The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-25
O'BRIEN LOOKS INTO
MORRISAVE. SEARCH
FINDS ENTRANCE OF BALSAM
PLACE WAS ERROR BUT THAT
OFFICER WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE
HUDSON CASE.

Mayor Frank P. O'Brien who yester-
day made Investigation of the searches
of Morris avenue stores, has written the
following letter. which is accompanied
by statements from officers:
To the Editor of The Age Herald:
In reference to your editorial this morn
| ing crftcising the action of the police in
i inspecting Mr.. Hudson's fish market on
Morris avenue.
I beg to hand you herewith statement
of Patrolman Stokes, who patrols Morris
avenue, and Capt. Martin Egan.
From the statements of these two Of
ficers you will see that the visiting of
Mr.. Hudsons fish stand was not vio-
! lation of article of the bill of rights:
that there was good and suffic. mt cause
! for suspicion and that the officers simp
ly acted within their sworn duty in the
| premises
Mr.. Hudson has not complained 20 the
| chief of police or to the police commits
! sion: he has requested no Investigation
! of the acts of the officers pr an lnspec-
! ton by the chief of police commission
of his place of business.
| The visiting OF the place of business of
Mr.. Balsam was an error. committed
! In error and is to be regretted Mr. Bal
sam in his statement in an afternoon
! paper has completely exonerated the Of
| hcers of any evil or malicious intent
FRANK P. O'BRIEN,
Mayor and Chairman Police Commission
Statement of Patrolman Stokes: my
beat is on Morris avenue between the
| hours of 1880 a. m. and $3.50 D. m Two
weeks ago from last Sunday my atten-
ton was attracted to a great many men
| going to Mr.. Hudsons fish market reach
! ing up and touching an electric bell and
| slipping inside when the door would be
/ opened from some one on the inside.
| From the action of the men approach
Ing this place and their cautious man
ner after they would ring the bell my
| suspicious were naturally aroused. The
windows in the front of Mr. Hudson's
establishment are painted so that It is
| impossible for a person from the out
| side to see the inside of the place The
first Sunday my attention was attract
ed to people entering this place. 1 count
| ed rs mon who were passed inside by
the person opening the door. This was
| between the hours of 80 and $3.50 p. m.
| The majority of them would only stay
I In Mr.. Hudsons place a few minutes,
| someone letting them out the door and
| closing same Immediately upon their exit
! On the Monday following the Sunday
| when 1 first suspicioned Mr. Hudson's
| fish stand l saw two barrels of empty
beer bottles in front of his place of bus
| mess. | deemed my discoveries and sus-
| pcions sufficient TO notify my captain,
Martin Egan. and related TO him the
circumstances and my reasons for be-
lieving this place should be watched. On
the Sunday following | again saw a num-
Der of men entering Mr. Hudsons place
| and the circumstances and their actions
were identical with those of the Sunday
before.
Il believed then and believe now that
every circumstance pointed TO a viola
| ton of the law and I acted accordingly.
| "R. H. Stokes"
Statement of Captain Egan: 1.-TWO
weeks ago last Monday Patrolman
i Stokes, who patroles Morris avenue in
| the day time, reported to me that he
! had every reason to believe that there
was a blind tiger on Morris avenue at
Mr.. Hudson's fish stand. He said he
! saw 26 men go in there tn at they
would go to the door, reach up and
push an electric button, and that some
one on the inside would open the door
| sufficient to let them in. He also
reported that he had seen two barrels
| of empty beer bottles in front OF Mr.
Hudson's fish stand. / thereupon nott-
fed Officers Taylor and Jones to look
| after this matter.
| L have examined Mr.. Hudson's place
! and find that the glass in front of the
store is painted so that 1t is impossible
to see through them and that there Is
an electric push button just outside
! the door about six feet from the
| ground.
1 have every faith in the statement
made to me by Patrolman Stokes and
| believe that he acted as any good Of
| ficer would have done under the cir
| cumstances. MARTIN EGAN.
! officer Moore's statement In regard
| to accusation made about Birmingham
| hotel Occurrences: sit was reported to
me yesterday morning by a party on
! the street at about 10 o'clock Il. M
there was blind tiger in room No.
| 521 in the Birmingham hotel, and IL I
| would go up there at once l would be
/ able to make a catch the party who
ran this tiger was in Cincinnati. o.,
and a new man was in his place trans
| acting business, and he said he pre-
sumed he would not know me; so l
went to this place Immediately and
| found some young man after l had
! gained entrance and he asked me my
| business, and l told him / wanted to get
something to drink. He asked me
where / was from, 1 told him / was
| from Mississippi, and he asked me my
! occupation, and l told him l was trav-
! cling for the Aberdeen Clothing COM
pany of Aberdeen. Miss. He then asked
me what 1 would have to drink, and I
told him I wanted a half pint of
VIII isky. He told me he did not have any
up there, but would send out and get
1t. So he called someb ody who was in
the hall, and l suppose sent them to
get it; and before he returned with the
whisky the sheriff's deputies broke In
the door and came into the room where
was seated awaiting for the man to
return who was sent for the half pint
of whisky Luclen Brown, chief deputy
sheriff told the man who had sent the
other man for the whisky that he had
warrant for him and also a sealsii
, warrant for his place. After having
a few words with Lucien Brown | then
, left the hotel and came direct to the
office and took the matter up with