The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-25
Amusing Scenes As Deputies
 Marcl Big Squad to
 County Jail
VALIANT EFFORTS MADE
 TO ESCAPE BY WINDOWS
Hermitage Club Contributed AS to the Procession, While the Union Club Supplied But six-Many
 Failed to Bond.

arrest Of 5l men. The two eStaDnSn-
 ments were the Hermitage club on Fourth
 avenue, between Nineteenth and Twen-
 tieth streets, and the Union club at 113
 North Twenty-third street. Forty five
 men were arrested in the Hermitage
 place and six in the Union club. All were
 charged with violating the prohibition laws
 Both raids were made on warrants sworn out by the direction of the Law and
 Order league, John A. Lynch swearing
 out the one against the Hermitage club
 and Jack Hyde against the Union estab-
 lishment. The warrants used were the
 regulation prohibition raider warrants, calling for the arrest of every person in the building where 1t is alleged the pro-
 hibition law is being violated.
 Taken By Surprise.
 The entrance of the officers at the Her
 mitage club was made without the occu-
 pants being aware of their presence until they reached the top of the Fourth avenue
 entrance stairway. The scene which fol-
 lowed was one of confusion a number of
 the ''club members" dashing for hiding
 places ana getaways
 The club building runs from the avenue to Fourth alley, the club occupying the
 second floor and also having an alley en-
 trance. The adjoining buildings facing
 the avenue only run for short dis
 tance back, while a stable, some negro
 shantiess outhouses and sheds fill up the rear.
 There is a short space between the club building wall and the stable on one side and a number of the men jumped from the windows of the club to this roof. They passed on over tin roof in the
 rear of bicycle shop and jumped to the
 ground, and few are thought to have
 escaped in this way. Some were caught on the roof and forced to go back into
 the club,- while one man fell short in his
 jump from the club window to the roof
 falling to the ground between the walls
 and injurng himself badly, There was
 no chance for him to make his escape
 from this place.
 Into Arms of Deputies. Another group attempted to escape from
 the opposite side of the building. letting the upper sash of window down, climb ing over it and dropping to the roof of
 an adjoining building. Six of them came
 out this way and were gently breath- ing the air of freedom when the deputy who had been waiting below quietly took them in charge, marched them up the ; alley to Twentieth street, down to Fourth
 avenue and back to the club, marshalling
 them up the front stairs.
 When the officers arrived one fellow
 sped what he thought to be a splendid hiding place. but it so happened that one
 of the deputies saw him diving for it. It was a box couch, and the man appeared to have slid under it, but a look there
 failed to reveal him. Then it was turned over and the would-be escape rolled out. perspiring like a puddler in a rolling mill
 Another one decided on the bathroom as safe place to stow himself during the
 visit of the deputies, and entering it
 locked the door behind him. The door
 was smashed and he was hauled out and placed with the other prey, look of disappointment spreading over his coun- tenance.
 It is thought that only very few man. aged to make their escape, the officers proving very alert majority of the
 ''club members showed decided astonish- ment at the appearance of the officers. AS the officers started in the Fourth avenue entrance man came down and opened the inside door and started out. He was
 taken in charge and the door caught be- fore it had shut to. The officers then ascended the stairs and reached the sec ond floor without their approach having been noted. Other deputies were guard ing the two sides and rear of the build ing. There are many rooms in the club apartments and the corraling of the va
 rous groups of men in them was anus ing.
 Incidents at Union Club. At the Union club five men were arrest
 ed. one of them being a negro. The club
 building is a frame dwelling on the
 north side of Twenty third street between First and Second avenues and was easily guarded. One man swung himself out a window and slid down the corner of the building. only to meet a deputy. One or | two of the others tried to escape but | their efforts proved unsuccessful. The officers took charge of several bottles | of Falstaff beer and a quart bottle, partly empty, of Sumore whisky.
 | Deputies making the raids were Chief Deputy Lucion Brown Sid Cowan Jr., Louis R. Dean, Ed H. Wilson, E. A. | Reeves, Alec Wilson, Newt Curl. Lee Higdon. Jr., D. l. McCombs, T. J. Kenna- mer Robert Childress, Ernest Robinson, | Jack Hyde and Murray Calhoun. ] All of the men arrested were charged | with violating the prohibition law and | their bonds fixed at $200 Quite a number
 made bond but about 25 were still repos- ing in the county jail at the midnight 1 hour.
 | The raids attracted good deal of at- | tertlon, especially that of the Hermitage | club, an extremely large crowd assem- bling in front of the place. The tramp, | tramp tramp of the AS men as they 1 marched to the county jail also served to | attract attention, and many endeavored | to disguise their identity to the curious onloolzers by tucising their heads. turning l up their coat ca1lars and pulling their | hats down over their eyes. Every once | in while, though some onlooker would discover a friend in the procession and | disclose this friends identity by loud ] queries as to how he happened to he | caught.
 1 Sheriff Higdon stated after the raids | that they were tnly an illustration of what would continue to happen so long as warrants were sworn out during his term of office