The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-03
LANDLORD MUST co
. BEFORE GRAND JURY
Building Was Leased Leng Be-
fore Prohibition
NEW FEATURE OF THE LAW
Motion Finds He Is To Be Held Re-
sponslble for Something With
Which He Had Absolutely
Nothing To Do.
NEW FEATURE OF THE LAW
To the Editor Of The Age-Herald.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
short time since I furnished you for
publication with a notice received from
the sheriff of Jefferson COUNTY tn tho e.
1ect that there had been an Illegal dis
position OF liquors in a building which
ne supposed l owned or for which / was
rental agent.
Ihis notice carried with it the threat
that II any illegal disposition was made
after l received the notice, my arrest and
prosecution would follow.
IL happened that l did not own. nor
was L agent for the building referred to.
Out the notice and publication of Same.
Win my comments, had the effect of call
ing attention to some of the absurd nro-
visions of the Fuller bill. Several LAWYERS
were KIND enough to volunteer the opin-
.on that under our constitution a land
ioro cannot be held responsible for the
act Oh his tenant Or for what happens in
building over which he has no con-
trol' unless the building be rented for
an unlawful use and purpose.
Last week l received another notice
from the sheriff that he had thi. time
round l was owner or agent for another
building wherein illegal disposition nj
1'au'rs mad been made. etc. This last
notce carried with 1t the same threat thar
would be arrested and prosecuted.
On yesterday one of the sherlnrs trusted
deputies informed me that my case wou,a
De presented to the grand jury and nv
prosecution would be in that way started
instead OF the original purpose of the
sherin to commence proceedings hirnsels
Now, I want to appeal to the rood
sense, Judgment and fairness of prop-
er'y owners and landlords in the state
OF Alabama to say whether we shall. by
the ratification of the constitutional
amendment. permit these same men. VIII.
would undertake to make a law So I'm
reasonable and unjust as some of the
provisions of the Fuller bill. to have sttl,
greater power to punish men innocent of
any crime.
Is 1t safe to trust such men with further
power to impose upon the people and
property owners of Alabama? In II r,rht
to have "a law that authorizes an OFFICER
TO thus harass tantalize and annoy a
iawaoiding citizen, or one who endeayors
to observe all just and reasonable laws?
The property referred to by the sherirr
In this last notice was leased by ma on
June 6. 1906 Qong before we had prohtbi-
tion). for term of five years and three
months, and is now occupied by parties
to whom it has been sublet, but l hold
the original lease and lessees and am
not In any way responsible for the act
OF the original or the present occupants
OF the building. unless this wonderful
law, written by Judge Weakley and
passed by the legislature, makes me re-
sponsible for the act of others over whom
have no control.
notice In the Bessemer Weekly, on
October 30, that Mr.. Lee Moody, the we'll
known real estate agent has received
from the mayor of Bessemer the same
kind of notice and threat as the one sent
me by Sh><jf Higdon.
1 would recommend that the owners of
property and landlords read what the
editor of the Bessemer Weekly says In
his editorial on this subject, which l
herewith hand you.
1t Is now time for every property
owner in Alabama to take notice of the
dangers that confront him. Yours truly,
T. H. MOTION.
Birmingham, November e. 1909.