The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-04
Mayor States No One Is BIamewOrthy and Issues
 Statement
HE SAYS CORONER PARIS
 REACHED SAME CONCLUSION
Doneson Not Criticised for Death of Parsons-Describes City Jail. Mayor Tells Just What
 Happened.

Mayor Ward does not attach blame for the death of Mary Jost to any officer or attache of the city government.
 He considers the death of the unfortun- ate woman, which occurred in the city jail sometime ago, as one of those lament able accidents which cannot be guarded against.
 In his statement the mayor discusses the city jail, states that it is equipped with a padded cell and hospital, and that the city physician visits it regularly. He remarks that if other improvements are necessary it will result in the tear ing down of the present place of deten- tion for criminals and the erection of a new.
 Mayor Ward states that Coroner Paris made an investigation of the death and stated in his (the mayor's) presence that no one was blamewortny, and that the death was an unfortunate occurrence which should not have occurred but which did, and one of those which probably will oc- cur again in course of time.
 The mayor, too, states that to guard against such another unfortunate death in the city jail, the city physician has been instructed to visit the jail daily and investigate the condition of inmates whether there has been complaint or not
 His statement in full follows
 The Mayors Statement.
 Prom an investigation it appears that no one can be blamed for the death Of for 1.-bi ial, occurred in the city jail some days ago. Of the hundreds of dope fiends taken from the streets yearly, it is too much to ex- pect that something unfortunate will not occur to some one of them. This un- fortunate woman in particular was ar again as soon as she had recovered from sprees as a result of being jailed.
 'The facts in this particular case are these: The woman was arrested and car ried before Judge Feagin. At the time of the trial, her condition was such that she could not be interrogated. She was sent again to the cell to remain there a sufficient length of time to guarantee her recovery
 Later in the day, the stevedore mo- tified Warden Waldrop that she was suf fering. Waldrop immediately telephoned to Dr. Watts, the city physician, who, as soon as he received the notification, visited the jail.
 In the meantime, however the shifts at the jail had changed, and Warden Waldrop had given place to Warden Will Hanson. When Dr. Watts appeared at was answered in the negative. William son, it seems, had had no information con- corning the condition of the woman on the inside of the jail.
 The Coroner's Statement
 "Inasmuch as such sufferers are con- tinually calling for aid and making com plaints, the great majority of which arc not justifiable, no special attention was paid to the particular case of Mary Jost.
 Some time after the womans death Coroner Paris made an investigation and expressed himself to me that no blame could be attached properly to any one, and that the accident, while it should never have occurred, was one Of those likely to occur at any time even under the best regulated systems.
 "To prevent the occurrence of such an- other unfortunate accident, Dr. Watts has been instructed to go through the jail daily and make an investigation of all cases whether there has been com paint or not. From all reports, the Jost woman had taken cocaine in sufficient ly large quantity to cause death. and it is very probable that she would have died even had she had the attention of all the physicians in the state.
 city's Great Quandary.
 'In this connection, it might be well enough to state for the enlightenment Of the public interested in this case, that the city Jail has a padded cell for the unruly and for the inebriates. The city jail, too, has a hospital fitted up for the greater ease and comfort of all the sick and in- disposed. The city physician attends the jail and the sick regularly. No improve ment has been suggested for the comfort of the prisoners that has not been con- sidered and put into effect regardless of the expense to the city. The only other way in which still greater improves ment can be made is to tear down the present jail and erect another along im- proved and more modern lines.
 Concerning this unfortunate class, the city is and has always been in quandary. The city is compelled to take them from the streets. They are arrested and tried. They are glad to remain in the Jail where they are given food and protection from the cold. When they are sent to the aims house they immediately return to the city for there is no restraint exercised at the aims house. The city hospitals properly refuse to be loaded up with such cases, and when state warrants are sworn out, county officials release the prisoners on the ground that they are inoffensive vagrants.
 The Parsons Case.
 'In reference to the case of James Par sons, the unfortunate man who died in the patrol wagon as it was en route to the city jail, I cannot see where any blame can be attached to Captain Donelson, the police officer who made the arrest.
 MT. Parsons was in a semi-conscious state at the Terminal station. The of- ficer was compelled to remove him to some place of detention The officer had no means of learning the nature of the