The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-10
BESSEMER NIGHT WARDEN SUSPENDED Mayor Stirred Up Over the Jai
 Deliveries CANDIDATES FOR CHIEF Race Promises To Be Unusually Warm-Five Candidates Already
 Mentioned Rolling Mill VIII
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CANDIDATES FOR CHIEF

Bessemer February 9.-(Special.)-As a result of the wholesale jail delivery that took place last evening, J. L. Q. Speeks, night warden, has been suspended to await the action of the police committee, and D. B. Barnett driver of the police patrol wagon. has been appointed to serve in his stead.
 That means that the patrol service will be cut off for the present at least, and any poor old boy or girl that gets mixed up with the officers from now on will be compelled to foot it to the jail. At the present time the jail is quiet, the wagon is also quiet, and the few prisoners that remain in the jail are content to stay there until the weather moderates.
 Mayor Rush stated in an interview late last evening that the business had to stop, and he was going to make it his business to see to it that it did He stated that he was going to suggest in the first place that an iron. floor be put down in the jail, as he believed that that was the only way in which the prisoners that were caught could be kept His words were construed as meaning that If there was not something doing around the jail with regard to the escape business, that there would be a few more scalps to come off.
 It appears from the evidence that there was no earthly excuse for the delivery of last evening, inasmuch as the night war den received telephone message stating hot md dria a general delivery, and it certainly seems to have been placed up to him. The night warden states that he was notified, but that he did not feel like entering the place where all the prisoners were turned loose, and in that he was perfectly right, but it appears that he might have gone down to the fire department and got some of the boys to come upstairs and help him lock the prisoners in the cells. This he failed to do, and by the time Night Captain Partridge got an officer down to the jail it was too late. The seven men had made good their escape, and as was the case in the former escapes no trace could be found.
 As Is well known, when the prisoners are brought in on Saturday evening, their shackels are removed. This is done from the fact that, they have. an entire day to remain in the jail, and of course with the shackels on they would not have even the length of cell to walk around in, and another reason, if they were made to wear the shackels all day Sunday, it would simply mean that the city was taking advantage of their helplessness.
 It was thought at the time of the escape of the other three prisoners from the jail that the floor had been nailed down, but such does not seem to have been the case, since the last seven went the same route se4
 Every man that left last evening went through a hole about eight inches wide and two feet long. The number would have been eight had it not been for the fact that the last man to try the floor route happened to be a big fellow, and he could not get his head through. How ever, he was going after it. and his meth cd was not so bad. He procured bar from one of the windows and proceeded to get 1t red hot from the stove that stands in the corner of the jail. He. then tried to burn hole in the board,~Ne at least make the opening large enough to per init of the passage of his body. He was interrupted before the job was completed and as result he is still among those present. The floor is burned and the window needs bar, but at least Mssis- sippi (that is his name) is still here
 The escapes that have taken place from the street gang can in a manner be over looked. from the fact that the city has for the past few months been very short of funds, and for that reason it was de- cided that some of the prisoners who were thought to be above the average could act as trusties and be placed on the wagons The city was short of funds and short of men, but the work had to go on just the same These men were made to do the work. and as matter of fact the street foreman could not watch all of them. All prisoner had to do if he wanted to get away was to drive his wagon off to the side of the road and leave it., One of the men that es- capped from the street gang last week even went so far as to drive his team out in the woods and hitch it to a tree. That act itself shows that there are some who are willing to do the right thing
 The mayor is mad, and the people are worked up, and 1t is believed when he gets through talking at the next meet ing of council there will be something doing in several departments.
 He stated that he expected every man in the department to get busy, and he was going to see that his orders were carried out. ,.
 Several of the prisoners that have es- capped within the past couple of weeks were up for good long terms, but most of them had served most of their time One negro that got away had only one more day to serve, and 1t does seem that he acted little hastily, still he no doubt acted as he did from the fact that every thing was so easy. One old negro who has served more time In the Bessemer jail than possibly any two others have, was heard to remark this afternoon that | it was all right to get arrested now, be- l cause the mayor could fine you one day |