The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-22
CAUSTIC REPLY is
MADE TOL. F. GREER
BY JUDGE J. J. RAY
CONTINUED From Page Five,


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will be observed that Mr. Greer's state
ment is emphatic and it appears to have
been based on personal knowledge
This assertion of Mr.. Greer seems not
| to have been sustained by jury in Walk
er county in the Dickinson case 167 Ala
2l1, in which the jury awarded the plain
tiff judgment for substantial damages
on account of being cruelty punished
The supreme court itself says that there
was evidence from which the jury were
authorized to infer that the whipping in
flicted was cruel. Juries in various cases
In jefferson county, after hearing the
evidence have reached the opposite con-
clusion from that declared by Mr.. Greer
and such juries have awarded substantial
damages to convicts for being improperly
treated.
This dignified gentleman assumes TO
himself much superior knowledge on a
subject where the juries of the country
differ with him. He seems anxious to
disburden himself of this knowledge with
| out even being asked. and really Mr.
| Greer cannot well be blamed for prais-
| ing the bridge that is holding him in
| position where he is raking in a mag
n1ficent salary, even if the abutments
| of this bridge are resting upon the weary
| and bending backs of his fellowmen
Reference to Lacy Scandal
hit men already down, nor do We expect
| to trouble ourselves with political corpses
agree entirely with, Mr.. Greer's asser-
| ton that he has no position to secure He
| is holding it now and seems to be trying
to earn his salary by defending the sys-
tenn and trying to make good for the $780,
goo or more that he and his associates al
lowed to be dissipated from the treasury.
Ignorant as some CT the members of our
conference seem to appear in Mr.. Greer's
eyes, think they would have discovered
this theft from the treasury before the
thief had escaped if they had been on the
watch tower. as he was, and accepting
| pay from the state to stand guard over
| its interest. Before this gentleman who
knows so much undertakes to advise us
to keep quiet think it would be well for
him to tell us more about this defalcation.
Tell us about the leak at Spiegner's, about
| the $4,000 loss that is more than year
old. Tell us how Lacy, the clerk who had
no bond, was put in position to get off
with $4,000 at one swoop. 1t would be well
for him to get In behind these matters and
tell us where the ahsconding clerk is TAX
ing his vacation. Whether his absence is
temporary or final. OF course, Mr.. Greer
does not know, nor does he know how the
| convicts are treated from personal knowl-
| edge So far as / know. no one charges
Mr.. Greer with being implicated in this
loss. Certainly l do not. He II to 'e
criticised for not knowing those things
connected with the convict department
which his official duties required him to
know.
Became a He-NiObe"
"Mr. Greer had the chance to tell all
these things when the probe in the con-
vict department was on In Montgomery,
and it developed that with all his vast
knowledge he did not know If the news
paper account is true, when called upon
for information, he became a 'he-Niobe,
his tears flowed 'profuse' In the Birming'
ham Ledger of April 15 on page g. 1t Is
said, when speaking of Mr. Greer before
the convict probe. tears streamed from
the eyes of Lon F. Greer, associate mem
Der Of the state convict board, when he
swore to c. E. Mccall, chief examiner OF
public accounts, Monday afternoon, that
he had done his duty, that his record was
clear, and that the shock would not have
been greater when he received the news
of the shortage of the convict department
If he had gotten a telegram announcing
the death of his wife. The witness evil
dence brought in the strike of convicts al
Belle Ellen, and Mr.. Greer was called 20
the stand and told about the strike He
| declared that he went to Belle Ellen IN
person; the convicts refused to work he
cause they got nothing but cabbage to eat
| three times a day. He Investigated the
situation and after having 30 convicts
whipped he interviewed each Of them pri-
vately in their cells. Mr.. Greer said the
food was good as to quantity, but not as
to quality, and he cautioned the warden,
J. p. Hall, to improve the fare
| THE whole article in the Ledger IL
good reading. but il is too long to copy
Cautioned Warden
Please note that Mr.. Greer cautioned
the warden and had the convtcts