The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-20
WILLIAMSON HAS
 BEEN RE|NSTATED Charges Against Night Warden \Are Not Sustained AN INVESTIGATION HELD All the Witnesses Except VIII Hays, the Negro Complainant, swore
 He Never Said He Was
 Wounded.
AN INVESTIGATION HELD

Thomas Williamson, night assistant to Mack Rittenberry, the city warden, has been reinstated, the charges of Will Hays, the negro who claimed he was not given medical attention while a prisoner not being sustained before the Mayor and the police and sanitation committee, which held a court of inquiry in the May or's office at o'closlS yesterday after noon. It developed during the trial that all of the attaches of the warden's office show prisoners more consideration than is the case in many cities. and that the city physician. Dr. Oscar Hayes, always responds promptly, day or night, when his services are needed. These facts were brought out during the questioning of a number of white and negro prisoners, who declared Hays could have communicated his wants to the warden had he so de- sired.
 When the inquiry was opened the com plainant, Will Hays, was asked to make a statement. He reiterated what he said in sworn statement, In effect that he was shot while crawling under house to evade arrest, incarcerated in the city jail
 
 Der IS, and not provided with medical at tention, although he asked the man lock- ing him up and the stevedore of the in- side for a physician. After making his statement he was asked a number of questions by Warden Rittneberry, the purpose being to show that the negro him- self did not know he was hurt until mid night of the afternoon he was arrested, and that after he found he was hurt he failed to make it known to the warden or any of his assistants.
 Stevedore Testifies.
 John Kirk. a prisoner who has been Tn jail about one month. and who was act ing as stevedore on the afternoon Hays was arrested, was called to tell what he knew about the case The prisoners speak of the jail as a "vessep' and the prisoners make up the cargo. Ihe stevedores look after the loading and un- loading of human freight.
 Kirk said the negro never complained about being shot, although he mentioned 1t once or twice in an indifferent way. He said the negro never once intimated he wanted a doctor. The stevedore told of sending for a pair of shoes for the prisoner This had much weight with the board of inquiry, 1t being clear to the members that Kirk would have told the warden the negro wanted a doctor 1T ne would take the trouble to get him pair of shoes
 John Berry, John Wade and John Hen ". three negro prisoners, to whom Hays said he complained, were called to testify Berry said the negro said something about being shot. but did not intimate he want ed a doctor Wade said he met the negro in the cell corridor at midnight and that he had just found out he was hurt
 Willamson's Statement. l Thomas Williamson, the assistant to the warden who was suspended, was then called on to testify He said the negro did not say he was shot when he searched hi mand turned him over to the steve l dore.
 He did ask me to let him use the tele- phone," said MT. Williamson but 1t IS not customary to allow this and told him he could telephone after he was locked m When A prisoner needs medical at tention and makes it known l usually do the telephoning when l am on duty pr. Oscar Hayes, the city physician said he called at the prison door a num- her of times between Tuesday and Friday and the negro had ample opportunity to make his wants known.
 1 Chief Wier of the police department said he had never heard of prisoners be- ing i'll treated in prison. and that he be- l lieved they could communicate with the warden any time during the day or night.
 "There is nothing for you to do but re- instate MT. Williamson said Mayor Ward at the conclusion of the hearing.
 The negro admitted he never told Po- l lieeman Hickman that he had been shot and there was nothing for the chief of 1 police to investigate.