The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-31
CHARGE JENNINGS
 WITH A BURGLARY Young Man Arrested Under Peculiar Circumstances CONFLICTING STATEMENTS c. p. Jennings Found at Rear of South ern Express Office, and Is Sup
 posed to Have Broken
 feransom.
 
CONFLICTING STATEMENTS

c. F. Jennings, a young white man who claims to be employed by A. R. Dear born & Co.,, was arrested last night by Lieutenant Hagood and Policeman Penn on a charge of burglary. He is accused of attempting to break into the office of the Southern Express company, which is on Morris avenue just across the street from the Union passenger station.
 Jennings denies his guilt and claims that he was in the compromising situa- tion in which he was found through being drunk He was given a chance to make statement in the city jail last night but refused He seems to have no fear of conviction
 It seems that about 1 o'clock MT. Moth shed and MT. Mcintosh, who room in one of the buildings which face on First ave- rue and run back to Morris avenue be- tween Nineteenth and Twentieth streets, climbed the back steps from Morris ave- nue to retire. They heard a noise as If glass was being broken by some one in the rear of one of the buildings which opens on light court. They looked out of the window to their room and discov- cred Jennings crouched on the ground at the back door of the Southern Express company's office They summoned Po- liceman Penn and Lieutenant Hagood., who arrested him.
 When Found.
 When found Jennings was sitting on a stick about six feet long which had been used to break A transom above the door The stick was scratched by the glass and Jennings hand was slightly cut as if piece of glass had fallen on 1t.
 At the bottom of the door and going nf iron bars running across to prevent peo- pie breaking the lower glass of the door and gaining entrance to the building. These bore evidence of some one having climbed on them, and on Jennings hands there was dirt and dust, which seemed to be off of these bars. From this the police draw the conclusion that he climbed on these bars to break the glass, hoping to climb over the transom on these bars.
 Jennings Statement.
 Jennings claimed when first found that he was drinking and therefore came to be in this court, which is hard to get into unless one enters through one of the several doors leading from offices which open on the court. The policemen state that he sobered up in few seconds if he had been drunk, and by the time lie reached police headquarters he was as sober as any one.
 Another story Jennings told was that he had been in the office of MT. Dear born, and that he had heard the glass break and run out into the court to see what it was, and that he had been hit in the head by some one who he supposed to be burglar He stated that the bur- glar must have escaped. Jennings head shows no traces of having been struck a heavy blow.
 The police examined the rear door Of MT. Dearborn's office ana found 1t locked. Jennings had the keys to 1t. The police theorize that if Jennings had run out of the office as he said that he would not have stopped to lock the door, as they found 1t. They think he entered the court by this door, but locked the door after him.
 The court has but one entrance to the streets and that is directly back of the Metropolitan hotel This entrance Is guarded by an iron gate about twelve feet high and it is almost impossible to enter through it.
 The place which Jennings Is charged with attempting to enter is a branch de- partment of the Southern Express office which Is just across the street and 1t contains large piles of packages of more or less value.