The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-30

well pleased in hat no bit of official in
discretion had ever escaped his eagle
eye.
Seriously. however. Mr.. Brooke has rem.
dered the state excellent service. I'm
der Governor Conner he was considered
one of the strong men of the admins
tration. and to him were assigned many
of those unpleasant duties which ordi-
narily men are glad to shun. For Instance
during the miners strike, Brooke was
made disbursing officer of the state. By
compelling a compliance with law in the
payment of military purchases it is un-
derstood that he saved the state a large
sum of money. He also made the report
which stopped what was alleged to have
been the custom of officers of the state
militia, that is, expending the money OF
the state in frolicking and in buying OF
wines and cigars.
He was also assigned to look into the
educational department and specifically
into the alleged practice of giving special
examinations TO teachers. As a result
'the special examinations" were abolished
So widespread did his reputation be-
come that when Governor O'Neal was
naugurated he sent for Mr. Brooke and
offered him a renewal of his appointment
as special examiner. He accepted. and
idS btNh pt eiiS 'iii'fs A'fiN S'NA ShiNN'
Mr.. Brooke was assigned to special
duty in, the investigation by Governor
ONeal Into the report that certain
gentlemen connected with the state
government had sold to applicants for
saloon licenses stock in the Alamo Gas
company. He was next assigned to
the investigation of the rumors eman-
ating from the courthouse in connec-
.-itI off af hae Oh 70
missioner of jefferson county. 1t was
on the examiners recommendation that
the man in charge at that time was
removed He then paid attention to
the inferior court of Ensley and as a
result of his work the then judge of
that court paid into the state treasury
a certain sum of money and resigned
He then found an $4,000 shortage in the
books of an official OF Marengo coun-
ty. A shortage of $1,000 was found in
the county books of Geneva. over
$4,000 was recovered from officials in
Pike county He has recovered about
$4,000 from Mobile county officials. He
declares that as a result of his recent
work in Chambers county sum of
$4,000 has been shown to be due the
state.
So thorough is Mr.. Brooke in his
work, and so fearless does his reputa-
ton declare him, that he has been as
signed to- other duties than those in
connection with the examination of
books. For instance, he has investi-
gated a lynchng for Governor O'Neal,
a feat in which it was necessary for
him to play detective, and possibly to
wear disguises.
At the present time he is engaged in
checking up the convict department. He
is tracing every voucher, every due
bill. every receipt, every check with
which the department has had to do.
There is no question but that he will
tell the world what he finds, it mat
ters little if the department has a
clean bill of health or whether 1t is
up to the neck in errors of omission
and commission.
In addition to the governor there
are many other people of Alabama who
know that Brooke will do his duty.
Last fail, as is remembered Thomas
H. Long, after preferring charges
against the state convict department.
requested that the Investigation of his
charges be put into the hands of Mr..
Brooke. Mr. Long knew that Brooke
would be fair and would proceed fear
lessly, and in this incident the subject
of this sketch received one of the finest
compliments that has ever come his