The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-01
Orderly Crowds In Birmingham
Laid In Big Supply YeSter-
day for Emergencies
FIVE ALABAMA COUNTIES
NOW HAVE OPEN SALOONS
1t Is Understood Test Case of Local
Option Law Will Be Made Both
In Jefferson and Lowndes
Counties, r
John Alcohol, my 10 John,
We've been too long together,
So you must take one road, John,
And l will take the other"

| And l will take the other"
| With the blowing of many whistles the
city of Birmingham rolled into the year
1908 at midnight. As the clock was strik-
| ing the hour the engine which carried
many thousand souls drew up at the
crossing. The switch was already thrown.
Leaving the road which led to the saloon
far to the left, she glided with confident
puffs down the other track.
| The will of the people which was ex-
pressed at the polls two months ago has
| been carried into operation. There is no
whisky on sale in Birmingham.
| The 120 saloons inside the city limits
closed their doors at u o'clock to open
no more. The last few hours were, indeed,
interesting. The bars were lined with
eager purchasers, like women at a bargain
counter No time for social drinks,
everyone was in a rush to get bottle of
good brand at little cost
Bought in Bulk.
Cases of whisky, brandy and wine went
at half price. BY 10 o'clock nearly every
saloon was bare. At o'clock beer was
at a premium, for half dozen saloons
| had sold out entirely. Everybody car
! ried a bottle. Even the boys boastfully
shook their bundles and winked their
eyes. Husbands, who perhaps had a case
hidden away in their cellar, were COM
missioned by their wives to buy a quart
| 'in case there is sickness inTthe family"
| Mothers who happened to be out of
the city for the holidays wrote urgently
to be sure and buy supply before the
| first.
The day passed off quietly in Blrming-
ham, and December closed with a mini
mum record in the criminal line. The
number of drunks was far less than last
year and there was not a single murder
Everyone was in a jolly mood and the
streets We're full of fun makers.
Fifty Counties Are Dry.
Prohibition went into effect last night in
exactly so counties in the state of Ala
bama leaving only five counties in which
the saloon will be tolerated for another
| year, one of which also has a dispensary
The other twelve counties still have the
dispensary. All will go dry January l,
1908.
Saloon counties-Montgomery Dallas,
| Mobile and Baldwin.
Saloon and dspensary county-Marengo.
| Dispensary counties-Macon, Winston,
Elmore, Bibb, Limestone, Madison, Gle
burne, Perry, Barbour, Colbert, Coving-
! ton and Coffee
Prohibition counties.zLauderdale Frank
lin, Marion, Lamar, Lawrence Jackson,
Marshall, Choctaw, Monroe, Clarke, Ran
/ Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Lowndes Coosa,
Fayette, Geneva, Blount, Crenshaw, Gull
man, Walker, DeKalb, Cherokee, Clay,
1 Sumter, Hale, Greene, Autauga, WASH
| ington, Escambia, ST. Clair, Dale,
Conuech, Henry, Russell. Calhoun, Eto-
wah, Talladega, Pickens, Lee Chambers,
Morgan, Shelby Tallapoosa.
Contest Local Option Law.
! 1t is understood that contest of the
! local option laws will begin in Jefferson
county today Some saloon may formany
remain open few minutes or case of
some kind will be instituted
The same thing will be done in Lowndes
| county, and the case will be taken to the
supreme court promptly. The saloon men
refuse to use their money in any fight,
as they know even should the local option
laws be declared unconstitutional, others
would probably be Immediately passed BY
a special session of the legislature.
seconded. Result, five to two in favor of
Eagan.
Election of first lieutenant came next.
Hagood was unanimously advanced
- IN Dar ya,s,
ton johnson was elected unanimously.
Detectives-Tom Williams was elected
unanimously to su coed Bodeker, and w.
II. Baker defeated Larue to succeed Rob
ert Patton, deceased. This reduced Ell
ledge to the ranks, he having beer elect
ed detective by the extinct commission
Chairman Copeland then read this letter:
instructions To Department.
To the officers and members of the
police department of Birmingham.
1t was with genuine regret that this
commission saw the officers and men
whom they had elected to office volun-
tarily desert hem at the time the COM
mission most needed their support and
confidence, and swear allegiance to an
illegal body. By this action you rend-
cred this commission powerless, and
forced them to resort to the courts to
maintain their rights, instead of re-
curing the alleged new commission TO
establish it's status by law before re-
cognizing them. If the new commits
sion had first obtained possession of
the books and records of the office
and been regularly installed in office,
then there would have been some reason
or excuse for recognizing them and
taking the oath of office required by
them. Then you would have been JUS
titled in presuming the Constitutional
ty of the act under which they were
appointed. But, until this was done.
until the books, records and minutes of
the commission were obtained in an
orderly and legal way, and this COM
mission ousted from the office, the new
commission were in no position to is
sue orders to this department, and you
were not called upon to indulge any
presumption in favor of the validity of
the act of the legislature. No organI-
zation can be maintained without the
unswerving faithfulness of the men OF
that organization. Any army can be
destroyed by the INSTRUMENTATION of its
officers and men. The members of the
commission have, so far as possible de-
cided to overlook your error in this
respect, and shall expect of you, and
each of you, strict obedience to their
orders and Instructions in the future.
A practice has grown up in the past