The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-01
SHERIFF BURGIN
 HAD BRISK YEAR
RECORDS OF sHERlFF's OFFICE AND COUNTY JAIL REVEAL THE FACT THAT MANY CRIMES WERE COMMITTED.

A review of the records of Andrew w. Burgin, sheriff of Jefferson county, re- veals distressing information in regard to crime and criminals in this section. Dur are held on the charge of murder in Jeffer- county jail have worked harder, 1t is said, than at any time since MT. Burgin has been sheriff.
 Considerable comment has been made in different parts of the country about the crime in the Birmingham district, and only short time ago the announcement was made in the newspapers that there had been fourteen killings in Jefferson county in fourteen days. This record has been considered appalling by Coroner Paris whose duty is to investigate every homicide committed in the county.
 There has been an unusual number Of murders during the past year, but the records show that there have been many legal executions as punishment for many of these crimes. In addition to all this there have been several murders, which are still mysteries. Many persons were found desd either on the streets or on the roadsides in the county, and while they were believed to have been murdered their slayers have never been captured' These unfortunates have been negroes and have been placed in grave among the unknown. The murderer enjoys his liberty all because the police have had no clues upon which to work and fasten the crime on the guilty party Or parties During Christmas night an unknown ne gro man was murdered in the heart or Birmingham by an unknown person, ana that mystery has never been solved. The iail records also show the number or per sons who have been arrested on the charge of assault with intent to commit murder. There are now confined in the county jail seventy prisoners charged with capital offenses.
 There have been no lynchings in Jener- son county in fourteen years, but several unsuccessful attempts have been made to reach prisoners confined in the county jail.
 Albert Stradford, chier deputy in the sheriff's office, gave out the Information yesterday that during the term of service of Sheriff Burgin nearly 1000 misdemeanor cases and no less than S7OO felony cases have passed through his hands, The new year will find seventy men behind the bars of the county jail who will be tried for capital punishment Of this number fifty areheld on the charge of murder in Jeffer- son county, while four are held on the same charge from other counties.
 Of the nineteen legal executions in the mast five years, four have been double hangings.
 The health of all the prisoners in the county jail has been unusually good dur ing the past year.
 Sheriff Andrew w. Burgin, In discussing the record since he has been In office, says: "I don't want all the credit Tor making all the arrests. On the other hand I think every constable. bailiff, deputy, and in fact, every man invested with the mower to make arrests has done his full duty. In this list I want to include not only the police force of Birmingham, but the police in every incorporated town In the county. I can bear out the statement by pointing to the fact that there Is not today a white murder mystery in the county. Every white man wanted for the crime of murder is now behind the bars of the Jefferson county jail. Tom Sheltons s arrest and return to the jail makes 1t pos slble for me to say thls. He was the last man of the year wanted for capital of fense The large number of prisoners that come to the Jail from the police court of Birmingham shows that the police are constantly on the move
 make allegations had better be sure and have facts in their possession to supstan- tiate the charges.
 "Commissioner Brown has stated that the department is without leader with out discipline, Is indifferent and that