which they should be punished Hav- ing no place to lock them in, the police men were forced to allow the women their liberty on any sort of bond. The matter reached a climax Saturday night in an experience Chief Austin had with t1ady of color.p
 He arrested a negro woman at Nine teenth street and Second avenue for blocking the thoroughfare and for dis orderly conduct. He ordered her to move on and she refused. The chief started with her to his office and then found he had no place to keep her. He was in trouble The woman resisted him fiercely, literally tearing one of his finger nails off below the quick. Her conduct was such as to warrant a charge of dis orderly conduct and resisting an officer. The chief could do nothing but release her on a bond signed only by herself. He was thoroughly disguested and began yes- terday morning looking for some sort of relief.
 To Hold Them in Court Room.
 The cell in Judge Feagin's court room has been decided on, and female prisoners will be kept there at night. After this de- cision WAS reached a second question arose. Suppose both white and black women were arrested, Both could not be placed in the same cell, so where are the others to go? That question is still unset tied. Chief Austin said he would like to rent one of the well guarded gambling rooms in the city. He. says he has struck some doors while raiding these places which would hold any prisoner, even s Frank Duncan.
 Captain Weir had a case Saturday night he would like the city fathers to aid him in solving A woman was arrested for hit ting a man over the head with a chair. Where was she to be carried? There is no place for women in the "doll house" which is now serving as prison.
 In Wagon for Two Hours.
 It all happened about o'clock Sunday morning and for two hours the police kept her In the patrol wagon waiting to find & place for her. She was refused at the jails, each claiming to have no place for
 
 out for her so sine could be carried to the county jail.
 Many of the tough female characters the police have to deal with understand the conditions and arc taking advantage of the situation.
 Chief Austin seemed rather sore yester- day and talked about number of things which he says should be provided for the police department. One was the Game we'll system, enabling the chief of police to communicate with any patrolman in a short length of time. AnotRfer was the Bertilion system of identification. He says 1t would not cost the city much to get the system and it would be a great aid in capturing criminals who escape from other places and come here.
 There Is an association called the Bu- reau of Identification, which Is great benefit to police department The chief wonders why Birmingham is not a mem Der and says 1t Is not his fault. He said
 Birmingham has the poorest equip- ment of any police system in the United States in city of the same size. There are fewer patrolmen, no system of com munication with them, no Identification system. no Bertillon system, no place to lock up women and a whole lot of other nos which seriously hamper the force"