The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-12
Examine Both Watchmen


Examine Both Watchmen
AT first blush it strikes the common
mind that such an escape could not have
been effected If the two night watchmen
had been alert to their duties I have
personally examined both Mr.. Abney, cnfef
night watchman, and his assistant, Mr..
Williamson. Mr.. Abney frankly admits
that he relied entirely on the negro steve
dore to look after the men on the inside
of the cell. This negro stevedore was
himself a convict but had been made a
trusty to look after the men on the in
side at night. His duty was to get the
key to the bathroom and closet from the
night watchman when any of the men
wanted to use the bathroom or closet,
and to stay with them until they were
through, conduct them out, lock the door
and take the key Immediately back to
the night watchman. He had been doing
this for about month previous to the
Jail delivery and it seems that everybody
trusted him.
ION this occasion the supposition is,
and | think 1t is correct, that he got
the key as usual, opened the bathroom
door to let the men in and in a snort
time pretended to lock the door, but mere
ly closed, took the key back to Night
Watchman Abney, and that Mr. Abney,
not suspecting anything, concluded that
everything was all right as usual
Use Bathroom at Will
I'm that way they could use the bath
room at will and effectuate their pur-
pose Just how the saw and lead pipe
were gotten into the cell is not known.
The evidence shows that both of the
night watchmen were awak and at their
posts of duty. They are blamable but
merely because they took things for
granted and acted on the presumption
1Df,. afo
duty. As a matter of fact the steve
dore escaped with the other prisoners.
The chief night watchman could see
down the length of the cell and for the
entire width of the cell from his place
In the hall outside the cell door, but he
could not get view of the bathroom
door from that position and could not
tell whether it was open or shut. Neces-
sarily, however, there must have been a
great deal of movement during these
hours in which the men were making
their escape, and the chief night watch
man would certainly have discovered it
IL he had been dilgent. The assistant
night watchman was especially charged
with the duty of keeping in touch with
the outside of the building, and he had
made his rounds of the outside just before
it was discovered that the escape had
been made. Tt is his duty to go around
the building at night at irregular inter-
walls throughout the night but it seems
that 16 men got out of the window,
dropped down on the ground and made
their escape without his suspecting that
anything was going on. This is obviously
not due diligence on his part.
Bars Not Sufficiently Secured
Incidentally might say that the bars
in the window of this bathroom were
not sufficiently secured in the cross
har N which thRv Nra fivad that
when one bar was sawed in two, 1t was
comparatively easy for the other bar to
be priced out of its socket by the use
of the lead pipe 1 think the architect
could and should have avoided this de-
feet AT the same time, l do not see how
the accident could have happened but
for the negligence of the two night watch
men.
Il think everybody in charge depended
too much on the security of the new Jail
building and relied too much on its being
escape proof.
II must also condemn the practice of
trusting the safe keeping of the men in
side the cell to a convict. At first 1 was
very much disposed to recommend that
the two night watchmen be dismissed
from the service but my investigation has
convinced me that they have heretofore
given good service, having been in the
city's employ for a number of years.
Abney for about II years and William
son about four years. They are both
sober men, matter which l inquired
into with some care, and their records are
good, and l therefore, after very careful
consideration and bearing in mind all
the circumstances of the case recon-
mend that they be retained in the service
on probation after having been severely
reprimanded for this breach of their duty.
Respectfully.
JAMES WEATHERLY,
commissioner"