The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-07

The foregoing figures probably disclose
the reason why Solicitor Helm omitted
this important part of his record and in
sists on figuring his percentage on cases
which he terms as actually tried" but
In which calculation he also includes, to
his credit. the considerable number of
cases in which the defendants were al
lowed to plead guilty and take a low fine.
1t might also be observed just here that
the solicitor figures himself higher per-
centage on cases actually tried than is
shown by the official reports in the office
of the attorney general While 1t is doubt
less true, as the solicitor complains, that
a number of cases get into his court with
out first going through the grand jury;
this Is also true In varying degrees of all
the courts In the state However. the
first three of the above named offenses
are feonies and have to pass through
the grand jury, yet Solicitor Hef1n dis
posed of" more than one-third OF these
1876 indictments without a trial. So 1t
appears that the solicitor mol pressed
many of the graver crimes indicted by the
grand jury as well as some of the lesser
offenses returned on affidavit and war
rant. While the solicitors article doubt
less presented the best defense, of which
the official records would admit, it at
best. only partially explains his confess
eddy low percentage on convictions or
why the official percentages of the two
largest counties in this state should COM
pare as follows:
Jefferson county...........40 per cent.
Mobile ounty...............2 per cent.
When Mr.. Hefn was elected solicitor
by the legislature, Mr.. John Mcqueen
was serving his third term as a member
of that body. He worked very hard for
Mr. Hefins election and was appointed
assistant solicitor when Mr.. Helm went
into office. When Mr.. Hefiin afterwards
replaced Mr. Mcqueen with his brother
from Randolph county (Mr. John Hehin)
the latter was not familiar with the du-
ties of the office. During the two full
years In which Mr.. John Mcqueen as
sisted Solicitor Tein. the latter's percent
age was 10 per cent higher in convictions
than the next two years when Mr.. Nc
Queens place was filled by Mr.. Helms
brother a large part of the time. The
Roanoke Leader of January 6, In printing
Mr. John Hefins card, for solicitor of the
Randolph circuit, says: Mr. Hefin was
born and reared in Randolph county and
has always resided in his native county
. During the last two years he has
spent part of his time in assisting the
solicitor of Jefferson county. This expe-
rience will prove valuable to him II called
to serve as solicitor of this circuit"
If Mr. Helms brother. who has SO re-
Gently returned home, to run for solicitor
Is defeated, and Mr.. II. p. Hefin should
be reelected here, how do the citizens
of Jefferson county know that Solicitor
Hefln would not persuade his brother
to again Temporarily accept office In
this county for another two years at the
county's expense?
Would not the present solicitor be JUS
titled In assuming that the people of the
county endorse his policy of preferrng TO
office his nonresident relatives over citi-
zens and taxpayers of this county?
II has been supposed that the regime
of nonresident office holders was pc
cuIlar to the calling period of recon-
struction; since which time Mr.. Helm
has been the first public official to vio-
late this unwrittcn law.
The people of Jefferson county are d.
rectly and deeply concerned in the solicit
tors office and would no doubt be inter-
ested to hear more fully from Mr.. Hefin
as to his record on the matters above
mentioned. Yours very truly
ROMAINE BOYD.
February G. 1904.