The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-16
FLORENCE WANTS COUNTY HOSPITAL. Citizens Committee Appears Before County Court PRISONERS ESCAPE White Men Break From County Jail While Man Charged With
 Murder Refuses To
 Escape 8s
 

Florence. February 1.-lSpecial.)-Joh T. Ashcraft. chairman of a committee appointed at mass meeting of citizens several weeks ago to secure a hospital for Florence, was given an hour this morning to present the proposition to the 7Lauderdale county court and ask for it's assistance
 MT. Ashcraft made a splendid talk and was followed by Dr. Hardin, leading specialist; N. P. Morrison, president of the city council; H. L. Reeder, county su- perintendent of education; John Madry, contractor; James Milner, president of the Benevolent association, and J. Fred John son, cashier of the Alabama Trust and Savings bank, who presented the question from every standpoint and in such manner as can scarcely be disregarded by the court. MT. Ashcraft stated thatif the court will build hospital to cost about $l1,000 and appropriate annually S1e00 for its maintenance, the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows and Eks and each of the churches will also made annual contributions.
 MT. Ashcraft asked the court if they would consider favorably building the hospital at any time within the next four years, to adopt resolution asking the legislature to amend the code so as to allow counties of 30,000 inhabitants (which would include Lauderdale) instead of 35,- eco, as at present, to erect and maintain hospital.
 Dr. Hardin showed from statistics that the cost of sickness in Lauderdale county is $450000 per annum, of which s150,00O in preventable, and. pointed out that a hos pital conducted upon sanitary and scien- tif1c lines would be a great educator for the people,
 Owing to the fact that the building cf Lew. jail has used up all the ready money In the county treasury, the commis- sioEers' court refused the request But Mr. .Ashcraft asked them to adopt a res olution requesting the legislature to amend the state code so as to allow counties of 30,000 to build and maintain hospital This action was taken owing to the fact that the legislature meets only cnce in four years in regular session, and it is hoped that meanwhile the county to permit of the hospital appropriation.
 Prisoners Break Jail
 Sol Cagle and P. E. Wright, white pris- oners confined in the county jail on charges of grand larceny and obtain Ing money under false pretenses, made their escape early Monday morning by saving through eight bars of their cell door.
 They had been placed temporarily on the ground floor, while the cages in the main jail were being removed to the new Jail, and while the doors were left open ,o allow the carpenters and workmen cess someone had slipped them saw. Their escape was made easier by the fact that a hole had been made through the outer wall, probably by some long since escaped prisoner, and was stopped with an old quilt. The men were seen to cross the Tennessee river bridge about a. m. when all trace of them was lost.
 Sheriff Jesse Dowdy has offered re- ward of $10 for the capture of each and sent circulars broadcast with their de- scription. W. w. Anderson, a white man charged with murder, and another pris- oner refused to escape, and gave the sheriff a full account of the operations of the two escaped men.