The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-25
BENNETT CASES WERE NOT TRIED Phillips Witnesses Could Not be Present at Meeting JONES WAS NOT GUILTY Committee Objected to Red Light Dis trict on southslde-specIal
 Session on septem-
 Der 8.
JONES WAS NOT GUILTY
ber B..

 special session will be called for this specific purpose.
 The postponement of the trial was not made however. before vigorous protest against such action had been entered by Col. w. H. Denson, representing P,hce- man Bennett. After the commission had heard protests from a committee of clti- against the proposed location of the red lght'' district in that section, Colonel Denson asked that the trial of Mir. Ben nett be taken up. as he had to go several miles in the country. Colonel Denson said, in reply to question from Chairman Parker, that MT. Bennett was ready for trial.
 Commissioner Phillips asked that the trial be postponed to the next regular meeting of the commission on the second Tuesday night in September. MT. Phil lips said his main witness was not in the city and that he had not been able to locate him. He also stated that his attor- ney. Judge zell Gaston. had been called to Greenvi1le Ala, to attend the bedside of his father.
 After some further discussion it was agreed that special meeting of the commission should be called for Friday evening" September s, to try these charges against Messrs. Cole and Ben nett. MT. Phillips stated that if he did not then have his witnesses ready he would withdraw the charges against the policemen.
 When the meeting was called to order by Chairman Parker there were present besides himself only Commissioner War ren. Phillips and Jones, but before any business was transacted Commissioners Fies, Brown and Donahue arrived Chair man Parked stated that the main object of the meeting was to hear a committee of citizens from the Sixth and Seventh wards in regard to the location of the red light district in certain sections of those wards.
 Altman's Talk.
 J. W. Altman, representing the commit tee, addressed the commission. He said that Chief of Police Wier was making an effort to have the red light district located in the Sixth and Seventh wards between Avenues A and B, and from Twenty-first to Twenty-fifth streets. The chief had already notified the inmates of houses of ill-fame to be located in pro posed district by October 1 next or suffer the consequences. MT. Altman asked if the police commission had given the chief authority to make such a move. Chairman Parker replied that it had not
 MT. Altman said that there would be q large decrease in the value of property in and adjacent to the proposed red light district in addition to many other con faf np haha of the citizens of the Sixth and Seventh wards he entered a most vigorous protest against locating the red light" district in the proposed territory. He said the chief of police was trying to establish the district there upon his own authority alone, and asked that the police commits sion instruct Chief Wier to desist from his efforts.
 People Have Rights. "'rhe people In the Sixth and Seventh wards" MT. Altman said, have a greater right to say whether or not these soiled dives should be thrust upon them than
 the chief of police had to thrust them there. It Is a fact that the houses of ill., fame in this city are located in the busi- ness part of the city, many of them along Second avenue. some back of the First National Bank building, and others back l of Norton's drug store, but in all the y | of any protest against these women by | the business men.
 ''1f these fallen women arc located in | the contemplated district the children of residents of the Sixth and Seventh wards cannot cross Twenty-hrst nor Twenty-sec- ond streets in going to school. It Is Up to 1 this commission to Issue an order to Chief Wier which would restrain him in his action in the matter"
 ! H. A. Tomppert, of the Seventh ward.
 also urged that the commission take some action to prevent the location of the red light" district in tho territory pro | posed. Several petitions from citizens of 1 the two wards were presented to the com | mission.
 Chairman Parker said that Chief Wier
 was absent from the city and he thought | there must be some mistake in the mat | ter. He said he hoped the commission | would defer action until the chief could be present and make some explanation. 1 MT. Parker said he was satisfied that the
 commission had no desire to thrust the 1 houses of ill-fame upon the people of the ! Sixth and Seventh wards
 l It was agreed 10 defer action on the
 matter until Chief Wier returns to the | city.
 Charge Dismissed.
 The case of Policeman Jones. charged by Police Captain Johnston, acting chief. with neglect of duty on the night of August 20 in refusing to leave his beat to arrest a man who was hourishing a pis- tol in the Metropolitan hotel, was called. John Holman, a negro porter at the hotel, said the man was threatening him with pistol and he had told Henry Stetch, another negro employed at the hotel, to go and get a policeman Stitch had returned saving that Policeman Jones refused to come and arrest the man.
 | Henry Stitch testified that he had gone after policeman and had seen MT. Jones. but the latter had refused to leave his beat. He then went after Policeman i Mcdonald, who had gone after the man with the pistol and arrested him. | Policeman Oldham. the next witness, knew nothing of the case except what MT. Jones had later told him. Jones had said that he had been asked to go to the Metropolitan hotel and arrest man. but that he had refused to go because ne had been told by his superior officers to stay on his beat.
 | Policeman Mcdonald stated that ne- | gro boy had come to him and asked him | to arrest a man who had been flourish | ing a pistol in the Metropolitan hotel: | The man had left the hotel but he hao followed and found the man and placed | him under arrest.
 The case against Policeman Jones was dsmissed